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.

2026 Annual Conference

Sheraton New Orleans Hotel - New Orleans, LA

March 22-23, 2026

Optional pre- and post-conference events will occur on Saturday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 24. A call for session proposals will go out by early September, and registration will open by mid December.

Annual Conference Chair (Logistics/Hotel/Volunteers/Schedule): Cory Bailey

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

Program: Anita Hua

Conference Details and FAQs

Conference Registration

Is financial assistance available for the conference?

Schedule at a Glance

A schedule at a glance for 2026 won't be available until closer to the time registration opens, but we don't anticipate significant changes from 2025's schedule.

2025 Schedule at a Glance

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

A call for session proposals will go out by early September, and proposals will be due in early October. No later proposals will be considered.
Sessions are 70 minutes. There is also an opportunity to present a (3) hour pre-conference session on Saturday, March 21.
There are no discounts for presenters, and each presenter MUST register for the conference. Presenters may not attend solely to present their session.
Please feel free to contact Anita Hua at presidentelect@sacac.org about session proposals.

Do I pay to attend as a presenter?

Hotel Information

Food & Beverage at the Conference

As for food and beverages during the conference, Sunday meals are mostly on your own. We will offer a Snack Break mid-afternoon and there will be light hors d’oeuvres and appetizers at the President’s Welcome Reception.
On Monday, breakfast is on your own, but we will provide a few light snacks and coffee throughout the day in the Exhibitor’s Hub (Atrium A). Perhaps the most significant meal is our conference and membership meeting luncheon. There will also be hors d’oeuvres and appetizers at 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

Exhibitor registration will open by mid-December.
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 an additional cost. A link will be provided to you to complete if you choose to utilize their services.
Set up will be held Sunday, March 32 from 8:30 - 10:30 am, and breakdown will be at 5:30 pm on Monday.

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

2026 Sponsorship Levels will be announced in fall of 2025. Here is a chart of the 2025 opportunities for reference.

For the levels with multiple options listed as named sponsor, i.e., Bronze level, the named sponsor would be for ONE of the areas listed. So, there are 5 opportunities for Bronze level sponsors.
Want to talk to someone about the options? Reach out to the Advancement co-chairs, Julia Hodge and Jahleese Hadley.

How can I be a help at the conference?

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

When and where is the next conference?

The 2027 Annual Conference is still TBD.
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 Cory Bailey at annualconference@sacac.org.