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2026 Montana & Idaho Joint Conference Session Proposal

Presentation Submission Information

We invite planners and allied professionals to submit a session proposal for the 2026 APA MT & ID Conference. Your experience, ideas, and stories can inspire and inform planners across the state.

Date: September 9-11, 2026 | Location: University of Montana Western Campus, Dillon, MT

Schedule:  Half-day (afternoon) Wednesday, full day Thursday and Friday

Proposals due June 30th, 2026. Submissions received after this date will be accepted and considered until all sessions are full.

This year’s theme is: 

Across the Divide: Planning for a Shared Future, Exploring how communities collaborate across jurisdictions, sectors, and landscapes to address shared challenges in the Mountain West.

Topics of Interest (but not limited to)

  • Regional Collaboration & Governance
  • Growth and Housing
  • Community Resilience
  • Infrastructure, Utilities & Systems Planning
  • Economy, Tourism & Land Use 
  • Tools, Implementation & Core Planning Skills  
  • Energy and emerging technologies (Data centers, AI, Solar and Wind)

All presentations must:

  • Meet a planning related objective of your choice;
  • Be unbiased and non-promotional; and
  • Communicate a clearly identified educational purpose or objective.

All submissions must include the information listed below.

  • Session title:
  • Session description:
  • Session length:
  • Speaker(s) name (please indicate any professional certifications):
  • Speaker(s) bio:
  • Speaker(s) email address:

Please fill out the following fields and click submit to send in your proposal. You must include names, emails and bio’s for all presenters. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted. It is recommended to draft the proposal in a word document, and than copy and paste into the fields. We will contact you with scheduling details.

Important Notes: 

  • By submitting, you confirm availability during ALL conference days and times. 
  • Please submit one session per form.
  • Submission does NOT guarantee selection. 
  • Private firms are encouraged to partner with a city, county, or other public agency as a co-presenter.  
  • Proposals that include active participation elements (discussion, polling, breakout work, etc.) will be prioritized.  
  •  Selected presenters will be notified by July 15.

Thank you for your interest in participating in the 2026 Montana & Idaho Joint Conference!