The Briefing FFL Compliance Summit has confirmed an unprecedented speaker lineup for its inaugural conference, taking place September 23–25, 2026 at the W Hotel Dallas. Headlining the event is ATF Director Rob Cekada, ATF's Chief Counsel, Deputy Assistant Director for Industry Operations, National Tracing Center Chief, and the FBI's lead ATF/FFL Liaison for NICS. Early bird registration is open now at fflbriefing.com through July 31 at $399, before the regular rate of $499 takes effect.
For the country's 70,000-plus active FFLs, the timing of this conference is difficult to overstate. Director Cekada took office on April 30, 2026 and has already announced 34 pending rule changes - a sweeping regulatory reset that will touch everything from bound book recordkeeping to dealer inspection procedures. The Briefing was built specifically to give licensees direct access to the officials making and interpreting those decisions.
Confirmed Speakers
Rob Cekada — ATF Director | Opening Keynote
Confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 29, 2026, Director Cekada is a 30-year law enforcement veteran who began his career with the NYPD before joining ATF in 2005 as a Special Agent. He rose through the ranks to serve as Executive Assistant Director for Operations and Deputy Director before his Senate confirmation. His opening keynote will set the regulatory tone for the entire conference.
Robert Leider — ATF Assistant Director & Chief Counsel
A Second Amendment legal scholar and former Associate Professor at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, Robert Leider clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and holds a J.D. from Yale and a Ph.D. from Georgetown. Appointed ATF Chief Counsel in March 2025, Leider will provide authoritative legal guidance on the regulatory changes most directly affecting FFL compliance - straight from the attorney who advises the agency.
Curtis Gilbert — ATF Deputy Assistant Director, Industry Operations
With nearly 31 years of federal service, Curtis Gilbert is one of the most authoritative voices in the country on FFL inspections, adverse action, and compliance frameworks. A recognized speaker on FFL compliance, he has served as Director of Industry Operations for ATF's Detroit Field Division and Deputy Assistant Director for Public and Governmental Affairs. His session gives dealers rare, direct insight into how ATF's industry operations division views licensee compliance.
Edward Stely — ATF Chief, National Tracing Center Division
Edward Stely leads the only facility in the country authorized to trace firearms recovered in criminal investigations. The National Tracing Center processes hundreds of thousands of trace requests each year from federal, state, local, and international law enforcement — work that depends entirely on the accuracy of the records FFLs keep. Stely's session connects the daily record at the dealer counter to the trace request that arrives after a firearm turns up at a crime scene.
Eric Moore — FBI ATF/FFL Liaison, NICS Section
Eric Moore has been the FBI's lead ATF/FFL Liaison for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for the past 17 years, and has worked in the NICS Section since its inception in 1998. With 29 years of FBI service spanning roles as Customer Service Representative, Legal Instrument Examiner, Management and Program Analyst, and Liaison Specialist, Moore brings the definitive NICS perspective on the intersection of federal background check operations and the firearms industry.
Why FFLs Should Be There
Compliance conferences are common. A room with the ATF Director, Chief Counsel, Deputy Assistant Director for Industry Operations, NTC Division Chief, and the FBI's NICS liaison — all speaking directly to dealers - is not. The Briefing is designed for the licensee who understands that understanding the regulatory environment is a business advantage.
With 34 rule changes on the table and the inspection cycle continuing, the question isn't whether these regulations will affect your business. It's whether you'll hear the explanation directly from the officials responsible for them - or learn about it after the fact.
Registration
The Briefing FFL Compliance Summit | September 23–25, 2026 | W Hotel Dallas
Early Bird: $399 through July 31, 2026 | Regular: $499
Register at fflbriefing.com
Find more speakers and the full agenda at https://www.fflbriefing.com/agenda.
The Briefing is sponsored by:
Title:FastBound, FFLGuard, Gearfire, U.S. LawShield
Supporting:20North, 4473 Cloud, Coast2Coast Payments, MasterFFL, Silencer Shop