(GBMP: Boston) -- GBMP Consulting Group has announced that registration is open for the 22nd Annual Northeast Lean Conference (#NELEAN2026), Sept. 29–30, 2026, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Lean practitioners, operational leaders, and continuous improvement professionals who register before July 1, 2026, will save $500 per person.

Now in its 22nd year, the Northeast Lean Conference is New England’s most vibrant and enduring gathering of the lean community, drawing more than 500 practitioners from the manufacturing, healthcare, and service industries for two full days of practical learning, peer benchmarking, and inspiration.

This year’s theme is “People & AI: The Future of Continuous Improvement (Emphasis on the People!).” The event will take on one of the most pressing questions facing improvement professionals today: As AI reshapes how organizations work, how do lean leaders harness new technology in ways that strengthen problem solving, accelerate decision-making, and deepen respect for people? The conference will explore how organizations are combining lean thinking, human development, and artificial intelligence to build more effective, people-centered cultures of continuous improvement.

The two-day program features keynote addresses, dozens of peer-led breakout sessions, poster presentations, and hands-on workshops, all drawing from real-world implementation experiences across industries.

Past attendees have called it “absolutely one of the best conferences I have ever attended” and praised it as “a true community of practitioners in the Northeast,” a place where speakers share actual experiences applying lean principles, and where ideas travel freely across industries.

“Twenty-two years in, and I’ve never seen a theme resonate this quickly,” says Dan Fleming, president of GBMP. “Every lean leader we talk to is wrestling with the same question: How do we use AI in a way that empowers our people rather than displacing them? That’s exactly what we’re digging into in Springfield this September, and the $500 early-bird savings through June 30 means there’s no reason to wait to make plans for your lean team to be there.”

The full agenda, including presentation abstracts and speaker bios, is available here. Sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are also available.

Registration: Early bird (through June 30): Save $500 per person. Group discounts available. Register at: northeastlean22.eventify.io/t2/tickets.

Event details: Dates: Tuesday–Wednesday, Sept. 29–30, 2026. Venue: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts. Website: gbmp.org/ne-lean-conference.