What Is Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials?

Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials is the world's largest and most senior annual gathering of the global lithium, battery, and critical minerals supply chain. Held each June in Las Vegas, it brings together more than 1,000 attendees from 550+ companies across 40+ countries, the single highest-density gathering of decision-makers across the global battery supply chain.

From lithium miners and refiners to battery manufacturers, OEMs, energy storage developers, investors, and government representatives, every critical node of the supply chain is in one room, for one week, for one purpose: to do business.

The 2026 edition runs June 22 to 25 at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, and marks a significant expansion in scope. It adds the brand-new co-located Fastmarkets Battery & Energy Storage 2026 event, dedicated to the fastest-growing demand driver in the lithium market.

Why the Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials Market Comes to Las Vegas Every Year

There are dozens of industry events. There is only one where the CEO of a major lithium producer, the procurement lead of a global OEM, a senior sovereign wealth fund manager, and a DLE technology developer are all in the same breakout room before 9am.

That is what Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials is.

The event has run for over 17 years. Its track record speaks directly to why the industry keeps returning:

• 75%+ of attendees cite networking as their primary reason for coming
• 87% of sponsors rate networking value as their top measure of ROI
• Attendee satisfaction scores consistently above 4.2 out of 5
• Speaker NPS of 75. This is among the highest of any commodity industry event globally
• The overwhelming majority of attendees say they "definitely" or "probably" plan to return

This is not a conference you attend to fill a seat. It is the annual inflection point where the global lithium and battery supply chain sets its agenda, resets its relationships, and closes its deals.

Who Attends the World's Leading Lithium & Battery Materials Event?

The 2026 attendee mix spans every segment of the lithium and battery value chain:

Upstream: Lithium producers, hard rock miners, brine developers, junior exploration companies, DLE technology providers, geologists, and project developers from North America, South America, Australia, Africa, and Europe.

Midstream: Refiners, converters, chemical processing firms, cathode and anode material producers, and midstream engineering and equipment companies.

Downstream: Battery manufacturers, EV OEMs, energy storage system integrators, grid-scale storage developers, and industrial lithium users.

Finance & Policy: Private equity, sovereign wealth funds, strategic investors, project finance banks, US government representatives, state governors, and international policy leaders.

Market Intelligence & Advisory: Commodity analysts, price reporters, ESG consultants, traceability technology platforms, and legal and regulatory advisors.

If your business touches lithium, battery materials, critical minerals, or energy storage. Your customers, partners, suppliers, and competitors will be in Las Vegas in June.

What's on the 2026 Agenda? Key Topics Shaping the Market

The 2026 program reflects the most pressing strategic, commercial, and technical questions facing the global supply chain:

Lithium Market Outlook & Price Discovery In a market defined by price volatility, supply-demand imbalances, and the growing influence of China on midstream pricing, the agenda delivers the data-driven market analysis the industry depends on. Sessions cover short- and long-term supply/demand forecasts, regional breakdowns across the Americas, China, Europe, and emerging markets, and the evolving role of lithium derivatives and hedging instruments.

National Security & Critical Minerals Strategy Batteries are no longer just a clean energy story. They are a defense and national security imperative. The 2026 keynote program features senior US government representatives and state governors addressing domestic supply chain buildout, public-private partnerships, permitting reform, and how the US is competing with China's long-term industrial strategy. Sessions also cover rare earth elements and the push for an ex-China supply chain.

Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE): From Pilot to Commercial Scale DLE remains the technology the industry most wants to understand, and most wants to see proven. The 2026 program dedicates significant content to honest, technical, data-driven sessions on DLE commercialization: where it has succeeded, where it has not, what the Smackover Basin actually represents, and what it will take to bridge the gap from pilot plant to commercial operation.

Battery & Energy Storage Systems (ESS) For the first time in 2026, the event co-locates with Fastmarkets Battery & Energy Storage 2026 (June 24 to 25), a dedicated event for the downstream leaders navigating grid-scale storage, AI data center load, utility procurement, deployment financing, and what rapidly evolving ESS demand actually means for lithium consumption curves. Included in your full event pass.

Supply Chain Security, Geopolitics & Trade Policy US-China trade tensions, tariffs, the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, and the drive for regional supply chain resilience are reshaping investment, project selection, and commercial strategy across the industry. Sessions examine what regional supply chain buildout actually looks like: in North America, Europe, and beyond.

Investment, M&A & Project Finance The capital market for lithium and battery materials is resetting. Sessions cover what it takes to attract investment in a volatile, maturing market, the drivers of current and upcoming consolidation, the role of strategic investors from Japan, Korea, and the Middle East, and the path from proof of concept to bankable project.

Sustainability, ESG & Responsible Production From water and energy footprints to green lithium premiums and supply chain traceability, the 2026 Sustainability & Innovation Stage addresses the ESG demands of downstream customers, regulators, and investors. It also addresses the technologies making transparent, responsible production possible.

A Full Week of Networking Engineered for Deal-Making

The agenda is exceptional. But the real reason 1,000+ industry leaders fly to Las Vegas every June is what happens around it.

Exhibition Show Floor The commercial engine of the week. Miners next to refiners, investors next to developers, OEM procurement teams in the same room as junior project companies. Every square foot of the floor is designed for productive commercial interaction.

Bookable One-to-One Meeting Tables Pre-schedule 30-minute private meetings before you arrive. Developers meet capital. Traders benchmark supply. OEM procurement teams move pipelines forward on their terms. The meeting infrastructure at this event is consistently rated as one of its most valuable features.

Four Drinks Receptions The agenda gives you context. The receptions give you access. Four evening networking events across the week. This includes the prestigious VOLTAS Awards ceremony, which recognizes leadership across lithium, batteries, and energy storage.

Executive & ESS Breakfast Clubs Closed-door, invitation-only sessions before 9am. Senior leaders discuss capital allocation, project risk, market positioning, and the decisions shaping the next 12 months. Not open to the general attendee population.

State & Country Roundtables Small, closed-door sessions focused on the regions and projects that matter most. Permitting timelines, capital availability, and project development challenges discussed directly by the people involved.

Fastmarkets Battery & Energy Storage 2026 (NEW) Co-located June 24 to 25. A brand-new dedicated event for senior downstream leaders. Included in your full event pass. Register interest now.

Brand New for 2026: Fastmarkets Battery & Energy Storage

Co-located with the main event on June 24 to 25, Fastmarkets Battery & Energy Storage 2026 is a dedicated addition for the senior leaders navigating the downstream side of the battery supply chain.

Topics include:

• Grid-scale energy storage deployment and project financing
• AI data center electricity demand and its impact on battery procurement
• Utility-scale storage procurement pipelines
• What rapidly evolving ESS demand actually means for lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese consumption

Access is included in your full event pass. Register your interest now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials event? It is the world's largest annual gathering of the global lithium, battery, and critical minerals supply chain, bringing together 1,000+ senior industry professionals from 550+ companies across 40+ countries for four days of keynotes, technical sessions, and high-density networking in Las Vegas each June.

When and where is the 2026 event? June 22 to 25, 2026, at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, Las Vegas.

Who should attend? Anyone working across the lithium, battery materials, critical minerals, or energy storage value chain: producers, refiners, battery manufacturers, OEMs, ESS developers, investors, project finance advisors, government representatives, technology providers, and market intelligence professionals.

What topics does the agenda cover in 2026? The 2026 program covers lithium market outlook and price discovery, DLE technology commercialization, battery and energy storage, national security and critical minerals policy, supply chain regionalization, ESG and responsible production, project finance, and M&A.

What is the VOLTAS Awards? The VOLTAS Awards recognize leadership, innovation, and achievement across the lithium, battery, and energy storage sectors. The ceremony takes place during one of the week's evening networking receptions, bringing senior decision-makers together in a post-agenda environment designed for meaningful conversation.

What is new at the 2026 event? 2026 sees the debut of Fastmarkets Battery & Energy Storage, a co-located dedicated event for downstream battery and storage leaders, running June 24 to 25 and included in the full event pass.

Is the event relevant if my focus is beyond lithium: for example, nickel, cobalt, graphite, rare earths, or energy storage? Yes. The 2026 event significantly expands its scope to cover the full battery raw materials and critical minerals supply chain, including dedicated content on rare earth elements, US defense supply chains, energy storage, and battery chemistries beyond lithium-ion.

How do I register? Ticket prices increase as the event approaches. Register now to secure the best available rate.

The global lithium and battery supply chain is at an inflection point. Lithium prices have been volatile. China's dominance of midstream processing is under strategic pressure. The US and EU are investing billions to build sovereign supply chains. DLE is approaching commercial scale. Battery demand from energy storage and AI data centers is accelerating. And the geopolitical stakes around critical minerals have never been higher.

Every one of those trends will be addressed, debated, and decided. In part, these will be resolvedover the course of four days in Las Vegas this June.

The conversations you have at Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials in 2026 will shape your strategy, your pipeline, and your relationships for the year ahead.

The world's lithium, battery, and critical materials market gathers once a year in one room.

This is that room.

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Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials | June 22 to 25, 2026 | Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, Las Vegas | 1,000+ Attendees | 550+ Companies | 40+ Countries