Speaker submissions information

The 2027 Best Friends National Conference takes place April 1-3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The conference brings together animal welfare professionals and volunteers to spark ideas and share practical strategies to take lifesaving to the next level in our communities — everything needed to achieve, maintain, or return to no-kill.

* Details are subject to change *

Are you interested in presenting a breakout session at the 2027 national conference? We want to hear from you! Speaker submissions will open in late August and remain open until late September. We will review every submission thoroughly and notify all applicants of our final decision via email in late October.

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Session objectives and selection process

You will be invited to submit a proposal to present a 60-minute breakout session.

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

When you submit your proposal, you will provide information about you (and your co-presenter, if applicable), your session’s proposed title and description, and what key takeaways attendees will learn. You will also be able to indicate whether your session would be geared toward learners who are beginner, intermediate, or advanced in their topic journey.

We’ll provide more tips on crafting a great session proposal once submissions open.

“When you speak at the Best Friends National Conference, you share ideas and information, to be sure, but you also foster connection, build commitment, and inspire action. The presentation you give can truly change a community and save more lives.”

-Julie Castle, Best Friends CEO

Julie Castle with her hand touching her German shepherd dog Sunny

Background on the conference

At the 2026 Best Friends National Conference in Salt Lake City, we welcomed more than 1,325 attendees from 49 states.

Half of attendees were at the conference for the first time. And more than half of attendees hold management or leadership roles at their organizations.

Attendees and speakers came from different backgrounds and all types of organizations, including leaders in advocacy and community engagement, field and animal services, shelter medicine and animal care, fundraising and development, and more. To help you tailor your session proposal effectively, here are some key insights about the 2026 conference audience.

Speaker benefits and expectations

We’re pleased to offer a range of benefits for our esteemed speakers, including but not limited to complimentary conference registration. And, if your proposal is selected, we ask for your cooperation in helping to ensure a successful conference.

This is what you can expect of us at Best Friends. Along with regular communication and support, speaker benefits for 2027 include:

Complimentary conference registration providing full access to the event and three continental breakfasts, three lunches, and at least one evening reception
Travel stipend available to help defray travel costs
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
Marketing toolkit to help promote your speaking at the conference
Certificate of participation upon completion

All selected speakers will be asked to:

Sign a speaker agreement, which will outline the expectations and benefits in detail
Adhere to all guidelines and deadlines provided to stay on track and support your preparation for a successful session
Communicate with Best Friends staff as we go along, especially while we review your session title, description, and biography for editing purposes
Provide materials, handouts, and copies of your presentation electronically that attendees can download from the conference website and app, and share your contact information so they can request more information directly from you if needed
Rehearse your presentation, especially if you have a co-presenter; this is crucial for your and your audience’s experience

Best Friends believes in being kind to all beings, and compassion drives our work to save the lives of animals. As a matter of procedure, a standard internet search and review of publicly available information will be performed prior to final speaker selection to ensure that all selected speakers share this philosophy.

In addition, we will also review your presentation content to ensure it adheres to Best Friends’ guiding principles.

Speaking at Best Friends National Conference