The 2026 U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day (WSD) comes to Capitol Hill on December 8 with an afternoon of programming for standards leaders, congressional staff, federal decision-makers, and other stakeholders: a Congressional Briefing on standards and national priorities, an interactive WSD Showcase, and the WSD Celebration honoring leaders in the standards community.
Registration remains open, and the agenda and speaker lineup are now available.
Congressional Briefing (12:00–1:30 p.m.; free)
Two panels will examine how standards advance U.S. competitiveness and bring emerging technologies into the real world. In Standards, Policy, and U.S. Competitiveness, moderated by Debra Phillips (NEMA), federal trade and technology leaders from ANSI, NIST, and USTR will discuss critical minerals supply chains, trustworthy AI, and U.S. leadership in critical and emerging technologies. In From Standards to Solutions, moderated by Mary Saunders (ANSI), standards developers and industry leaders from ASHRAE, HP Inc., NEMA, and ULSE will share how voluntary consensus standards help keep AI, data centers, and the electrified infrastructure behind them safe, efficient, and interoperable.
WSD Showcase (11:15 a.m.–2:00 p.m.; free)
The WSD Showcase is an interactive space where organizations present concrete, standards-based solutions to national priorities. Attendees can visit over a boxed lunch before the briefing and again afterward, getting a firsthand look at how private-sector-led standards are driving results.
WSD Celebration and Networking Reception (2:00–4:00 p.m.; ticket required)
The WSD Celebration recognizes the people advancing the standards community. Walter Zoller will receive the Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award, and the winner of the WSD Paper Competition will be recognized. A networking reception follows from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. amid the Showcase displays, with time for follow-up conversations.
Learn more about all December 8 events and register.
2026 Theme: An Electrifying Future Powered by Standards
As society moves toward a more electrified, connected, and technologically complex future, voluntary consensus standards provide the shared foundation for interoperability, reliability, and trust. They advance innovation and emerging technologies, strengthen infrastructure, protect public health and safety, and fortify cybersecurity and data privacy. This year’s theme recognizes the collective contributions of standards developers, industry, government, and other stakeholders in building a future that is reliable, secure, and resilient.
About World Standards Day
Launched in 1970, World Standards Day is an annual event honoring the contributions of the standards community, including business, industry, academia, and government, to the global community. In the U.S., activities are organized by a planning committee of standards and conformity assessment professionals, co-chaired by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is administrating the 2026 U.S. Celebration.
