Deadline: May 8, 2026
Lead the conversation amongst thought leaders working at the intersection of higher education and economic development.
Planning is now underway to identify topics and presenters for concurrent sessions at the 2026 UEDA Summit Co-hosted by University of West Florida in Pensacola Beach, Florida. The Summit brings together higher education-based economic development professionals, practitioners, and innovation and industry partners to highlight the critical role universities and colleges play in driving regional economic growth. Attendees will learn best practices, gain national recognition for their work, and sharpen how they demonstrate their institution’s role in driving economic growth and community impact.
The theme for this year’s summit is: Tides of Transformation: Universities Shaping the Next Economy – 50 Years of UEDA Leadership.
The 2026 Summit will celebrate fifty years of UEDA leadership and the evolving role of universities as anchors of economic growth and innovation. Under the theme Tides of Transformation, the Summit will explore how institutions are navigating major economic shifts, from technology commercialization and entrepreneurship to workforce development and industry partnerships. It will also highlight successful models demonstrating how universities are strengthening their regions and helping shape the next economy. In the spirit of leaders engaging with leaders, proposals that spark dialogue, share replicable practices, and encourage peer exchange are strongly encouraged.
Presentation Topics
Summit topics should align with the theme and reflect the core concepts in our Foundations doctrine, centering on Talent, Innovation, or Place (or any combination of the three).
Summit Audience
Presentations and workshops should consider the positions of summit attendees including (but not limited to):
- Higher Education Presidents, Provosts and Deans
- Vice Presidents for Research, Innovation, Commercialization
- Extension and Outreach Officers
- Technology Transfer Directors
- Officials from Higher Education System Offices
- Federal and State Program and Grant Administrators
- Workforce Development Directors
- Higher Education Faculty and Researchers
- University-Industry Liaisons
- Graduate-level Students
Types of Presentations
UEDA welcomes a variety of engaging, hands-on, and creative proposals for concurrent sessions. Workshops, roundtables, interactive panels and activities that share practical tools, ideas, and strategies driving economic development are encouraged. Please acknowledge that regular breakout sessions are about one hour, while workshops can be up to three hours. We ask that all specialty needs (i.e. presentation audio/video, etc.) are identified up front.
| Presentation Type | Description |
| Individual Presentation | Standard presentation led by a single presenter (or co-presenters) focused on a specific project, program, research finding, or case study. |
| Interactive Panel Discussion | Dynamic discussions with a pre-organized group featuring 2-3 panelists and a session moderator. Includes audience engagement beyond the Q&A period. |
| Workshop | Applied learning with actionable takeaways that include an introductory portion for presenters to introduce their presentation, concluding with group discussion surrounding the topic presented. |
| Experiential Learning | Presentation featuring alternative processes for participants to develop knowledge, skills, and values from direct experiences outside traditional conference settings. |
| Lightning Round / Peer Exchange | Series of expedited discussions that focus on best practices around a single broad topic in an expedited format with limited use of materials. Also can include crowd-sourcing of solutions towards shared challenges amongst attendees. |
Review Criteria
UEDA’s Summit Committee will review all proposals and will recommend submissions based on the following criteria:
- Relevance: Alignment to summit theme and UEDA’s focus
- Value: Informative and forward-thinking for the field
- Clarity: Clearly descriptive of content and significance
- Appeal: Compelling with practicality and replicability
- Originality: Stands out with uniqueness
The Summit Committee may work with session leads to refine topics and ideas, or potentially combine similar session proposals.
Submission Form
The information document includes a worksheet which provides the information you will be asked to submit online. Please submit all conference proposal information via the Summit Application Portal.