Annual Conference

The Annual Conference is the association’s largest professional development event. The Annual Conference includes a dynamic lineup of speakers and presenters, engaging sessions, opportunities for networking and outreach, and access to the latest in products and services through our exhibit hall. The event also includes opportunities for college tours, optional wellness and athletic programming, a conference outreach project, the networking college fair, and local public high school counselor day.

2025 Annual Conference

Marriott Marquis - Atlanta, GA

March 30-31, 2025

As we’ve reflected on the needs of our region and how we support our members (and students), we recognize that we are all experiencing and meeting this moment differently. We hope that we’ll each walk away from the conference feeling inspired, informed, and ready to make an impact. We’re all in this together, and we look forward to living our theme, Embrace the Moment: Inspire, Inform, Impact.

Optional pre- and post-conference events will occur on Saturday, March 29 and Tuesday, April 1. Visit the event page to get registered!

Annual Conference Chair (Logistics/Hotel/Volunteers/Schedule): Anita Hua

General Inquiries (Registration/Exhibit/Sponsorship): Diana McAfee

Program: Arlene Outerbridge

Conference Chair-elect: Cory Bailey

Conference Details and FAQs

Conference Registration

Visit the 2025 Annual Conference Event page and select the appropriate registration link on the top right.
Member registration is $300; non-member is $375. An early bird discount of $50 off will be offered through Monday, February 3. On and after February 4, the costs return to the full registration rate.
Refunds are available through the registration closing date of February 27.
Wish to attend and need to plead your case? Here is a link to a supervisor letter which you may download and adapt to your situation.
Optional Event Waitlists
- Interested in attending a College Tour, but all options were full? Sign up here for waitlist consideration. *If you signed up for another tour taking place concurrently, we ask that you stick with that tour in order to assist us in logistics and to keep the institutions’ tours filled!
- Want to attend the HBCU breakfast, but space is filled? Sign up here for waitlist consideration.
- Interested in participating in the Networking College Fair as a college/university, but the session was full? Sign up here for waitlist consideration.

Is financial assistance available for the conference?

Schedule at a Glance

2025 Schedule at a Glance (subject to slight variation)

The Southern Association for College Admission Counseling has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No.6805. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SACAC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Presenting a session

The session proposal deadline of October 7 has passed.
We have decided to shift our conference schedule a little and this year we will offer (3) hour pre-conference sessions on Saturday, March 29 (instead of post-conference sessions as have been offered in recent years).
Conference sessions on March 30 and 31 will be 70 minutes.
There are no discounts for presenters, and each presenter MUST register for the conference.
Please feel free to contact Arlene Outerbridge at presidentelect@sacac.org about session proposal.

Do I pay to attend as a presenter?

Hotel Information

Food & Beverage at the Conference

Sunday is mostly on your own, but we will provide a few snacks and coffee throughout the afternoon. Additionally, there will be light hors d'oeuvres and appetizers at the President’s Welcome Reception that evening.
On Monday, breakfast is on your own, but we will provide a few snacks and coffee throughout the day. We hope you will join us for our conference luncheon and ultimately for the Conference Social where we will serve heavy hors d’oeuvres and appetizers.
Each conference attendee will receive (2) complimentary drink tickets to be used at either the President’s Welcome Reception or the Conference Social.

Who attends the conference?

968 registered for the 2024 Annual Conference in Raleigh, NC. Of those...

277 private high school counselors
106 public high school counselors
147 private college/university representatives
5 public 2-year college representatives
175 public 4-year college/university representatives
55 individuals from Community-based Organizations
75 Independent Educational Consultants
102 individuals from corporations
2 retiree
5 unaffiliated individuals

31.3% attendees were first-timers. 39 companies exhibited.

Exhibiting at the Annual Conference

Click here to register.
By registering as a vendor/partner, you will reserve a table in the exhibit area for the duration of the SACAC annual conference. Exhibits are limited to a 6-foot table, and location is assigned on a first-registered, first-assigned basis. the $750 exhibitor registration package includes the table as well as conference registration for [1] individual exhibitor attendee (Additional exhibitor attendees may register for an additional cost of $250 per person). A pre- and post-conference registrant list will also be provided. The registrant list will include name, title, institution, mailing address, and email.
Once you have registered for an exhibitor registration package, you will be contacted to register your booth staff separately.
Contact scanning will be available via StriveScan at the additional cost of $149. A link will be provided to you to complete if you chose to utilize their services.
Set up will be held Sunday, March 30 from 8 - 10 am, and breakdown will be at 5:30 pm on Monday. Details regarding shipping materials may be found here.

I'm interested in sponsoring! What are my options?

How can I be a part of the conference?

If I have questions about the conference, with whom should I connect?

When and where is the next conference?

The 2026 Annual Conference will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel (500 Canal St), LA, March 22 - 23.
Contracts with host hotels are set roughly three years in advance. SACAC works with Helms Briscoe on our meeting procurement and site selection. There are many considerations given to selecting a location such as space constraints, sleeping room needs, cost, ease of travel, etc. If you have questions about how we navigate this process, please contact Annual Conference Chair Anita Hua at annualconference@sacac.org.