Clone of 2025 CDS ANNUAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

2026 CDS ANNUAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

MAIN CONFERENCE REGISTRATION PRICING AND DEADLINES

CDS MEMBERS

TYPES OF CDS MEMBER REGISTRATION	EARLY BIRD PRICING OPENS MARCH 12 CLOSES MAY 20 (AT 5:00 P.M. EDT)	REGULAR PRICING BEGINS MAY 20 (AT 5:00 P.M. EDT) CLOSES JULY 19 (AT 5:00 P.M. EDT)
CDS MEMBER – Individual	$410	$460
CDS MEMBER – Retiree	$330	$380
CDS MEMBER – Student/Americorp Volunteer	$280	$330
CDS MEMBER – Grassroots Representative/Community Civic Leader	$280	$330

NON-MEMBERS

TYPES OF NON-MEMBER REGISTRATION	EARLY BIRD PRICING OPENS MARCH 12 CLOSES MAY 20 (AT 5:00 P.M. EDT)	REGULAR PRICING BEGINS MAY 20 (AT 5:01 P.M. EDT) CLOSES JULY 19 (AT 5:00 P.M. EDT)
NON-MEMBER – Individual	$655	$705
NON-MEMBER – Retiree	$500	$550
NON-MEMBER – Student/Americorp Volunteer	$425	$475
NON-MEMBER – Grassroots Representative/Community Civic Leader	$525	$575

Add-on Registration

Guest Registration Fee: $200

Single Day Registration Fee: $225

Important Guidelines:

All presenters and attendees are required to register to attend the 2026 CDS Annual Conference.
Non-members will not receive a complimentary CDS membership with registration.
We encourage joining CDS with an annual membership to benefit from the member discount, as well as other benefits included with CDS membership. Joining as a new member and membership renewals are available on the online conference registration as an add-on.
To qualify for the CDS member conference discount, please make sure your CDS membership is active or renewed before you register or during registration select the renewal add-on.
The Grassroots Representative registration type is not a membership category.Our goal is to ensure that the CDS Conference is inclusive and accessible to all. We’re pleased to offer a special small nonprofit and community rate specifically for Conference area residents and small nonprofits (annual revenue under $1 million). We want to make it as easy as possible for our local leaders, neighbors, and small nonprofit organizations to participate in this national event. If you qualify for this type of registration and would also like to join CDS, please select Regular Membership. For more information click HERE.

For more information about CDS membership benefits and to join CDS click HERE.

2026 CDS Annual Conference Partner Hotels

Element - Savannah Midtown	Conference Special Reservation Link: CLICK HERE
Tru by Hilton - Savannah Midtown	Conference Special Reservation Link: CLICK HERE
Holiday Inn & Suites - Savannah Midtown	Conference Special Reservation Link: CLICK HERE
Spark by Hilton - Savannah Midtown	Call Hotel Main Number: (912) 927-7660 Reference CDS Conference when making reservation.

For more information on the conference venue and hotel options, click HERE.

Please fill in all required information and click SUBMIT when completed.

If you are including a guest with your registration, please fill in all the information for the Guest Attendee.

Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to your attendance and participation!

Dr.Mr.Mrs.Ms.Miss
Name*

First NameLast Name
E-mail*
example@example.com
Company (The business name of your employer or your organization. ex. University Name, College Name or Organization Name)*
Title (Your position title at work)*
Cell Phone*
Format: (000) 000-0000.
Business/Work Phone (Your daytime phone number)*
Format: (000) 000-0000.
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Do you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies that we should be aware of? Please type Yes or No. If you answered Yes, please also describe the restrictions/allergies*
Guest Attendee Name - (If you are not bringing a guest or this does not apply to your registration, please leave blank) **IMPORTANT: If you are adding a Guest, it is required that you purchase a GUEST REGISTRATION below under the category ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION OPTIONS** Please be advised, a Guest Registration does not include access to attend any member meetings, plenary sessions, or concurrent sessions. Please see the registration options below for more details.

First NameLast Name
Guest Attendee - Does your guest have any dietary restrictions or food allergies that we should be aware of? Please type Yes or No. If you answered Yes, please also describe the restrictions/allergies. (If you are not bringing a guest or this does not apply to your registration, please leave blank)
July 19 - Welcome Reception (hors d'oeuvres will be provided at this event)July 20 - Opening Session (includes plenary session)July 20 - Monday Night Event (appetizers will be provided at this outdoor event)July 21 - Luncheon and Plenary Session (lunch will be provided at this event)July 21 - Awards Banquet & Live Auction (dinner will be provided at this event)July 22 - Luncheon and Closing Session (lunch will be provided at this event)I do not plan to attend any of the events listed.My registration does not include participation in any of these events.
Transportation to Georgia Southern University - Armstrong Campus, 11935 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31419: Please note, shuttle service is available to and from our four partner hotels in Midtown Savannah. You must be a registered attendee to ride the conference shuttle. More information regarding shuttle times will be posted prior to the start of the conference. For information on hotel options please view the information at the top of the registration form or visit the CDS website. Please select your transportation plan to get to the conference main location:*

I need shuttle service between Armstrong Campus and one of the four partner hotels.I will be renting a vehicle, using my own vehicle, or car pooling.I will be taking an Uber or other taxi service to travel to the conference main location.N/A - I will not be using any transportation or this question doesn't pertain to my registration.
Transportation to Monday Night Event on July 20th: Please note, shuttle service to the Monday Night Event is available to and from the event site, Armstrong Campus and our four partner hotels in Midtown Savannah. You must be a registered attendee to ride the conference shuttle. More information regarding shuttle times for this event will be posted prior to the start of the conference. Please select your transportation plan to get to the Monday Night Event (if not attending this event, choose N/A):*

I will need shuttle service to the Monday Night Event from either Armstrong Campus or one of the conference partner hotels.I will be renting a vehicle, using my own vehicle, or car pooling.I will be taking an Uber or other taxi service to travel to the Monday Night Event.N/A - I will not be using any transportation or this question doesn't pertain to my registration.
CDS Swag Shop

CDS Swag Shop has the Community Development Society branded Apparel and Accessories. We'd love to see you wear CDS Swag at the Conference! Please consider supporting CDS by ordering today at https://cdsociety.org/cds-swag-shop/

Limited Edition CDS Tote Bags can be purchased on the registration form below and picked up at the conference. All other CDS Swag must be ordered through our partner sites.

Conference Registration Payments

Credit cards or debit cards are accepted for 2026 CDS Annual Conference payments. The CDS does not accept checks, money orders or bank wire transfers.

Workshops Guidelines

If you are interested in attending a Pre Conference Workshop or Mobile Learning Workshop, please select only one per day. To qualify to participate in a Pre Conference Workshop at no cost you must be registered to attend the full conference. If you are a local community member and would like to only attend a Pre Conference Workshop please select one of the community member options.

All registration submissions are subject to final review and approval by the Community Development Society.

2026 CDS ANNUAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPTIONS*

MAIN CONFERENCE REGISTRATION: CDS MEMBERS

EARLY BIRD CDS MEMBER - Individual

$410

EARLY BIRD CDS MEMBER - Retiree

This early bird pricing ticket includes entry to one preconference workshop, Welcoming Reception, plenary sessions and breakout sessions, Monday Night Event, and Awards Banquet. You must be 65 years old or older to purchase this registration. This ticket option is for CDS Members with an active annual CDS Retiree Membership.

$330

EARLY BIRD CDS MEMBER - Student or Americorp Volunteer

This early bird pricing ticket includes entry to one preconference workshop, Welcoming Reception, plenary sessions and breakout sessions, Monday Night Event, and Awards Banquet. You must be a student enrolled in an academic program or an Americorp Volunteer to register with this pricing. This ticket option is for CDS Members with an active annual CDS Student Membership.

$280

EARLY BIRD CDS MEMBER - Grassroots Representative/Community Civic Leader

This early bird pricing ticket includes entry to one preconference workshop, Welcoming Reception, plenary sessions and breakout sessions, Monday Night Event, and Awards Banquet. To register with this ticket option you must have an active annual CDS Individual Membership and meet the Grassroots Representative/Community Civic Leader criteria listed at the top of the conference registration page.

$280

MAIN CONFERENCE REGISTRATION: NON-MEMBERS

EARLY BIRD NON-MEMBER - Individual

This early bird pricing ticket for a non-member includes entry to one preconference workshop, Welcoming Reception, plenary sessions and breakout sessions, Monday Night Event, and Awards Banquet.

$655

EARLY BIRD NON-MEMBER - Retiree

This early bird pricing ticket for a non-member includes entry to one preconference workshop, Welcoming Reception, plenary sessions and breakout sessions, Monday Night Event, and Awards Banquet. You must be 65 years old or older to purchase this registration.

$500

EARLY BIRD NON-MEMBER - Student or Americorp Volunteer

This early bird ticket for a non-member includes entry to one preconference workshop, Welcoming Reception, plenary sessions and breakout sessions, Monday Night Event, and Awards Banquet. You must be a student enrolled in an academic program or an Americorp Volunteer to register with this pricing.

$425

EARLY BIRD NON-MEMBER - Grassroots Representative/Civic Leader

This early bird ticket for a non-member includes entry to one preconference workshop, Welcoming Reception, plenary sessions and breakout sessions, Monday Night Event, and Awards Banquet. To register with this ticket options, you must meet the Grassroots Representative/Community Civic Leader criteria listed at the top of the conference registration page.

$525

LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBER PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS (only for community members not registered for full conference)

COMMUNITY MEMBER PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #1 - Discovering the 21st Century Economic Clusters of Communities/Regions in the U.S.: New Data Products - Lead Presenter: Bo Beaulieu

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

See full description in Conference Attendee Workshops

This workshop option is for local community members not attending the full conference.

$20

COMMUNITY MEMBER PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #2 - Spiraling up: Looking 20 years back and 20 years ahead - Lead Presenter: Mary Emery

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

See full description in Conference Attendee Workshops

This workshop option is for local community members not attending the full conference.

$20

COMMUNITY MEMBER PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #3 - Strengthening Community Economics through Strengthening Families: The Benefits of Substance Abuse Prevention Programs - Lead Presenter: Cathy Hockaday

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

See full description in Conference Attendee Workshops

This workshop option is for local community members not attending the full conference.

$20

COMMUNITY MEMBER PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #4 - Skills for Facilitating Community Development Processes - Lead Presenter: Grace Langford

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

See full description in Conference Attendee Workshops

This workshop option is for local community members not attending the full conference.

$20

WORKSHOPS FOR CONFERENCE ATTENDEES (must be registered for full conference)

PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #1 - Discovering the 21 st Century Economic Clusters of Communities/Regions in the U.S.: New Data Products - Lead Presenter: Bo Beaulieu

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

If you are engaged in (or interested in) applied research or are working with

local and/or regional organizations in guiding their economic development efforts, this is the

workshop for you. A team from the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) has

worked hand-in-hand with the U.S. Economic Development Administration to develop/update

the economic clusters for all areas of the United States. However, PCRD has added two new

critical data products – skills & knowledge clusters – data resources that can better position

communities/regions to be participants in the 21 st century economy.

*This Registration Option is Free for Conference Attendees Only*

If you are a local community member or local organization interested in attending this workshop and not the full conference, please scroll down to Local Community Member Workshop Offerings.

$ Free

PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #2 - Spiraling up: Looking 20 years back and 20 years ahead - Lead Presenter: Mary Emery

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

We invite those who have read about Spiraling up, used/adapted it in their work, and/or

taught the concept in their classes to join us for a retrospective on the past 20 years: what

we’ve learned; what have been challenges; what has changed, and to discuss how we

might apply it to the next 20 years, as we face increasingly rapid rates of change in our

work. This interactive workshop will focus on emergent work around ‘Spiraling up’ by

engaging participants in describing their own work and presenting examples of

integrating spiraling up processes such as youth development and placemaking into youth

engaged community development approaches, focusing on how spiraling up processes

can build on each other in developing community capacity, using spiraling up to identity

next stage opportunities as with increasing entrepreneurial activity, and evaluating and

reinvigorating spiraling up energies with Ripple Effect Mapping and other reflection

activities.

*This Registration Option is Free for Conference Attendees Only*

If you are a local community member or local organization interested in attending this workshop and not the full conference, please scroll down to Local Community Member Workshop Offerings.

$ Free

PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #3 - Strengthening Community Economics through Strengthening Families: The Benefits of Substance Abuse Prevention Programs - Lead Presenter: Cathy Hockaday

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

This workshop will focus on the economic benefits to a community when implementing

evidence-based youth and family-focused substance abuse prevention programs. The

background and research behind the Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-

14 (SFP 10-14), named the number one substance abuse prevention program by the World

Health Organization, will be highlighted. SFP 10-14 is a family-focused prevention program with

over three decades of strong empirical evidence supporting its ability to support youth and

young adult mental well-being and reduce problem behaviors.

Three separate benefit-costs analysis conducted by Iowa State University and Pennsylvania

Commission on Crime and Delinquency will be shared. These analyses report economic returns

to communities for alcohol, methamphetamine, and crime prevention. Presenters will engage

participants in a sample of the interactive activities that parents and youth participate in during

the seven sessions of program delivery.

*This Registration Option is Free for Conference Attendees Only*

If you are a local community member or local organization interested in attending this workshop and not the full conference, please scroll down to Local Community Member Workshop Offerings.

$ Free

PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #4 - Skills for Facilitating Community Development Processes - Lead Presenter: Grace Langford

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

This workshop will address Community Currents: Navigating Change Together by providing a hands-on workshop centered on applied tools for the community development process. The agenda includes the following components:

o Overview – framing community development as a process

o Asset-Based Community Development—Asset Mapping as an applied tool for community assessment

o Data applications:

• How to find and build on reliable data

• Basics of economic impact analysis and

interpreting multipliers

• Data for decision-making—facilitating

dialogue, using data as a tool

• Understanding considerations in data

collection and partnerships

o Facilitating dialogue for the community development process

o Sharing resources to bring folks together and facilitate effective processes

The workshop will connect to sub-themes of charting cross-sector pathways, connecting across rural-urban divides, balancing preservation and progress, and navigating generational partnership.

The workshop instructors are collaborators across the United States working with the Southern Rural Development Center.

*This Registration Option is Free for Conference Attendees Only*

If you are a local community member or local organization interested in attending this workshop and not the full conference, please scroll down to Local Community Member Workshop Offerings.

$ Free

PRE CONFERENCE WORKSHOP #5 - Designed for Success- SCAD as a Community Development Catalyst - Lead Presenter: Darrell Naylor-Johnson

SUNDAY, JULY 19TH, 12:30PM to 3:30PM

*This is an offsite pre conference workshop*

Transportation from the conference main location to SCAD facilities will be provided. This workshop is limited to 30 people. You must be registered for the CDS Conference to participate in this workshop.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a major cultural and economic engine in the Savannah region, contributing over $1 billion dollars annually to the local economy. SCAD has led the way in shaping Savannah’s identity as a vibrant cultural hub. At SCAD, community engagement and development goes beyond services, and is undergirded through the thoughtful application of design practice, the arts and creativity applied to real-world industry and community needs. This hands-on workshop and field trip will demonstrate how SCAD fosters community engagement through signature programs, partnerships and public-facing art and design initiatives. Presented through the lens of Design Thinking, the presentation will outline how approaches rooted in empathy, collaboration, creativity and purposeful execution can enhance community affinity dynamics and positive relationships. Attendees will be encouraged to consider how they might adopt or apply community

engagement strategies and initiatives similar to the SCAD design-oriented approach.

*This Registration Option is Free for Conference Attendees Only*

If you are a local community member or local organization interested in attending this workshop and not the full conference, please scroll down to Local Community Member Workshop Offerings.

$ Free

MOBILE LEARNING WORKSHOP #1 - Brewing Authentic Community Development: Craft, Neolocalism, and Urban Revitalization in Savannah

MONDAY JULY 20TH, 11:30PM to 4:30PM - Explore the role of craft breweries as anchors of authentic, place‑based community and economic development in Savannah, Georgia. Building on prior CDS brewery workshops, this session focuses explicitly on authenticity, neolocalism, third places, and urban revitalization, examining how breweries interact with local history, arts, labor, veterans’ communities, tourism pressures, and neighborhood change.

$80

MOBILE LEARNING WORKSHOP #2 - Empowering Youth in Asset Based Community Development

MONDAY JULY 20TH, 11:30PM to 4:30PM - This mobile workshop will explore approaches to empowering youth as key stakeholders in community development efforts, from both a nonprofit and local government perspective. Participants will visit a nonprofit in Savannah using a trauma-informed and culturally responsive framework to leverage the lived experiences of young people in community development. Participants will then meet with youth leaders and youth advocates in Statesboro, Georgia to learn more about the city of Statesboro's approach to empowering youth to improve their community.

$25

MOBILE LEARNING WORKSHOP #3 - History, Decline, and Revival - Historical Resources and Local Development

MONDAY JULY 20TH, 11:30PM to 4:30PM - Discover how Savannah's remarkable historic preservation efforts serve as a powerful engine for community development, economic growth, and social cohesion. In the late 1970’s, Savannah had become rundown, and now it stands as one of America's most celebrated examples of successful historic preservation. This workshop includes a tour of historical sites in Savannah, a tour of the Davenport House, referred to as “the house that started a movement…that saved a city,” and lunch at the Gryphon, located in a 1926 Scottish Rite building on Madison Square.

$75

MOBILE LEARNING WORKSHOP #4 - Building a Recovery Friendly Community

MONDAY JULY 20TH, 11:30PM to 4:30PM - Explore how Recovery Community Organizations (RCO's) build social capital, collaborate with local organizations, and highlight the recovery community’s role as a local community asset. An estimated 1 in 6 Americans are affected by substance use disorder (SAMHSA, 2024). Community engagement is essential to long term successful recovery, however, communities often respond with silence, stigma, and systems that further marginalize individuals with substance use disorder. Statesboro is home to multiple substance use treatment centers and has a large and thriving drug and alcohol recovery community. RCO's, which are led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery, incorporate many principles of community development, by design. Participants will leave with actionable ideas on how to make their own communities recovery friendly.

$60

MOBILE LEARNING WORKSHOP #5 - Homegrown Community Development: Business Incubators, Local Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development

MONDAY JULY 20TH, 11:30PM to 4:30PM - Explore economic development initiatives aimed at fostering innovation, advancing economic research, and supporting local business development in both urban (micropolitan) and rural contexts. Participants will visit the Business Innovation Group (BIG), the business outreach program for Georgia Southern University to learn about a range of initiatives that facilitate the development of a vibrant entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem for the southeast region. We will also visit the GGIC, a business incubator which supports agri-business locally, regionally and throughout the state which formed as a partnership between the City of Metter, Georgia Grown (the economic development agency of the Georgia Department of Agriculture), and Georgia Southern University’s Business Innovation Group.

$40

MOBILE LEARNING WORKSHOP #6 - Tybee Island - Enviromental Stewardship and Sustainability

MONDAY JULY 20TH, 11:30PM to 4:30PM - Explore how ecological processes, community, and economic activity intersect along Georgia’s coast. Participants will visit Tybee Island, a small beach community about 20 minutes from downtown Savannah, and learn about the community's coastal resilience efforts. Other themes explored will include balancing the desire for tourism with the quality of life for year round residents.

$40

MOBILE LEARNING WORKSHOP #7 - Community Development at the Edge: A Tale of Two Islands

MONDAY JULY 20TH, 11:30PM to 4:30PM - Explore two Georgia barrier islands which share similar histories and sit just miles apart geographically, yet represent dramatically different visions of what an island can become — making them an ideal pairing for a comparative community development tour. Skidaway Island is an example of intentional residential development, and is home to The Landings, one of the largest gated golf communities in the U.S. Skidaway has about 9,000 residents, master-planned infrastructure including golf courses, miles of walking trails, and green space, as well as a research institution, Skidaway Island of Oceanography. In contrast, Ossabaw Island has no permanent residents and little infrastructure. It is a heritage preserve, managed by the Ossabaw Island Foundation, through a public-private partnership with the State of Georgia, accessible only by boat with special permission and serves as an artist retreat and ecological research location.

$80

ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION OPTIONS

GUEST REGISTRATION

IF ADDING A GUEST, PLEASE FILL OUT ALL GUEST ATTENDEE QUESTIONS IN THE REGISTRATION SECTION ABOVE. This ticket includes entry for your guest into the Welcoming Reception, Plenary Sessions, Monday Night Event, and Awards Banquet. Please be advised, a Guest Registration does not include access to attend any member meetings or concurrent sessions. This registration can only be combined with the following tickets: CDS MEMBER Individual, CDS MEMBER Retiree, NON-MEMBER Individual or NON-MEMBER Retiree.

$200

SINGLE DAY - Sunday July 19

This ticket includes entry into the Opening Night Welcome Reception.

$225

SINGLE DAY - Monday July 20

This ticket includes entry into Opening Session and Monday Night Event.

$225

SINGLE DAY - Tuesday July 21

This ticket includes entry into the Plenary Session with lunch and Awards Banquet.

$225

SINGLE DAY - Wednesday July 22

This ticket includes entry into the Closing Plenary Session which includes lunch.

$225

CDS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP: RENEWALS

CDS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP - Individual Member Renewal or New Membership

Regular (standard) 12 month membership has all the benefits of CDS membership for working professionals including electronic access to the Community Development journal.

$175

CDS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP - Retiree Member Renewal or New Membership

Retiree membership has all the benefits of a 12 month CDS membership for retired professionals including electronic access to the Community Development journal.

$100

CDS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP - Student Member Renewal or New Membership

CDS offers a membership discount for university or college students. Student Members open the doors to professional networking and a library of CDS publications, including electronic access to its two journals’ current issues and retrievable archives. This is a 12 month membership.

$75

DONATE TO THE CDS

$25 DONATION - CDS Legacy Investment Campaign

All donation proceeds are greatly appreciated for the CDS. All monetary donations will receive an official acknowledgment letter that can be used for charitable giving tax deductible purposes.

$25

$50 DONATION - CDS Legacy Investment Campaign

All donation proceeds are greatly appreciated for the CDS. All monetary donations will receive an official acknowledgment letter that can be used for charitable giving tax deductible purposes.

$50

$100 DONATION - CDS Legacy Investment Campaign

All donation proceeds are greatly appreciated for the CDS. All monetary donations will receive an official acknowledgment letter that can be used for charitable giving tax deductible purposes.

$100

CDS BRANDED COTTON TOTE BAG - Limited Edition

Support the CDS' Mission with this branded cotton tote bag. Proceeds from all merchandise sales are greatly appreciated and for organizational operating funds. Colors of Tote are Cream and Teal with the CDS Burgundy Logo. *Pickup is at the CDS Conference. If you would like to order a limited edition CDS Tote Bag and are not able to attend the conference, please email admin@cdsociety.org.

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2026 CDS ANNUAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

MAIN CONFERENCE REGISTRATION PRICING AND DEADLINES

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