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Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2026 in Grand Junction
The CCA Annual Conference provides a forum for chamber professionals from across Colorado to educate themselves and elevate their chambers. Learn best practices in the chamber industry with keynote speakers, workshops, break-out sessions and essential peer connections. The conference below is subject to change.
2026 CCA Conference Agenda at-a-glance
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
12:00-5:00 p.m. Group Excursions
Coming Soon: Group activity sign-ups for West Slope Experiences & Workshops
Start your Grand Junction experience with lunch and tours of local businesses and attractions facilitated by the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce.
3:00-5:00 p.m. Conference Check-in
Grand Junction Convention Center
5:30-8:00 p.m. Group Activity: Block Party
Sponsored by Pinnacol Assurance: Start your first evening of the CCA Conference with a night of connection, fun, and local flavor during the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce Block Party.
More details to come. Some parts of this event may be self-pay.
2026 CCA Conference Agenda: Thursday, October 1
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2026
7:00 a.m. Check-in Opens
8:00 a.m. Sponsor Expo Opens
9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks & Welcome
9:15-10:15 a.m. Morning Keynote with Jennifer Reiser
Wildly Effective Leadership: Leading with Purpose, Creating Value
Chambers do what few other organizations can: bring people together, see what’s ahead, carry the community’s interests, create collective action, and keep moving when the work gets hard. Using leadership lessons from the animal world, this interactive session will explore what nature’s most effective leaders can teach us about the unique role Chambers play in their communities. Through storytelling, reflection, and conversation, participants will reconnect with why their work matters and consider how their Chamber can make an even greater impact. Come ready to think differently about leadership—and leave with a renewed sense of purpose for the work ahead.
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions
- Leadership - System Building for Sustainable Chambers
- Wendy Laros, ACE, IOM Kona-Kohala HI
- Workforce - Your Chamber's Role in Building a Competitive Workforce
- Abby Ault, Innovate Work Consulting
- Ed Sealover, Colorado Chamber of Commerce
- Chris Romer, Vail Valley Partnership
- Advocacy - Creating Policy Guidelines that Drive Impact
- Ann Hutchinson, Fort Collins Chamber
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Lunch & Annual Meeting
- Rachel Beck, Colorado Chamber Foundation
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions
- Membership - Retention Starts on Day One: Creating Your Chamber's Retention Plan
- Josh Cross, ACE, Atascadaro Chamber, CA
- Advocacy - Building Relationships with Elected Officials
- Meghan Dollar, Colorado Chamber
- Lisa Hough, IOM, Adams County Regional Economic Partnership (AC-REP)
- Jeff Thormosdgaard, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC
- Leadership - Convening is Your Superpower
- Patrick Ellis, Murrietta Wildomar Chamber, CA
2:15 - 3:15 p.m. General Session
- Membership - Executive Conversations That Drive Membership Growth: Moving Beyond the Scripts to Peer-Level Business Discussions
- Dave Tabor, Colorado Chamber of Commerce
- Tech Breakout
- Zeb Welborn, ACE, CCE, IOM, President & CEO, Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, CA
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. "Ask Me Anything" General Session
General Session with Rotating Table Hosts
5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Reception & Silent Auction
Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a hosted drink during happy hour while mingling with fellow chamber leaders, speakers, and sponsors before the Chamber Performance Awards Banquet.
The Silent Auction will remain open through the Chamber Performance Awards Banquet. Funds raised through the silent auction help support scholarships for chamber peers. Bidding closes at 8:00 p.m. Please ensure you pick up and pay for your items before departure from the conference.
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Chamber Performance Awards
Dinner
Join the celebrations as we honor the top achievements in membership, communications, advocacy, and leadership. Awards will be presented in the following categories: Membership Retention, Membership Growth, Membership Dues Growth, Communications, Government Affairs, Best Idea of the Year, Team Member of the Year, and CEO of the Year.
2026 CCA Conference Agenda: Friday, October 2
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2026
Breakfast on your own
8:00 a.m. Silent Auction Winners Announced
9:00 - 10:00 a.m. General Session
Fast-paced, practical, and packed with ideas, this session will feature chamber leaders sharing strategies that have created results in their own organizations.
Presenters will offer concise ideas related to membership, events, communications, revenue, advocacy, leadership, community engagement, and chamber operations. Rather than exploring one topic in depth, the session is designed to expose attendees to a wide variety of approaches they can adapt to chambers of different sizes and capacities.
Attendees will leave with a collection of immediately usable ideas and an expanded network of peers they can contact for additional information.
- Angie Anderson, IOM, ACE, Glenwood Springs Resort Chamber Association
- Rich Millard, Royal Gorge Chamber Alliance
- Katie Slimko-Tuvell, IOM, Rancho Mirage Chamber, CA
- T.J. Sullivan, CCE, Parker Chamber of Commerce
10:15 - 11:00 a.m. General Session
11:15 a.m. Closing Remarks and Evaluation Survey
11:30 a.m. Conference Adjourns
Check-out for conference hotels is 11:00 a.m.