Overview

Join us in Venice, Italy, for an engineering symposium dedicated to the complex fire safety challenges faced by cultural and heritage sites. As historic structures evolve in their use, the responsibility to protect irreplaceable architecture, artifacts, and cultural legacies grows more crucial. The 2026 SFPE Engineering Solutions Symposium: Fire Protection of Cultural and Heritage Sites, taking place November 12–13, 2026, brings together international experts to explore the strategies required to safeguard these treasured environments.

This two‑day, in‑person event brings together leading fire protection engineers, architects, heritage authorities, building owners and managers, insurers, cultural stewards, and fire service professionals for an examination of the unique hazards and constraints inherent to historic properties. Through keynote presentations, global perspective sessions, technical discussions, and case studies, supported by insights from European heritage authorities and fire services, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of modern fire protection approaches balanced against preservation requirements.

The symposium will cover:

• Fire safety challenges unique to historic structures, including material vulnerability, limited egress, and architectural constraints.
• Codes, standards, and engineering guidance applicable to existing and heritage buildings.
• Approaches to active and passive fire protection system design for culturally sensitive sites.
• Fire detection, suppression, egress strategies, and construction‑phase fire safety.
• Case studies based on cultural and heritage site fires.
• Insights from architects, fire brigades, cultural authorities, and international engineering leaders.

Following two days of technical programming and interactive discussions, the symposium will conclude with a tour on November 14 to provide real‑world context to the engineering concepts explored.

Program

The program for this event will be available in May 2026. Please check back then.

Program Committee

• Luciano Nigro, PE – Co‑Chair
• William Koffel, PE, FSFPE, SASHE – Co‑Chair
• Gabriele Vigne, PhD, Msc, FSFPE
• Piergiacomo Cancelliere, PhD
• Giovanni Cosma
• Paulo Ramos, M. Arch.
• Wojciech Wegrzynski, PhD
• Robert McNamee, PhD, PMSFPE, SFPE Europe
• Miroslav Gojic
• Morten Moelgaard Schmidt
• Nicholas Ozog, PE
• Gregory Harrington, PE
• Antonio Terio
• Chris Jelenewicz, PE, FSFPE, SFPE CEO

Registration

Registration for this event will open in May 2026. Please check back then.