Speaking at Best Friends National Conference

The 2027 Best Friends National Conference takes place March 31 - April 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Charlotte Convention Center. The conference brings together animal welfare professionals and volunteers to spark ideas and share practical strategies to achieve, maintain, or return to no-kill.

Speaker submissions open August 24, 2026, and remain open until the deadline to submit proposals. We'll thoroughly review every submission and notify all applicants of our final decision by email.

• August 24, 2026: Submission process opens
• October 2, 2026: Deadline to submit proposals by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time
• End of October: Final decisions communicated via email to all applicants

At the 2026 Best Friends National Conference in Salt Lake City, we welcomed more than 1,330 attendees from 49 states. Half of attendees were at the conference for the first time, and more than half hold management or leadership roles at their organizations. Attendees and speakers come from a wide range of backgrounds and organizations, including advocacy and community engagement, field and animal services, shelter medicine and animal care, fundraising and development, and more. Here are some key insights from the 2026 audience to help you tailor your proposal:

• Top-rated session topics: keeping pets with families; leadership, culture, and staff training; shelter policies and procedures; and transparent data sharing
• Organization type: 19% government animal services, 13% rescue group without a government contract, 12% shelter without a government contract, 11% animal shelter with a government contract
• Roles represented: 47% full-time paid staff, 9% board of directors, 5% volunteer, 3% part-time paid staff
• Top duties: administrative operations (HR, finance, legal, etc.), adoption or foster programs, direct animal care, management and leadership, and marketing/communications/events/PR
• Years of experience in animal welfare: 43% have 10+ years, 19% have 3-5 years, 16% have 6-9 years, 12% have less than one year, and 10% have 1-2 years
• Top regions represented: 29% Mountain West (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY), 16% South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX), and 15% Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA). The conference typically draws the highest percentage of attendees from the region in which it’s located.

Check out our webinar on crafting a standout proposal. You’ll hear past speakers share their tips for designing and submitting a strong proposal and talk about what they gained from speaking at the conference, as well as why you should apply.

You may submit a proposal to present a 60-minute breakout session, which includes question-and-answer (Q&A) time. Breakout sessions are limited to a maximum of two presenters, and information for both presenters (if applicable) must be included in your original submission. We are not accepting submissions for panel-based breakout sessions. There are two formats for breakout sessions:

Listen and learn: A lecture-style session where speakers present key concepts and foundational knowledge. Attendees focus on the information being shared and consider how they can apply it in their organizations. Presentations may include slides, videos, demos, and/or Q&A. These sessions focus on topics with broad applicability but can be oriented toward learners at specific levels of experience. Attendees come away with insightful ideas they can implement to start or enhance their lifesaving programs.

Conversation: A conversation-based session where attendees work through common challenges together with the goal of arriving at solutions that benefit everyone. There are no slides or formal presentations, just facilitated dialogue with leaders in the no-kill movement. Speakers and attendees engage on the assigned topic and exchange ideas in a supportive, collaborative environment.

When you submit your proposal, you can select the format(s) best suited to your delivery style and explain how your content would be tailored to your selected format(s).

Example: How these formats work in practice

To explore how these formats may work in practice, here's an example for each, using the general topic “how to establish a community cat program at your shelter.”

Listen and learn

This format resembles a “traditional” breakout session. As the speaker, your objective may be to reach as many attendees as possible, so you design your presentation to give shelters of all sizes actionable steps for starting a community cat program. You can use slides as visuals and share proven tips and techniques throughout, then open the floor for Q&A if time allows. We'll help make your presentation and handout materials (such as a tip sheet) available to attendees through the conference app.

Title: “10 Steps to Establish a Community Cat Program at Your Shelter”

Sample description introduction: “Are you looking to start a community cat program at your organization, but you aren’t sure where to begin? In this introductory-level session, the presenter will guide you through the 10 steps you need to launch a community cat program.”

Conversation

This format involves facilitating a conversation around the topic. Expect your audience to have some knowledge of community cat programs and relevant facts from their organizations, but they may still need guidance working through challenges or clarifying key questions before launching a new program. Start by briefly sharing your experiences, successes, and challenges to set the stage for engaging the room in conversation. Participants should come ready to discuss and walk away with new inspiration and approaches. You can make a resource document or supporting material available in hard copy and the conference app.

Title: “Expert Guidance on Establishing a Community Cat Program”

Sample description introduction: “Do you already have a community cat program in your city but are struggling with challenges? From surgical capacity to community pushback, bring your questions and ideas to this collaborative session. With guidance from an expert facilitator, we will work collectively through challenges and brainstorm solutions that can lead to saving more lives.”

When submitting, you'll indicate the level of learning your session is designed for:

Beginner: An individual who is just starting in animal welfare or is new to the topic or program being discussed. This person has limited experience and is eager to learn more.

Intermediate: Someone with moderate experience in the topic or program who wants to explore deeper strategies and troubleshooting beyond the basic “how to”

Advanced: A professional with many years of experience in the topic or program, ready to explore detailed methodologies, nuanced techniques, and complex problem-solving approaches to enhance their expertise and practical application

Write a clear, concise title that communicates the purpose of your session. In your description, highlight the context you want to share and the key takeaways for attendees. Focus on what they'll learn, whom the session is geared toward, and why they should attend.

If attendees are expected to bring materials or come prepared with ideas, include this in the description. Avoid jargon, insider language, and unexplained acronyms. Your session should be welcoming and accessible.

• Be informative and actionable. Focus on teaching how to implement your knowledge and experience in attendees' own organizations, rather than just showcasing your accomplishments. The strongest sessions give people something they can try when they get home.
• Share strategies and practical tips. For example, if your session is about a community cat program, explain why it was successful and how attendees can start their own program using your proven methods.
• Consider including strategies to communicate with the public or build community support, emphasizing awareness, advocacy, and engagement. Depending on your topic, this could be a significant part of your content or as simple as one or two key messages or talking points.
• Emphasize immediate or short-term actions people can take, rather than longer-term campaigns or multi-year capital strategies.
• Think about scalability. Ensure that your content can be applied by a broad range of organizations. If your session is tailored to a specific audience (e.g., high-volume spay/neuter clinics or rural shelters), indicate this clearly in your title and description, so attendees know whether your session is relevant to their needs.

If your content is research-based, meaning it presents a clear problem, provides recorded solution(s), and demonstrates quantifiable results, we encourage you to submit a proposal for a research poster session. These sessions take place during the conference, and all selected researchers have the opportunity to showcase their work and speak with attendees as they visit the poster area. Check our conference website for more information this fall.

Yes! We encourage you to submit multiple proposals for consideration. If you submit more than one, please complete a separate submission form for each session.

Breakout sessions are limited to a maximum of two presenters, and information for both presenters (if applicable) must be included in your original submission. We are not accepting submissions for panel-based breakout sessions.

We are excited to provide conference attendees with sessions that are packed with insightful, forward-thinking content, delivered by speakers who represent a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. A few things to keep in mind as you prepare your proposal:

• Priority is given to sessions premiering at Best Friends National Conference that have not been previously presented at other industry events. We’ll also prioritize Pass the Mic sessions, in which a leader co-presents with an emerging voice they want to elevate.
• Sessions may not be used as a sales pitch for a company's products or services. We welcome representatives from for-profit companies to submit an exhibitor application, but please refrain from submitting a speaking session geared toward selling a product or service.
• Check out the webinar on crafting a standout proposal for tips from past speakers on improving your chances of being selected.

We're pleased to offer a range of benefits for our speakers, including but not limited to complimentary conference registration. Speaker benefits for 2027 include:

• Complimentary conference registration, providing full access to the event and three breakfasts, three lunches, and at least one evening reception
• A travel stipend. Speakers who live within 50 miles of the convention center can be reimbursed up to $250 for travel expenses. Speakers who live more than 50 miles away can be reimbursed up to $500 for hotel room costs (if booked at one of the official conference hotels, as listed on our website) and up to $500 for additional travel expenses.
• A dedicated speaker lounge on-site, where you can review and rehearse your presentation, relax, and connect with other speakers
• Speaker coaching opportunities to help you hone your delivery
• A marketing toolkit to help promote your speaking at the conference
• A certificate of participation upon completion

We will thoroughly review every submission and notify all applicants of our final decision by email by the end of October 2026. If your proposal is selected, you'll sign a speaker agreement and work with Best Friends staff to finalize your session title, description, and biography. You'll be responsible for meeting all provided guidelines and deadlines, providing your presentation materials and handouts electronically, and rehearsing your session, especially if you have a co-presenter. All selected speakers and their presentation content are reviewed to ensure alignment with Best Friends' guiding principles ahead of the conference.