We have some awesome opportunities for you to learn more about modeling and the subjects of your models. We have lined up some great speakers and instructors for both free seminars and paid workshops throughout the convention for those having full registration.
I want to personally thank all the presenters and artists who've donated their time, effort, and talent to provide our convention attendees with an exceptional experience. It's been my sincere hope that the opportunities we've worked so hard to provide for you have enhanced your attendance at the 2026 IPMS National Convention, and will inspire you to attend future conventions!
Any changes from here on will be posted on the schedule and announced on the convention Facebook site.
Looking forward to meeting you all.
John Martin
Sessions Coordinator
2026_seminars@ipmsusa.org
Seminars
Painting and Weathering USN Aircraft by Scott Samo and The Model Geeks
Demonstration on how to paint and weather aircraft, with an emphasis on modern jets.
Podcast Roundtable
Among the podcasts to be represented: Modeling Insanity, Model Geeks, Plastic Model Mojo, On the Bench.
Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp (1:8 Scale) by Cary Millsap
How far can you push a plastic kit when you can machine your own parts? Watch an aging Williams Brothers kit become a photorealistic, museum-quality engine using a home-shop lathe and mill.
Rat Fink? Improving Modeling Techniques with Ed Roth Designs by Bill & Dick Engar
Using ancient 1960s moldings to improve your assembly and painting techniques to meet current standards whether modeling auto models, figures or whatever your preference.
Small Scale Pics: Scale Model Photography Basics by Kevin Epling
Tips and tricks for lighting and photographing your models to create visual art. Including: Lighting (LED/RGB/Flash), Cameras, Lenses, Angles, Composition, and practical effects.
Star Trek 60th Anniversary by Jay Chladek
Jay focuses on the use of Licensed Star Trek models from Television and the Big Screen, including the USS Constellation in "Doomsday Machine," the "Wolf 359 Borg" debris fleet, and the desctruction of the Klingon vessels around DS9.
Starting an IPMS Chapter During a Pandemic by Dick Davenport
Dick takes you through the origins of the Capital Area Modelers Society (C.A.M.S.) during the Covid Pandemic to become the IPMS Chapter of the Year!
Starting an IPMS Youth Chapter by William Kuhrt & Melissa Bauer
We took a room full of curious kids and turned that energy into a thriving youth group. Come hear what worked, what didn't, and walk away with a simple framework you can take back to your own club!
Storytelling in Scale Modeling by Julio Perez
A truly great model captures a moment, an atmosphere, and a history. This session will provide you with a roadmap to transform your projects into compelling visual narratives.
Testing Tomcats: A Grumman Perspective on 32 Years of Flight Test and How to Model It All by Haagen Klaus
The F-14 Tomcat achieved renown in combat and fame in movies, but a lesser known part of Tomcat history spanned more than three decades of Grumman experimental and production flight test out on the east end of Long Island. This seminar unpacks this history, from the flight of the first F-14 in 1970 into the development of new engines, sensors, and capabilities along with the F-14A(Plus) and F-14D development programs of the 1990s. Throughout, scale modelers will see what needs to be done to build models of the most unique and rare F-14s that ever existed.