Call for Sessions
The USAging Annual Conference and Tradeshow is the largest and most prestigious gathering of local aging leaders and professionals in the United States. More than 1,400 Aging Network professionals, as well as nationally renowned decision makers and experts, participate in the Conference because they know that the issues and programs they—and the communities they serve—care about most will be showcased.
The latest trends in home and community-based services, social connection, health care contracting and systems integration, policy and advocacy, and AAA leadership and operational practices, among dozens of other topics, are presented by seasoned practitioners eager to share their cutting-edge insights and programs via interactive workshop formats.
Why do attendees return year after year? Responses to post-Conference surveys overwhelmingly show that participants leave the event feeling they have been given exciting new information, tools and contacts they can leverage as soon as they return to their agencies. Even more, attendees have said they value the personal connections with their peers they can only make at the USAging Annual Conference and Tradeshow.
The USAging 50th Annual Conference and Tradeshow will be held July 20–23, 2025, in Chicago, IL. We hope that you will not only attend but also contribute your depth of knowledge and expertise by leading a Workshop or Fast-Track Session. Our sessions are organized under major topic categories and keywords as listed below. Please review these categories and keywords, and evaluate where your session fits best:
Submission Deadline
Status Notification
Submission Requirements
- Key contact information
- Presenter/panelist contact information
- Two-to three-sentence bio for each presenter
- Digital headshot of each presenter (note: This must be a high-resolution photo of 300 dpi; dpi count can be found by right-clicking on photo and opening the "Properties" tab)
- Session title (12-word maximum)
- Short session description (125-word maximum)
- Long session description (250-word maximum)
- Audience engagement strategies
All submissions must be transmitted online through the Call for Sessions web page. If you need an accommodation, please contact usaging@conferencesolutionsinc.com.
Evaluation
Each year, more than 250 proposals are submitted for consideration for approximately 100 available session spots at the USAging Conference. When preparing your submission, please keep in mind that your presentation will be evaluated by a panel of experts on the following criteria:
- Outcomes/Impact: How have older adults, people with disabilities and/or caregivers benefitted from your program/service and/or how has your program/service improved the operations of your agency? For research-oriented sessions, what did your results show in terms of program outcomes for individuals, programs/services or agency operations?
- Innovation: What makes your program/service/research unique or innovative?
- Replicability/Applicability: What elements of your program/service/model can readily be implemented by other Area Agencies on Aging or Title VI Native American Aging Programs? For research-oriented sessions, how can AAAs or Title VI programs apply your learnings in their work?
- Clarity: Does your session proposal offer a clear, engaging description of the proposed session and why it's important to AAAs and the people they serve?
- Audience Interaction/Engagement: How will your session effectively engage the audience? How will participants actively be involved?
PLEASE NOTE:
- We strongly recommend all proposals include at least one presenter from a AAA.
- To preserve the integrity of the conference experience for our attendees, USAging has a policy of not selling products or services during presentations. Submissions that feature vendors or consultants as presenters will likely not be included in the submission review process unless submitted as a corporate Fast-Track Session.
- Use a clear and creative title: A clear and catchy title helps your session stand out and makes attendees want to read more—and come to your session. Get creative and catch people’s attention, but be clear as to what your session is about.
- Bring your description to life: Keep it conversational. Use brief, concrete sentences about what your proposed session will cover. What did you do? What data do you have to show that your program made a difference? What will attendees learn, and how will they be able to apply it in their agencies and communities?
- Focus on engaging your audience: Our attendees value engagement with presenters and with each other at our conference. Thought-provoking session proposals that clearly define how you plan to engage the audience rather than talking at them naturally rise to the top.
Lead Presenter Responsibilities
- Provide complete information for up to three proposed presenters per Workshop and up to two per Fast-Track Session, including brief bios and head shots. Be sure to collect those bios and head shots before starting your submission!
- Review presenters’ responsibilities with each presenter prior to submission.
- Hold the Conference dates of July 20-23, 2025 on your calendar until notified of your proposal status.
- Communicate the accept/decline status of the session proposal to all additional presenters.
- If selected, contact each presenter to re-confirm their participation and to register for the Conference.
- Register and pay for the Conference.
- If applicable, pay extra audiovisual and/or internet costs in advance.
- Presenters must upload their PowerPoint presentations before the Conference. The portal will open the week of June 9, 2025, and will close for presentation uploads on July 11, 2025.
- If Lead Presenter changes after the submission process, please email usaging@conferencesolutionsinc.com immediately. The new Lead Presenter will be responsible for all the above responsibilities.
Presenter Responsibilities
- If selected, register for the Conference and pay the registration fee.
- Review audiovisual equipment information.
- All presenters should make their hotel reservations at one of the Conference host hotels as soon as possible as the reservation site open. The Sheraton Grand reservation site will open in late February and deadline to make room reservations is June 13, 2025; however, the room block typically sells out before the deadline and the discounts may not be offered if sold out. Learn more about making reservations here.
Presentation Guidelines
All session rooms will have an LCD projector, screen, a PC laptop, one podium microphone and one head table microphone. Each laptop will be loaded with Microsoft Office products and any presentations submitted in advance of the Friday, July 11, 2025 deadline. Presenters are only required to bring their presentation on a compatible USB drive if they did not upload their presentation before the deadline. Wireless internet access is provided in the session rooms. Fast-Track Sessions are intended to be highly interactive, so we recommend very limited, if any, use of slides in such sessions.
2025 Session Format Types
Fast-Track Session – 30 minutes
Fast-Track Sessions are meant to be interactive, collaborative conversations among session presenters and participants. Presenter(s) should plan to provide only very brief opening remarks or presentations of a concept, idea, program or strategy (a maximum of 10 minutes) to prompt the intended dialogue. A maximum of two presenters are permitted.
Workshop – 60 minutes
Presenter(s) share information, resources and success stories, engage in an interactive dialogue, invite questions and facilitate idea exchange with audience members. A maximum of three presenters are permitted.
Corporate Fast-Track Session – 30 minutes
Presenter(s) from for-profit entities, or those selling products and services, share information, resources, and success stories, engage in an interactive dialogue, invite questions and facilitate idea exchange with audience members. A maximum of two presenters are permitted. See Gold Sponsorships for associated costs.
2025 Conference Focus Areas and Keywords
Advancing Advocacy and Elder Justice
AAAs are mandated by the Older Americans Act to advocate for older adults and are on the frontlines of elder justice. Attendees will have the opportunity to get up to speed on timely federal policy issues, expand their skills and learn from their peers about new approaches to federal, state and local advocacy. Sessions will also highlight best practices, new innovations and replicable programs and initiatives to prevent, detect and address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Aging Well in Community: Housing, Transportation and More
Learn about innovative and effective strategies for promoting community living and addressing the evolving needs of older adults, caregivers and people with disabilities through housing, transportation, and other core aging programs and services, including the Older Americans Act. Sessions will provide practical and insightful guidance on designing, implementing and evaluating programs at the local level that can create more accessible and livable communities for all.
Aligning Health and Social Care: Health Care Contracting and Systems Integration
AAAs are at the nexus of health and social care through programs and services, health care contracting and data exchange with their partners. Sessions will focus on success stories, models and programs to screen, assess and address health-related social needs through Medicaid, Medicare and other health care opportunities, and key issues related to health and social care data exchange and systems integration.
Meeting the Unique Needs of Aging Communities
Recognizing and understanding the person-centered needs of older adults and caregivers from different communities, including rural communities, Native populations and more, is critical to developing and providing responsive programs and services that can help meet those needs. Sessions in this track will shine a light on unique challenges for aging populations and will highlight new and innovative programs and proven strategies that the AAAs and Title VI Native American Aging Programs can replicate.
Promoting Healthy Aging and Social Connection
Sessions will showcase the latest programs and services in the areas of wellness, social connection, nutrition, physical activity, evidence-based health promotion, medication management, mental and behavioral health, and more. Aging Network leaders and renowned national experts will discuss proven, highly effective programs designed to improve health and quality-of-life outcomes for older adults, caregivers and/or people with disabilities.
Running Your Agency: Strategies to Strengthen Leadership, Systems and People
Learn about cutting-edge practices that the Aging Network can utilize to strengthen leadership and operations; build capacity; and meeting the needs of staff and volunteers. Finance, grants management, leadership development, training programs, workforce and volunteer development and management, fundraising, marketing, program evaluation and new technologies are just a few of the topics that sessions will address.
Supporting Caregivers
Family and other informal caregivers are critical to our nation’s long-term care system, and the Aging Network’s supports and services help them perform their roles better, and for longer, while caring for themselves. Sessions will share best practices, innovations and new policies and research on supporting and training caregivers, including caregivers from different communities and kinship family caregivers.
Secondary keywords will help attendees find sessions relevant to their needs. These will be used in the mobile app filter and as identifiers in the Conference Program.
| Accessibility ACL Advance care planning/end-of-life care Benefits outreach and enrollment Business acumen Care transitions Caregiving Community care hubs Dementia Data and information exchange Disability Disaster/emergency preparedness Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging Elder abuse Evidence-based programs Financial/fiscal management Fundraising/development Health equity Housing and homelessness Information, referral and assistance Kinship care | Leadership and governance Managed care Medicare/Medicare Advantage Medicaid Mental/behavioral health Multisector plans on aging Nutrition Older Americans Act Ombudsman services Quality improvement Planning Public policy Rural issues Serving veterans Social isolation Technology Title VI Native American Aging Programs Transportation Workforce Volunteers |