The open call for proposals for for Educational Sessions, Poster Presentations & the Play Research Symposium at the 2025 National Conference on the Value of Play: Create, Explore, Inspire is now closed. The conference will be held April 15-17, 2025, at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.
“Create, Explore, Inspire!” celebrates play as a dynamic, multifaceted experience that fuels creative ideas, art, and design; facilitates exploration of place and perspectives; and inspires individuals and communities. The conference will also highlight play in the classroom, play across the lifespan, play in libraries and community spaces, play in the workplace, play and technology, and play in relation to universal issues of access, equity, inclusion and more.
The latest research and practices in the field of play will be presented at the play conference, which brings together play researchers, educators, health scientists, architects, landscape architects, business and community leaders, park and recreation professionals, camp professionals, psychologists, physicians, library and museum professionals, students and parents from across the globe.
At the National Conference on the Value of Play, we have long relied on scholars, practitioners and industry leaders to share their expertise on various aspects of play.
Important Information for Presenters
- All session presenters must register for at least one day of the conference and are strongly encouraged to register for the entire conference. Session presenters are not reimbursed for registration or expenses incurred to attend the conference.
- Audio/Visual Note: Each room at the conference will be equipped with a PC computer, projector, speakers, and screen at no cost to presenters. We recommend that you bring your presentation on a flash drive and transfer it to the room’s computer.
- There will be room monitors in each session to introduce the speakers, keep time, and assist as needed.
- We expect our presenters to share knowledge, research and experiences. Sessions are not an opportunity to promote specific products or services.
- Educational Sessions are 45 minutes long, inclusive of Q&A time.
- Two Research Symposium presentations are scheduled for each 45-minute block. Each of the two research presentations scheduled per block should anticipate presenting for 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes for Q&A. There will be allow for another 5 minutes of Q&A after each presenter has concluded.
- There are 15-minute breaks in between session blocks. You may use this time to setup for your session.
- Most presentation rooms are setup classroom style - rows of tables with chairs on one side facing the speaker. You can move furniture as needed, just be careful of the carpet and return it to the original setup before you leave.
- Please do not use tape, thumbtacks, pins, etc. on the walls.
- There is free wifi throughout the conference center.
- If you wish for your session participants to have printed materials in hand during the conference, you will need to bring them with you, as we do not have access to a copier or printer at the conference venue. We never know exactly how many will attend each concurrent session, but 20 copies is a reasonable place to start for educational sessions.
- A select number of flip charts will be available at the registration desk, and we will have a limited supply.
- There will be room monitors in each session to introduce the speakers, keep time, prompt session evaluations, and assist as needed.
* Please understand that conference registration fees help to pay for the venue, catering, conference supplies, rentals and all related services as well as fund our operating expenses throughout the year. Unlike many other nonprofit professional organizations, we do not have membership fees. We seek to keep costs to a minimum and affordable to as many people as possible. Although our conference costs are rising substantially, our registration fees have been raised only minimally. We appreciate everyone’s professional contributions, and our conferences are highly participatory: Many attendees are also presenters or otherwise actively participating in the conference program. In order to keep the US Play Coalition operational, the contributions of each and every participant are needed, too.
