An ‘extra special’ NPGA Propane Expo for 2026

Attendees of the 2026 Southeastern & International Propane Expo will see more than propane products and equipment on the show floor and throughout the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee. They’ll also see plenty of red, white and blue.

That’s because the industry’s largest trade show is “Celebrating America’s 250th,” the official theme of the National Propane Gas Association’s (NPGA) flagship event, as it recognizes the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“We wanted to lean into that theme and just celebrate the history of our tremendous country,” says Stephen Kaminski, president and CEO of NPGA.

The milestone anniversary dovetails with the history of propane, says Kaminski, who plans to highlight that connection during his remarks kicking off the April 19-21 event.

“It’s not very often that we as a country can celebrate this kind of [anniversary],” he says. “We just wanted to do something a little extra special.”

In addition to the patriotic feel on the show floor, other features of the event will add flair to this year’s theme. For example, the keynote speaker, Mary Kelly, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and spent more than 20 years on active duty in intelligence and logistics. She retired as a commander and is now recognized as a memorable motivational speaker.

“There are a lot of ties between the propane industry and the United States military,” Kaminski says. “We thought it made a lot of sense to have the keynote speaker be someone who spent the lion’s share of her career in the military.”

▶ A two-city show – for now

The Propane Expo shifts back to Nashville for the next three years after having spent two years in its new host city of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Charlotte drew positive reviews from many industry members, even though total attendance dipped from its previous years in Nashville – to 3,214 in 2024 and 3,129 last year. For now, the Propane Expo has become a two-city event still entrenched in the Southeast.

“We really like Charlotte,” says Kaminski, announcing that the city will host the Propane Expo again in 2029 and 2030. “The shows were slightly smaller in terms of attendance, but a lot of people were happy with the business that got done on the floor. All the hotels are very close. All the restaurants are close. It’s clean, walkable, and I think people felt safe, comfortable and happy there.”

Over the past decade, Nashville has raised the bar for the Propane Expo, which set attendance records of more than 4,000 in its initial years of 2016 and 2017. Attendance remained solid there in 2022 and 2023, at just over 3,500 and 3,800, respectively, but below the previous highs. The event in 2023 celebrated the Propane Expo’s 75th anniversary.

Two months prior to this year’s show, Kaminski liked how numbers were tracking for the third tour in Tennessee.

“There’s a lot of excitement around it,” he says. “Obviously, Nashville does a great job of hosting conventions. The city is designed for it. There are a lot of great things off the show floor for people to do and explore and have fun with.”

▶ Winter exit

That excitement stems not only from the allure of Nashville but also from a 2025-26 winter in which much of the country experienced extremely cold temperatures, with propane retailers likely reaping the benefits of higher gallon sales.

“It’s always fun to go there after a pretty robust winter,” says Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), who will provide a PERC update on the first day of the show.

“Historically, this will be an upbeat show because marketers will have had a good winter and will be open-minded to new technology, tools and ways for them to work with their customers and improve their business,” he says.

From PERC’s perspective, Perkins adds, the show will offer information for propane marketers to improve their safety culture. They will also have a chance to learn about new propane-fueled vehicles and power generation technologies.

Other highlights of this year’s Southeastern & International Propane Expo include the Women in Propane (WIP) Leadership Forum and roundtable, a combined WIP and Young Professionals Council awards ceremony and reception, a golf tournament benefiting the National Propane Gas Foundation, and a Young Gassers reception.

Among the many educational sessions is a new hazardous materials awareness certification training.

Where to find LP Gas in Nashville

• April 18: LP Gas Hall of Fame dinner – The LP Gas Hall of Fame welcomes the Class of 2026 during an induction dinner and ceremony at the Omni Nashville Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Learn more here.
• April 19-21: Propane Expo – Visit the LP Gas team in booth 528 at the Music City Center.

Featured Speakers

Mary Kelly – April 19, 3-4 p.m.

Kelly is an economist, business strategist, author and motivational speaker, currently serving as the CEO of Productive Leaders, a firm dedicated to leadership and economic development. She has worked with hundreds of organizations around the world. Kelly is also a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, having spent more than 20 years on active duty in intelligence and logistics. She retired as a commander.

Jimmy Wayne – April 20, 7:30-9 a.m.

Wayne is an award-winning country music artist and best-selling author. A former foster child, Wayne sings about his mission to raise awareness for children in foster care. In 2010, he walked from Nashville, Tennessee, to Phoenix to raise awareness of the challenges faced by kids aging out of the foster care system. In 2016, he received the Points of Light award from President George W. Bush for his work in this area.

Visit npgaexpo.org for more information about this year’s event.