Spring 2026 presented another great season of damage prevention meetings all around Minnesota! Held by and for the excavation community, the annual meetings are highly anticipated and feature presentations by Gopher State One Call(GSOC) and the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (MNOPS) focused on topics important to the state’s industry stakeholders.
This year’s meetings shifted the conversation towards new ticketing tools available from GSOC. “The 2026 Damage Prevention meetings were a refreshing change, placing strong emphasis on innovative tools that empower industry professionals to succeed, rather than focusing solely on compliance requirements,” shared Olivia Phillips, GSOC marketing director. The new tools included Automated Marking Instructions, Electronic White Lining, Ticket Talk, and Meet Tickets.
“The commitment to safety by all those involved with the damage prevention meetings, both as attendees and meeting facilitators, reaffirms how important each of our roles are towards keeping utilities and the public safe. It was great to see the interaction throughout the meetings and the appreciation towards damage prevention education and safety. As we enter another busy dig season, I am encouraged by the level of stakeholder engagement that has already taken place to support each other towards successful outcomes.”
Mike Mendiola, Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety
The sense of community at each location was enhanced by the interest and discussion amongst the attendees. Jolena Ware, GSOC’s ITIC coordinator, noted that “the discussions and communication that was had at these meetings was a great way to kick off this 2026 dig season.” GSOC Chief Operating Officer Kelly Connolly also emphasized the importance of connections being made, “In communities across the state, Minnesota’s utility operators, excavators, and locators came together to discuss how we can better connect Minnesota for safe digging, protecting the communities and the people in them.”
If you missed this year’s meetings or want to revisit the information shared, you can click here to view the 2026 GSOC presentation or watch the video on new ticketing features below.
Watch the Digging Dangers Video Shown at This Year’s Meetings:
How to register in 2027:
- Visit the MNCGA website events calendar to find a meeting location and date that works for you.
- Click on the event you’d like to attend. In the event description, you’ll find the time, venue, address, and contact information for the meeting. You’ll also find the Eventbrite link to register.
- Click the Eventbrite link under “Website” to be taken to the Eventbrite page for that meeting. Then, complete your registration via Eventbrite. You will receive email confirmation of your registration.
We hope to see both familiar and new faces at the 2027 meetings!
If you’d like to schedule a GSOC safety presentation at your organization outside of the annual damage prevention meetings, please reach out to Kelly Connolly at [email protected].