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Call For Presentations

Proposal Submission Guidelines

The LeadingAge California BOLD Annual Conference & Expo is the state’s premier gathering of nonprofit leaders in housing, care, and services for older adults. BOLD brings together professionals from across the continuum to explore bold ideas, share best practices, and shape the future of older adult services in California. In 2027, BOLD heads to Palm Desert. Join us May 18–21 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa.

We’re now accepting proposals from subject matter experts and passionate professionals to deliver innovative, interactive, and practical education sessions that meet the evolving needs of our members.

Submission deadline: October 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed. The form times out, so review it in advance and save often. Panel submissions are limited to three speakers and must include all speaker information at the time of submission. No changes will be accepted after the deadline.

BOLD Audience

  • Who attends: Housing, care, and service providers; executives; administrators; board members; students; residents; and nonprofit professionals.
  • Experience level: Most attendees are at an intermediate to advanced level and seek depth, challenge, and actionable takeaways.
  • Role of the speaker: Subject matter expert and facilitator of learning.

Session Format

  • 60-minute sessions with at least 50 minutes of instruction plus time for questions and answers.
  • Sessions must include interactive and engaging teaching methods.
  • Sessions are eligible for continuing education credit.
  • Session rooms include a head table and theater-style seating.

Session Categories

We are seeking proposals in the following seven categories:

  • Culture-Driven Initiatives: Focuses on how housing, care, and service providers can adapt to the shifting identities, values, and expectations of today’s older adults. Ideal topics include generational trends, resident engagement, inclusive service models, and strategies that embed equity, belonging, and cultural awareness into daily operations. Example: Trauma-Informed Training for Staff and Residents.
  • Governance & Leadership Development: Focuses on building strong, forward-thinking, future-ready boards and cultivating the next generation of housing, care, and service leaders. Ideal topics include board governance, strategic planning, executive and C-suite leadership, succession planning, organizational culture, change management, emerging leaders, and pipelines for diverse and skilled leadership. Example: Board Mentorship for Stronger Leadership.
  • Policy, Compliance & Legal Issues: Focuses on navigating today’s regulatory environment and reducing organizational risk. Ideal topics include compliance strategies, legal updates, survey readiness, advocacy efforts, and building organization-wide cultures of accountability and safety. Example: Preparing for Cal/OSHA Inspections With Confidence.
  • Workforce Strategies & Solutions: Focuses on solving today’s staffing challenges while building the workforce of the future. Ideal topics include recruitment and retention, career pathway programs, staff engagement, upskilling, and DEI-informed workforce strategies. Example: Building a CNA Pipeline Through College Partnerships.
  • Technology & Innovation: Focuses on how providers are leveraging technology to enhance care, improve operational efficiency, and address workforce challenges. Ideal topics include technology implementation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, telehealth, EHR optimization, accessibility tools, and real-world examples of innovation in action. Example: Reducing Readmissions With Predictive Analytics.
  • Resident Experience, Housing & Service Delivery: Focuses on innovative approaches to enhancing the lives of older adults across housing, community-based services, home health, and care settings. Ideal topics include housing operations, service coordination, aging in place, person-centered care, dementia support, quality improvement initiatives, resident engagement, wellness programming, hospitality, and strategies that improve quality of life and care outcomes. Example: Building a Resident-Led Culture in Affordable Housing Communities.
  • Care & Clinical Services: Focuses on strengthening clinical leadership and advancing excellence in care delivery across skilled nursing, assisted living, home health, and hospice settings. Ideal topics include nursing practices, dementia care, infection prevention, medication management, quality improvement, care coordination, and emerging clinical approaches. Example: Enhancing Dementia Care Through Evidence-Based Clinical Practices.

What We’re Looking For

  • Clear, advanced learning objectives.
  • Relevance to older adult services and real-world impact.
  • Creative, engaging, and interactive content.
  • Practical takeaways and actionable tools.
  • Experienced, knowledgeable presenters.

Important Notes

  • Sessions must be educational. Sales pitches are not permitted.
  • Honoraria, travel, and lodging are not covered.
  • Presenters receive complimentary access on the day they present. Full registration is required for additional days.
  • Proposals will be reviewed by the conference committee in November 2026.
  • Notification of acceptance will be sent by December 2026.
  • Session titles, descriptions, and formats may be edited to fit program goals.

Proposal reviews begin in November. No deadline extensions will be granted beyond October 30.

All submissions go through a multi-stage review. Acceptance or decline notifications will be sent by December. Prospective speakers should keep the BOLD Annual Conference & Expo dates of May 18–21, 2027, available until they are notified of their proposal status. LeadingAge California will not accept phone calls regarding proposal status during the selection process. All proposals must be submitted electronically.

To begin your submission, click the “START” button.