You are Invited to Denver: March 24–28, 2024

We are excited to welcome you to Denver for the 2024 ACUI Annual Conference! Early registration is now open; take advantage of the lowest registration rates before December 14.

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Schedule
Registration
Travel
Justification
Expo & Sponsorship

The 2024 Annual Conference will be an opportunity to come together in a caring community of colleagues who also tie-in to the work you do to rejuvenate, elevate, connect, and celebrate each other.

The focus of our time together will be around the following pillars:

  • Connections and Community
  • Sustainability
  • Belonging and Affirming Spaces

Additionally, the Annual Conference has educational goals to connect with three of ACUI’s Core Competencies—student learning, human resources, and planning.

All-Conference Sessions

Details about additional all-conference sessions will be available soon—with topic areas focused on community engagement in sustainability and human resources and the future of work.

TEMPLE GRANDIN

Temple Grandin is a distinguished professor of animal science at Colorado State University who will share how different kinds of minds add value to building teams and solving problems in the workplace. Appearing on numerous TV shows such as 20/20 and Prime Time, her books include Thinking in Pictures, Livestock Handling and Transport, and The Autistic Brain—with her books Animals in Translation and Visual Thinking having been on the New York Times Bestseller List. Temple was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame in 2023.

Education & Schedule

The 2024 Annual Conference will be full of meaningful opportunities to learn and connect as a community of professionals. Each day will feature a conference-wide experience—keynotes, panel discussions, and adventure experiences. The event will start on Sunday, March 25, with welcome activities, regional gatherings, a dinner, and an opening event. Monday will include educational sessions and the opening of the ACUI Expo. Tuesday will feature educational sessions, lunch in the ACUI Expo, and the unique ACUI Adventure experiences in the afternoon. And Wednesday, March 27, will include educational sessions, a panel discussion, and the Closing Banquet.

In addition to the curated educational experiences described below, there will be approximately 100 educational sessions across 10 educational blocks—exploring all of the ACUI Core Competencies and appealing to audiences from undergraduate students to senior professionals. Selected through a competitive selection process involving dozens of jurors, we are pleased to share the initial list of educational sessions. A detailed schedule of these sessions will be released in January.

Learn more about highlights from this year’s schedule below.

Tentative Event Schedule
Educational Sessions

Enhance Your Experience

Take your ACUI24 experience in Denver to the next level by adding one of these engaging opportunities:

Registration

The 2024 Annual Conference offers valuable professional development opportunities included in your registration fee:

  • Ten educational session blocks
  • Three all-conference sessions
  • Two times to discover product solutions from exhibitors
  • One afternoon of unique learning adventures
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Each day of the conference will feature multiple programs to facilitate attendees to connect with colleagues, learn best practices, and explore opportunities to elevate their campus community through receptions, showcases, community gatherings, meals, and more.

Three meals are included in the registration: an opening dinner and reception; a lunch in the ACUI Expo, and dinner at the closing banquet.

EARLY REGISTRATION
(THROUGH DECEMBER 14)
  • Professional Member: $825
  • Professional Nonmember: $995
  • Student Member: $425
  • Student Nonmember: $525
  • One-Day Member Registration: $325
  • One-Day Nonmember Registration: $425
  • Retiree Registration: $425
REGULAR REGISTRATION
(DECEMBER 15–FEBRAURY 8)
  • Professional Member: $925
  • Professional Nonmember: $1,095
  • Student Member: $450
  • Student Nonmember: $550
  • One-Day Member Registration: $375
  • One-Day Nonmember Registration: $475
  • Retiree Registration: $425
LATE REGISTRATION
(AFTER FEBRUARY 8)
  • Professional Member: $995
  • Professional Nonmember: $1,195
  • Student Member: $475
  • Student Nonmember: $575
  • One-Day Member Registration: $450
  • One-Day Nonmember Registration: $550
  • Retiree Registration: $425

The cancellation policy for the event is available here.

Interested in just attending one meal or joining us for the closing banquet? Email [email protected] to explore these options.

Need financial support? ACUI’s Financial Assistance Fund has limited funds remaining to support conference expenses. Submit a request by January 5 for consideration for the 2024 Annual Conference.

Travel & Hotel

HOTEL

The hub of all conference activities and lodging is at the Sheraton Denver Downtown at: 1550 Court Pl, Denver, CO 80202. Book your hotel by February 23 to secure the ACUI group room rate of $219 (plus taxes and fees).

Book hotel

TRANSPORTATION

The closest airport to the conference venue is the Denver International Airport, located just over 20 miles from the conference hotel.

  • We are pleased to partner with United Airlines for air travel to the annual conference in Denver. To make flight reservations online please click on discount code ZNXA982339. MileagePlus members earn valuable miles for their travel when using the Meetings discount code.
  • You may also call United Meetings Reservation Desk Monday – Friday at (800) 426-1122 for booking assistance. Booking fees are waived for Meeting reservations. International customers may contact their local United Reservation Desk.

To save energy and cost, utilize the RTD A Line for ground transportation, which departs every 15 minutes from the airport to Union Station for just $10.50. Then, catch the Free MallRide from Union Station to Court Place and arrive at the Sheraton Denver Downtown.

Amtrak routes through Union Station are also available to get you to downtown Denver.

Meet the 2024 Conference Program Team

  • Eve Esch, University of Houston, Chair
  • Isaac Barber, University of Connecticut
  • Katie Beaulieu, Wayne State University
  • Larissa Bonnet, Sheridan College
  • Beth Goad, University of Denver
  • Amanda Griffiths, University of Tennessee
  • Aidan Grills, Leeds University Union
  • Clayton Kolb, West Chester University
  • Molly Orr, University of North Texas
  • Mike Schmit, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
  • Scott Shea, Northeastern University
  • Justin Rudisille, ACUI, Staff Liaison

Justifying Your Attendance

With such a variety of cost saving opportunities and valuable experiences available for the 2024 Annual Conference, template letters have been created for you to use to help submit your requests for approval on campus. These templates are intended to provide a structure with key information included, and space for you to fill in specific information based on your campus and professional development needs.

Download the TemPlate Letters

Feel free to use any of the information available through the conference website to include as additional details to the letter. Below are some additional Frequently Asked Questions to help you prepare for the event. Email [email protected] with any questions.

The 2024 Annual Conference will be an opportunity to come together in a caring community of colleagues who also tie-in to the work you do to rejuvenate, elevate, connect, and celebrate each other. The focus of our time together will be around the following pillars:

  • Connections and Community
  • Sustainability
  • Belonging and Affirming Spaces

Additionally, the Annual Conference has aligned with the ACUI Education Plan goals to connect with three of ACUI’s Core Competencies—student learning, human resources, and planning.

A variety of learning opportunities will be available across all skill sets important in the foundation of the college union and student activities profession. Aligned with the ACUI Education Plan, particular focus will be placed on:

  • Student Learning
  • Human Resources
  • Planning

Learn more about the ACUI Core Competencies at here. 

Yes! The ACUI Annual Conference will have various sessions for professionals of different levels to network and discuss their experiences. This will range from scheduled networking opportunities such as a first-time attendee session to attendees with similar job responsibilities through our Communities of Practice. There will also be opportunities to network with other attendees from the same region to build stronger regional connections.

  • Attending keynotes/all-conference sessions on current topics & trends
  • Optional community service events
  • College and local landmark tours
  • Social and networking opportunities
  • Learning product solutions at the ACUI Expo
  • Keynotes – featuring our opening speaker Temple Grandin, a distinguished professor of animal science at Colorado State University, who will share how different kinds of minds add value to building teams and solving problems in the workplace; additional all-conference sessions are being developed focused on sustainability and the future of work.
  • ACUI Adventures – an opportunity for attendees to visit other college campuses in the Denver area or other establishments where they will tour and engage in conversation about practices they can put into place on their own campus.
  • ACUI Expo – this is an opportunity to meet vendors including architects, furniture companies, operations software, dining, and more.

Denver is a vibrant city with a variety of colleges and universities nearby and a unique focus on sustainability. While the conference takes place in one central location, attendees will have the opportunity to visit other colleges as a part of the ACUI Adventure.

There are currently five preconference opportunities that attendees can register for. Each opportunity provides unique and specific content from mental health and first aid training to supporting student organization leadership.

A variety of local tours have also been included throughout the conference, with several taking place prior to the official opening event of the conference.

View more information these opportunities in the “Schedule” section of website above.

We are excited to welcome all first-time attendees to Denver! Our Annual Conference typically has over 150 newcomers in attendance—so you will not be alone! We will be offering an orientation virtually prior to the start of the conference and an in-person session on Sunday to provide an overview of the Annual Conference experience and to begin the networking experience.

The ACUI Expo will host a diverse array of vendors, showcasing offerings relevant to attendees’ interests and needs. Expect representation from architects, furniture companies, dining options, student activity vendors, event software, student engagement platforms, and more—providing a valuable opportunity to explore and engage with industry professionals and exciting products.

The conference will be hosted at the Sheraton Denver Downtown at 1550 Court Pl, Denver, CO 80202. All keynotes, educational sessions, exhibit hall, and meals will occur in this hotel, so you’ll want to stay on property for ease of access to all activities and for the full conference experience.

Attendees will be able to book hotel rooms at the hotel through a link on the conference website. ACUI has secured a group room rate of $219, which must be secured by February 23, 2024.

  • The closest airport to the conference venue is the Denver International Airport (DIA)
  • To save energy and cost, utilize the RTD A Line for ground transportation, which departs every 15 minutes from the airport to Union Station for just $10.50. Then, catch the Free MallRide from Union Station to Court Place and arrive at the Sheraton Denver Downtown.
  • Amtrak routes through Union Station are also available to get you to downtown Denver.
  • If attending a pre-conference or navigating long distance travel, we suggest arriving on Saturday, March 23 so that you have time to settle into the hotel space and get checked-in. The hotel block rate opens as early as March 20 and is based on availability. Book your hotel by February 23, 2024 to secure the ACUI group room rates.
  • The conference will conclude with the annual closing banquet on the night of Wednesday, March 27—which includes a celebration of the event experience, presentation of select awards, and the presidential speech. It is recommended that you depart on Thursday, March 28.

Yes! Graduate and undergraduate students can register for the conference with the same process as full-time staff. There will be special activities provided at particular times during the conference for these individuals, but they’ll be able to enjoy the same all-conference sessions, meals, educational content, and conference experiences. Student member rates vary and also have a discount prior to December 14, 2023.

  • Sunday Regional Dinner
  • Tuesday Lunch in the ACUI Expo
  • Wednesday Closing Banquet

Yes. After your initial conference registration, you are able to go back and add additional experiences such as pre-conferences and tours.

  • Visit www.acui.org/myaccount and login using the email address for your registration.
    • If someone else registered you and/or you have not logged in to the website, you will have an existing record—so click on the “Forgot Password” link and complete the process to verify your email and get logged in.
  • On your account dashboard, in the “Event” section, you should see the “2024 ACUI Annual Conference” listed as “Registered.” Select this event.
  • On the list of events you are already registered for, next to the conference, click the “Edit” button.
  • You will then see the list of items available. Add each of the activities you are interested in, noting that you will only be able to add one experience during particular concurrent time blocks.
  • Once you have selected your activities, click the “Checkout” button at the top of the screen.
  • On the summary page, click the “Confirm Order” button to complete your selections.

Consider the following ideas:

  • Register early and save! Early Registration is through December 14, 2023 and for Professional Members is $825. Save $100!
  • Being an ACUI member also saves $200+ on registration compared to non-members.
  • Book your hotel room by February 23, 2024 to secure the ACUI group rate. Book your transportation early to ensure the best rates.
  • Consider connecting with other colleagues who are coming to the Annual Conference to travel together or share hotel rooms.
  • To save energy and cost, utilize the RTD A Line for ground transportation, which departs every 15 minutes from the airport to Union Station for just $10.50. Then, catch the Free MallRide from Union Station to Court Place and arrive at the Sheraton Denver Downtown.
  • We are pleased to partner with United Airlines for air travel to the annual conference in Denver. To make flight reservations online please click on discount code ZNXA982339. MileagePlus members earn valuable miles for their travel when using the Meetings discount code. You may also call United Meetings Reservation Desk Monday – Friday at (800) 426-1122 for booking assistance. Booking fees are waived for Meeting reservations. International customers may contact their local United Reservation Desk.
  • ACUI offers a variety of scholarship opportunities, as well, which will have an application deadline of December 8. Explore those options at www.acui.org/awards/scholarships.

Denver 2024 Graphics Inspiration

In embracing the location of the Annual conference, it was important to integrate key elements of the landscape and culture of the area into our design pieces. The Conference Program Team wanted to incorporate the location into the design and help create a visual identity that connects our Association with our host location to help elevate the conference experience.  

The color palette of dark blue and red were inspired by the flag of Denver while also combining ACUI secondary colors from the brand guide. The official flag of the city of Denver includes four specific elements:

  • The yellow circle represents the sun above and the region’s Gold Rush history
  • The blue represents the unmatched skies experienced in the mile-high city
  • The red represents the sandstone soil, the mountains, and the meaning of “Colorado”
  • The zigzag pattern represents the snow caps and has connections to the indigenous history in the state. Specifically, the Zigzag and “Z” have symbolic meanings of:
    • Navigating sharp turns while moving forward along the path of our lives, facing forces from above and within, with many separate journeys along the way
    • Connection or gateway that links Mother Earth and Father Sky, the spirit world above and the mortal world, and
    • Rapid change, like the lightning striking from the sky to the earth during a cleansing rain

We hope you enjoy these intentional design elements throughout the conference experience.