News

Successful 25th International Water Mist Conference brings almost 200 Participants to Prague

Hamburg, 12^th October 2026. The International Water Mist Association (IWMA) successfully concluded its 25th International Water Mist Conference (IWMC), held on 7^th and 8^th October in Prague. Almost 200 participants from 32 countries attended the anniversary event, demonstrating the continued growth and international importance of water mist technology.

The conference brought together manufacturers, researchers, consultants, approval bodies and fire safety professionals to discuss the latest developments in water mist technology, standards, research and practical applications.

This year’s programme introduced two successful additions: a dedicated training workshop, attracting more than 60 participants who received Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificates, and a technical site visit to Prague’s National Technical Library. The library’s water mist installation has been in operation for 18 years, and the building also served as the conference venue when IWMC was last held in Prague in 2010.

The workshop was based on IWMA’s newly published practical design guide for water mist systems, which provides a structured, step-by-step approach to system design, from identifying fire risks and applicable standards to system verification and implementation. The guide aims to support designers, authorities and other stakeholders in applying water mist technology correctly and consistently.

New IWMA initiatives

During the conference, IWMA also presented several new initiatives aimed at strengthening competence and improving access to technical information.

One of these is “Mist Protects”, a new online platform scheduled for launch later this year. It will provide a central location for collecting and sharing documented real fire incidents, water mist installations, research findings, case studies and other relevant information. The objective is to make practical experience and technical evidence more accessible to the global fire protection community.

Together with the new design guide and training workshop, this initiative represents an important step in IWMA’s efforts to promote knowledge sharing, technical competence and evidence-based fire protection.

“The 25th anniversary conference demonstrated how far our industry has developed. With almost 200 participants from 32 countries, strong participation in our new workshop and several important initiatives underway, we are taking further steps towards improving competence, sharing knowledge and strengthening the position of water mist technology in fire protection,” said Max Lakkonen, President of IWMA.

IWMA looks forward to continuing these activities and further strengthening international cooperation across the industry.