Ohio River Basin Confluence Summit Request for Presenters, Field Trips, and Exhibitors

For the first time, the Ohio River Basin Alliance, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, and the Ohio River Way are holding a special joint summit in place of their individual annual conferences. This event is hosted in conjunction with the University of Louisville Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute and Thomas More University.

This event, the "Ohio River Basin Confluence" Summit, will take place October 16-18, 2025 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. Please note that October 17 is the main day for all presentation types and tabling, while field trips will happen on October 16 and 18. The theme for the Summit is "Clean water, river recreation, and thriving communities." We are excited to bring together advocates, professionals, and water leaders of all kinds together to learn, plan, and build a diverse identity across our important river basin.

Have a presentation you want to give? A workshop you'd like to facilitate? A panel that brings together speakers to discuss key issues? A research talk or poster presentation? A recreational, educational, or demonstration field trip you'd like to host? Tell us your idea! We will be collecting submissions until July 15, will finalize field trips soon after, and all other presentation and exhibitor proposals will be notified of their status by August 30. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Laura Gregory (laura@kwalliance.org) or Sophie Ritzenthaler (sophie@ohioriverway.org). Stay tuned for other Ohio River Basin Confluence updates by checking bit.ly/2025orbconfluence.

Please note that all presenters, field trip hosts, and exhibitors must register for the Summit. Registration coming soon.

*You may submit more than one proposal idea. Please fill out the form one time per idea.

Presenter, Exhibitor, or Host Name*

First NameLast Name

Presenter, Exhibitor, or Host Email*

example@example.com

Presenter, Exhibitor, or Host Organization / Affiliation*

Additional Presenter Name(s)

Additional Presenter Organization / Affiliation(s)

Session Type*

Oct. 16 or 18 - Field Trip Host (1-3 hours on Thursday or Saturday afternoon)Oct. 17 - Exhibitor Table* (education, government agency, non-profit, and for-profit exhibitors)Oct. 17 - Lightning Talk (5 minute introduction to your project)Oct. 17 - Panel (30 minutes or 1 hour including questions)Oct. 17 - Poster (to be set up throughout Summit and interact with attendees during formal poster session)Oct. 17 - Presentation (15 or 30 minutes including questions)Oct. 17 - Storytelling (15 or 30 minutes including questions)Oct. 17 - Workshop, Group Activity, or Breakout Group (30 minutes or 1 hour)Oct. 17 - Other (doesn't quite fit with above categories)

For what type of organization are you proposing to set up a table and exhibit?*

Educational institution, non-profit, or government agencyFor-profit businessOther

*Tabling space is complimentary for non-profit organizations, educational institutions and government agencies, though attending staff must still purchase tickets.

*For-profit organizations will pay a $250 vendor fee that includes one complimentary ticket. Contact Molly Williams (williamsm@thomasmore.edu) upon completion of this form to register as a vendor.

Which of the following focus areas (each representing a core focus areas of one or more of the hosting organizations) does your submission most closely relate to? Feel free to select all that apply, or "other" if you aren't sure.*

Art, History, and CultureEconomic Development (community planning projects, grant applications, river transportation and commerce)Community Engagement and Coalition Building (advocacy, community partnerships)Environmental Education (K-12, university, general public)Outdoor Recreation (paddling, boating, biking, fishing, bird watching, tourism)Research (ecological, environmental, human-environmental health)Watershed Management (conservation, restoration, participatory science, clean-ups, flood risk reduction, resiliency and sustainability, infrastructure)Other (please feel free to submit a topic not on this list--we will consider all submissions.)

Proposed Title (for your poster, panel, workshop, presentation, other)*

Presentation Abstract or Description (limit 200 words)*

Do you prefer to host / lead your field trip on Thursday afternoon or Saturday afternoon?*

Thursday afternoon (between 1-4 PM)Saturday afternoon (between 1-4 PM)I can host my field trip either Thursday or Saturday afternoon

Field Trip Title*

Field Trip Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Field Trip Description (1-3 sentences)*

Desired Field Trip Start Time (1-3 PM Thurs. Oct 16 or 1-3 PM Sat. Oct 18)*

Anticipated Duration (1-2 hours, not including travel time)*

Minimum Number of Participants (if any) Field Trip can Accommodate

Maximum Number of Participants (if any) Field Trip can Accommodate

All Field Trips will meet at Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) and travel to Field Trip location as a group. Can you provide transportation from KICC to your Field Trip Site?*

YesNoField Trip site is one mile or less from KICC and participants can safely walk as a groupOther

*If you can provide transportation, the hosting individual/organization will be counted as a headwater level sponsor. Click here to see sponsor benefits.

Please describe any accessibility concerns or challenges that attendees should be aware of (i.e. navigating steep/rocky terrain, elevator availability, etc.)

If there are any costs associated with your field trip that participants should know about (ex. bourbon distillery tour with a set cost per person), please describe them here.

Tabling Organization Name*

Tabling Organization Website*

Please describe the session you have in mind including a title, duration, and description.*

Any further information, comments, or questions?

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Laura Gregory (laura@kwalliance.org) or Sophie Ritzenthaler (sophie@ohioriverway.org).