Charting New Courses in Safety: VPPPA’s 2025 Safety+ Symposium Heads to St. Louis
From safety sessions to keynote speakers to connection-focused networking, this year’s Safety+ Symposium aims to deliver learning, leadership, and community in equal measure.
- By David Kopf
- Aug 06, 2025
When safety professionals descend on St. Louis this month for the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) 2025 Safety+ Symposium, they’ll find more than just technical sessions and expo booths—they’ll find a community built around shared purpose, mutual support, and evolving practices in the name of workplace safety, says Chris Williams, CAE, Executive Director of VPPPA.
Slated for August 11–14 at the America’s Center Convention Complex, the symposium will feature more than 100 breakout sessions, a bustling expo floor, and keynote speakers whose stories of risk, leadership, and resilience will set the tone for four days of inspiration and connection.
Williams says this year’s event is about deepening community and enhancing relevance.
“All the feedback we've gotten over the years and the data points show that people come to our show because they connect with fellow high-performing safety professionals—and frontline workers,” he said in a recent interview with OH&S. “… They’ve got a passion for saving lives. It drives us.”
Among the marquee moments of this year’s show are its two keynotes, Williams emphasized. The opening keynote from Mark Denton, a leadership expert and former round-the-world yacht race skipper. Williams said Denton’s harrowing stories at sea are packed with insights for those navigating the high-stakes world of safety management, noting “he's led amateurs and around the world, sailing competitions through some of the most dangerous conditions.” And the closing keynote, NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, brings both humor and perspective from his time aboard the Space Shuttle and International Space Station, Williams said.
Beyond the mainstage, the agenda includes timely, forward-looking sessions on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies—topics Williams believes are critical to shaping tomorrow’s safety programs.
“We have a number of sessions on AI and safety and health and the role that emerging technologies like AI are going to have,” he said. “And how that integrates into building that world-class safety and health program; the pros and the cons of it.”
But the heartbeat of Safety+ remains its strong emphasis on networking and year-round learning. Attendees will have ample opportunity to reconnect with peers and mentors through receptions, informal meetups, and special events, including an evening at Busch Stadium to watch the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Colorado Rockies.
Looking ahead, Williams says VPPPA is also investing in educational innovation. Plans include expanded micro-learning and hybrid content delivery to keep engagement going well beyond the four-day event. “What you get is that three or four days you’re on site, but we’re also creating an environment where you’re connecting with people year-round,” Williams explained.
Learn more and register at safety.vpppa.org.
About the Author
David Kopf is the publisher and executive editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine.