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Committee: Conference

2026 Conference Committee Chair
Andrew Heger
[email protected]

 

2026 Mission:

The mission of the Conference Committee is to provide leadership and direction to the Executive Director, who is responsible for managing the annual conference in October of each year. This committee exists to make sure the needs of the membership, as it pertains to the conference, are met. This committee interfaces with the Education Committee, the Marketing Committee and vendor representatives to ensure that a quality conference is offered at an affordable cost. Every effort is made to ensure exceptional educational offerings for all attendees.

2026 Report: 

Since the conclusion of the 2025 conference, the MSFCA Conference Committee has been hard at work preparing for the 2026 event. The committee met in January to review last year’s conference and begin planning for the year ahead. Over the past several months, much of our focus has been on incorporating feedback from attendee and vendor surveys into the overall conference format. Our goal remains unchanged: to continuously enhance the experience for both attendees and vendors. We hope you notice these improvements throughout your time at the conference.

 

This year’s conference will follow a format similar to 2025, with a few updates:

 

• Wednesday Evening – Welcome reception in the DECC lobby.

 

• Thursday Morning – Opening Ceremony featuring a symposium speaker. Last year, we moved the annual Business Meeting into Thursday morning activities. Based on positive feedback, we will continue this format. Vendor show hours have been adjusted to allow attendees to move directly from the symposium speaker to the vendor show.

 

• Thursday Lunch – Sponsored by our generous vendors and held in the vendor area, offering continued opportunities to connect with exhibitors throughout the afternoon and evening. The day will conclude with a vendor reception.

 

• Friday – A full day of educational sessions, both morning and afternoon, designed to expand your knowledge and skills. Lunch will provide an excellent networking opportunity. The evening will feature the annual Memorial Service and Awards Program—an important time to honor members we’ve lost over the past year and celebrate the achievements of our current members.

 

• Saturday Morning – Closing symposium speaker. Based on past feedback, the session will again conclude earlier to allow additional time for checkout and travel. We encourage everyone to attend these valuable closing sessions.

 

The Conference Committee is also looking forward to the opportunities created by our new contract with the DECC, approved last year. Beginning in 2028, the annual conference will move to September, allowing us to expand our future conference offerings.

Conference Committee File Library