UAAC Conference 2026

Designing and Leading a Campus-Wide Learning Experience for Advising Professionals at the University of Utah

Professional development experiences have the power to do more than share information; they can build community, spark new ideas, and inspire meaningful change. As the chair of the planning committee for the 2026 University Academic Advising Community Conference, I helped design an engaging conference experience that blended creative branding, intentional learning design, and seamless digital resources. Through strategic planning, communications, website development, and assessment, I worked to create an experience that empowered advisors to connect, learn, and leave with practical ideas they could immediately put into practice.

At a Glance . . .

Role

Conference Planning Committee Chair

Timeline

December 2025 - May 2026

Audience

Advising & Student Success Professionals

Scale

125 attendees

12 educational sessions

Skills

Strategic planning

Design

Assessment

Tools

Canva

Tableau

Qualtrics

Selected artifacts from the 2026 UAAC Conference, including the mobile-friendly digital program, keynote session, and conference planning committee.

The Opportunity . . .

The University Academic Advising Advising Community Conference is an annual professional development event that brings together advising professionals from across the University of Utah to share ideas, strengthen community, and explore emerging trends in student success. For the 2026 conference, our planning committee wanted to create an experience that felt engaging, cohesive, and forward-looking while making information easily accessible for attendees throughout the day.

Guided by the theme Level Up: Powering the Future of Advising, we focused on creating a conference experience that blended creative branding with practical tools, thoughtful learning design, and opportunities for meaningful connection.

My contributions were focused across five areas:

🎮
Branding & communication

💻
Digital program website

👥
Presenter coordination

📅
Day-of event logistics

📊
Assessment & evaluation

My Process

✦

My Process ✦

Crafting a Cohesive Experience

  • Conference Identity

    Developed a cohesive visual identity centered around the Level Up theme,

  • Promotion

    Used consistent branding across digital communications leading up to the conference.

  • Wayfinding

    Applied the visual identity to conference signage to improve navigation and reinforce the attendee experience.

  • Consistency

    Extended the theme across presentation materials and attendee-facing resources.

The 2026 UAAC Conference was built around the theme Level Up: Powering the Future of Advising, using the nostalgia and energy of classic video games to create a professional development experience that felt engaging, approachable, and memorable. Rather than treating the theme as simple decoration, our planning committee used it as a guiding framework for the attendee experience, from the first promotional materials to the final conference sessions.

Throughout the planning process, I helped ensure that the conference branding remained consistent across digital and physical touchpoints. Conference graphics, signage, social media promotions, the digital program website, and presentation materials all reflected the same visual identity, creating a cohesive experience that helped attendees immediately recognize conference resources and navigate the event with ease.

Beyond the visual design, every branding decision was made with the attendee experience in mind. Familiar gaming elements like achievement-inspired graphics, pixel art, and playful language encouraged exploration while reinforcing the conference’s focus on growth, innovation, and the future of advising. The result was an environment that felt welcoming, memorable, and aligned with the learning goals of the event.

Building the Digital Program

Design Goals

Designed for quick access from a phone throughout the conference.

🔄 Dynamic

Allowed updates without reprinting materials.

🎮 Consistent

Extended the conference branding into the digital experience.

♿ Accessible

Centralized schedules, presenters, and event info in one place.

📱 Mobile-First

Traditional conference programs often become outdated as schedules change, session descriptiosn are refined, and last-minute updates arise. Rather than relying solely on a printed program, I designed and maintained a mobile-friendly conference website that served as the central hub for attendeeds before and throughout the event.

The website was intentionally built with a mobile-first approach, recognizing that most attendees would access conference information from their phones while moving between sessions. Instead of searching through printed materials, participants could quickly view the schedule, presenter information, room locations, keynote details, and conference updates from a single, easy-to-navigate resource.

Beyond improving accessibility, the website also created flexibility for the planning committee. Because content could be updated in real time, session descriptions and logistical information remained currount throughout the planning process and on the day of the conference. This reduced confusion, streamlined communication, and ensured attendees always had access to the most accurate information. The final product became more than a digital program, it was an extension of the conference experience by carrying the Level Up theming into an interactive resources that supported attendees before, during, and after the event.

  • Homepage

    The homepage introduced attendees to the conference theme while providing quick access to the schedule, keynote information, session listings, and event resources. The design mirrored the conference branding to create a seamless transition between promotional materials and the digital experience.

  • Dynamic Schedule

    Rather than searching through a printed booklet, attendees could quickly browse the conference schedule from their phones throughout the day. This made it easy to locate sessions, check room locations, and adapt their plans as needed.

  • Session Pages

    Each breakout session included descriptions, presenter information, and learning objectives, helping attendees make informed decisions about which sessions best aligned with their interests.

  • Keynote Page

    The keynote page provided dedicated information about our featured speaker, Doug Bowser, including session details and event logistics.

  • Resources

    Dedicated space centralized parking information, venue details, and other logistical resources so attendees could easily find answers without searching through their emails or printed materials.

  • Mobile Experience

    The site was designed mobile-first because attendees would primarily access conference information while moving throughout the venue. Navigation, buttons, and page layouts were intentionally optimized for smaller screens.