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Site Selection | 2027 ALP National Conference



HOW TO EXPRESS INTEREST IN SERVING AS THE 2027 NATIONAL CONFERENCE HOST COMMUNITY

The Association of Leadership Programs is now accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) to be considered to host the 2027 ALP National Conference!

The ALP National Conference is an opportunity for community leadership professionals nationwide to come together in a collaborative environment. 200+ attendees have the opportunity to listen to keynote speakers and participate in their choice of concurrent breakout sessions to discover ways to grow and enhance their programs, as well as share what has made their programs successful. Hosting the conference allows you to showcase your community!

The mission of the Association of Leadership Programs (ALP) is to advance the effectiveness of leadership programs and professionals by recognizing excellence, fostering innovation, sharing best practices, and building networks among Community Leadership Program professionals.

To accomplish its mission, ALP hosts an annual National Leadership Conference. Each National Leadership Conference typically draws 225 - 250 attendees from across the country, including leadership program directors, program support staff, and essential volunteers from their organizations. Any given National Conference will feature the following opportunities:

  • Workshop sessions that provide leading-edge perspectives and best practices on the work of Community Leadership Programs.
  • In-community experiences that provide attendees the opportunity to discover community assets and points of pride.
  • Prominent keynote speakers and practical large group sessions
  • Networking opportunities to allow attendees to connect

The conference format requires close cooperation between the host organization, the Association of Leadership Programs, the conference committee, staff, and the conference facilities.

If you are interested in bidding to serve as the host program for the 2027 National Conference, please review the important details, basic space needs, and the timeline below. 

The official site selection process will begin in the second half of 2025. Express early interest in hosting here.

  • A Letter of Intent (LOI) should be submitted by the to be determined deadline. 
  • All Letters of Intent should be emailed to Sarah Alice Keiser, Director of Events and Marketing at events@alpleaders.org. 
  • Content of the LOI shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
    • A letter of support from the organization's top executive acknowledging the program's commitment and responsibility for serving as the host community for the conference.
    • A brief introduction and overview of your program.
    • Understanding that the host program is responsible for all costs related to the hosting of the Welcome Reception. 
    • Additional letters of support – i.e., conference sponsors, hotel support, city support, convention & visitors bureau support
      • Please note including their support at this stage does not mean you should proceed with receiving formal contract bids from partners in your community. 

IMPORTANT DETAILS

  • The letter of intent is to express your program's interest in hosting. At this stage, please refrain from soliciting formal bids from venues and hotels within your community. 
  • Specific conference dates are negotiable, but mid to late July 2027 dates are preferred.  
  • The Association of Leadership Programs serves as the official organizer of the conference as well as the financial administrator, with support and enhancement by the host program. ALP will host all conference information on the ALP website, administer registration, and handle all end-to-end conference services. Volunteer support from the host city may be needed to help with on-site registration desk support to assist with attendee check-in or similar tasks.

  • The conference typically runs on a Monday through Thursday schedule, with hotel nights peaking between 150-160 room nights. 

  • Your community must be easily accessible and serviced by all major airlines + regional discount carriers. 

  • A community within a 5 to 7-hour drive of significant metropolitan populations is preferred.

  • The host program is responsible for covering all costs associated with the Welcome Reception.

  • The host program is responsible for connecting ALP with alumni of your program(s) to provide volunteer support throughout the ALP National Conference.

  • The ideal community has a variety of cultural attractions, entertainment, restaurants, and shopping easily accessible from the meeting site.

  • A strong Letter of Intent highlights the program/organization's ability to generate local funding to meet Welcome Reception and National Conference sponsorship goals and the ability to provide connections for local corporate sponsorship to enhance the conference experience. The host program must also be willing to assist in securing in-kind contributions for the welcome bag from local organizations.

View the 2025 checklist to see if your program and community meet the basic requirements. When the 2027 process begins, an updated version will be provided to attach to your LOI.

BASIC SPACE NEEDS

  • How do you know if your community has the space needed to host? Review the basic space requirements and think about hotels/convention center space in your area. 

  • Banquet room for 300, 7 breakout rooms, registration and storage space located close to session space (ideally one of the smaller meeting rooms), vendor space in a foyer area near breakout rooms. Breakout rooms for workshops should be able to accommodate 50 in a classroom or banquet style with AV equipment in each space.

  • The above information is provided for you to personally gauge the available space in your community. Please do not contact hotels for contract bids at this time. 

TIMELINE

  • Date TBD - Site Selection Process for 2027 ALP National Conference Begins
  • 45 days post announcement - Letters of Intent are due. All ALP member programs potentially interested in hosting the 2027 National Conference in their community must express interest by this date. 
  • 30 days post-LOI Due Date - ALP will notify all programs about their ranking and position. Programs that submit a Letter of Intent will be ranked on location (access and geographical location), support (funding and volunteers), and feasibility. ALP will move forward with bidding from hotels and venues in the top three specified locations.
  • 30 days post-notification of ranking - Bidding packets due to ALP from CVB partners & hotels in the top three selected communities. 
  • 30 days post-formal bid submission deadline - Decision made. All programs in the pipeline will be notified when a decision is made whether their program is selected or not.