Welcome to Fort Wayne and the 2026 IPMS/USA National Convention.

On behalf of the International Plastic Modelers' Society/USA, it is a distinct honor and genuine pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 National Convention to be held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 5-8.

Whether you are a first-time attendee, a rising young modeler, or a long-time champion of our craft, we thank you for joining us in this remarkable gathering; a celebration of the ingenuity, camaraderie, and passion that define our modeling community.

We are a team of eleven IPMS/USA Region 4 Chapters dedicated to give you the best convention experience we possibly can. 

The three rings of the circus -- the National Contest, our esteemed vendors, and the raffle -- will all be in place along with other side shows such as the Tiger Meet, family make and take, tours, and seminars to sharpen your skills and learn more about our craft.

As a group, we wrestled with the five Theme Awards for the convention. This iswhat we came up with:

1. Happy Birthday America - The American Revolution - Any figure of American Revolutionary War soldiers, (American of British), or a Founding Father (e.g., George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, etc.) or any diorama or vignette depicting an event representative of the American Revolution (Washington crossing the Delaware, The Boston Tea Party, the shot heard ‘round the world, etc).

2. Gundam RX-78 - Back to the Beginning - Any variant of RX-78, from any manufacturer, or any diorama or vignette featuring an RX-78 variant.

3. Truck Town USA – International Harvester - Any vehicle manufactured by International Harvester (e.g., Semi, Cement mixer, Farm Machinery, Scout, etc.) or any diorama or vignette with International Harvester as a main component.

4. The 60th Anniversary of Star Trek - Any vehicle or figure from the entire Star Trek Franchise or any diorama or vignette containing such vehicles or figures.

5. The 110th Anniversary of the Battle of Jutland - Any British or German WWI ship or any diorama or vignette containing such ships.

Additionally, Adam-David Stephenson is sponsoring:

The All-American Red, White, & Blue Award - Any aircraft or helicopter sporting an American-themed red, white and blue motif (e.g., bicentennial, flag scheme, US Thunderbirds, etc.) including aircraft in a diorama or vignette.

Most of your questions are addressed on our webpage:

https://ipmsnationals.org/

or on our Fcebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ipmsusanationals

If you need help, please contact Jogn Figueroa at: 

2026_chair@ipmsusa.org

We will be posting frequently on the Convention Facebook page to give you all the information you need in a timely manner, and to answer questions you might have.

We’d also like to be kept abreast of what it is you are planning to bring to the convention, be it for the contest or for the Tiger Meet (display only, more on that later). Show us your work and share updates on your builds with us.

We are very excited to have been chosen to host you in Fort Wayne. We will be posting opportunities for family outings, short trips, and items of interest for modelers and their families. There is so much that we want to share with you, so check back often.

Gracias amigos…

John Figueroa
IPMS/USA
2026 National Convention Chairperson