CONTRIBUTE TO THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Our 2027 Annual Conference, “Essential: The Influence of Public Gardens,” brings the field together in Philadelphia, PA — a city built on the idea that public spaces shape public life. From June 28–July 2, 2027, we’ll explore the ways public gardens are not a nice-to-have, but essential infrastructure: for conservation, for learning, for community wellbeing, and for civic and economic life. 

We encourage submissions that make the case for gardens’ influence — in your community, your field, and beyond. Share your expertise, spark new dialogue, and help build a program that leaves attendees able to say why their work matters, and to whom. 

Philadelphia awaits, ready to ground this conversation in a city with its own long story of public influence. Submit your session and help us show why public gardens are essential. 

Please read through each page of the Call for Sessions before submitting, as important information is found throughout.

Did You Know?
1 — This year, sessions are organized into five tracks.
Choosing a track is now the first step of submitting. Four tracks are fixed; a fifth, Influence in Action, is built around this year’s theme and current hot topics in the field. See the Track Guide for full descriptions and sample topics for each. 

2 — Struggling to identify a topic? The Essential Session Ideas has starters for you.
Sample topics pulled from member and attendee feedback and Professional Community input have been curated as they relate to this year's theme. The list isn’t exhaustive — don’t feel limited by it. There’s no such thing as a bad topic but do put yourself in your audience’s seat to make sure your content applies beyond your own garden. 

3 — A whole team of public garden professionals is ready to help.
The Program Selection Committee is made up of professionals from varied backgrounds, roles, regions, and garden sizes. They’re here to guide you through developing and submitting your session, offering feedback and making connections along the way. 

4 — Sessions are more interesting with multiple perspectives.
Consider tapping a Professional Community to round out your presentation or panel, especially for 60- or 90-minute session proposals. With over 20 Communities, from Arts & Exhibitions to Membership to Plant Collections, there’s a natural collaborator for almost any topic. 

5 — Submit early for feedback. 

Submit your session proposal by the early feedback date, Oct 1, 2026, and the Program Selection Committee will give you feedback to help strengthen your submission. Feedback does not guarantee acceptance.

6 — Garden Scholar Awards can help offset the cost of attending.
Finances shouldn’t be a barrier to submitting. A Garden Scholar Award package includes waived event registration and a stipend toward hotel, travel, and incidentals: $750 for a regional symposium or $1,500 for the Annual Conference. Awards are 100% funded through member, corporate, and institutional gifts. Please note that speaker discounts or waivers are not provided. 

WHO SHOULD SUBMIT

Only individuals who are public horticulture professionals, volunteers, or trustees with current Association membership are eligible to submit presentations. 

Non-members may not submit but are highly encouraged to collaborate with current Members to submit proposals and can then participate as presenters. See below for Corporate/Sponsor Presentation Opportunities. 

Interested in becoming a member? Email info@publicgardens.org for details. 

Each person may submit as lead presenter on a maximum of two sessions, including Workshops and Rapid-Fire Presentations. There's no cap on how many additional sessions someone can join as a co-presenter at submission time. However, once sessions are selected, every individual — regardless of role — is limited to two sessions total, to encourage a broader range of speakers.

Corporate/Sponsor Presentation Opportunities

  • Co-Present with Member Garden Staff — An Institutional Member submits the proposal during the Fall Call for Sessions by Oct. 30, 2026, 3:00 p.m. ET. Sessions submitted solely by a Corporate Member without a garden lead will not be considered. 
  • Present a 15-Minute BITE Session — Submit during the Fall Call for Sessions (same deadline as above). Can be led by a Corporate Member with no required co-presenter, but must be educational, not a sales pitch. 
  • Sponsor an Industry Insights Session — Present a demonstration or educational session during the conference for 30 or 60 minutes. See the Giving Guide for details. 

The Annual Conference also features a range of sponsorship and promotional opportunities — from sponsoring key events like the Welcome Lunch and Opening Reception, to branded materials, to Exhibit Hall booths, and more.