Aerial view of Pittsburgh during the daytime showing river, bridges, city buildings

Learn about the Forum’s goals, history, and attendees on the About the Forum page. Information related to the 7th National Adaptation Forum is posted on this page and the pages linked below.


Attend the Forum

Registration for the 7th National Adaptation Forum is open! Continue to check this page for additional information and updates.

Please note that all attendees will be required to pay a full registration fee. Registration fees will not be waived for session organizers, speakers, facilitators, moderators, or note takers.

Registration Type

Early Bird Rate

(By March 11, 2026)

Regular Registration Rate

(After March 11, 2026)

Student Full Conference

$365

$470

Student Single Day

$185

$235

Non-Profit, Government, Academic Full Conference

$580

$685

Non-Profit, Government, Academic Single Day

$290

$345

Corporate Full Conference

$685

$790

Corporate Single Day

$345

$395

The schedule-at-a-glance is subject to change.

2026 National Adaptation Forum – Schedule-at-a-Glance

2026 National Adaptation Forum – Schedule at a Glance

Monday, May 11
Tuesday, May 12
Wednesday, May 13
Thursday, May 14

The Forum works to offer attendance support to those who normally would not be able to attend a conference by offsetting or covering expenses related to participating in the Forum. Applications for Attendance Support are now open until March 27th. Please visit the Attendance Support page for more information, who should apply, and what can be funded.

This opportunity depends on support from sponsors – if you are interested in amplifying this need to potential funders, or if you are a potential funder of attendance support, learn more in the “Support Attendance” section of the Sponsorship Opportunities page or contact the Forum organizers at Info@NationalAdaptationForum.org.

Volunteering at the National Adaptation Forum provides a unique opportunity to mingle with leading climate change adaptation practitioners, participate in sessions, and learn about all things climate adaptation-related. Volunteers are instrumental to the success of the Forum.

Eligibility

Anyone is welcome to apply; however, when reviewing applications, priority will be given to the following groups:

Volunteer Responsibilities and Roles

  • Volunteers can attend approximately half of the sessions and are asked to dedicate the other half of their time to volunteering in-person from May 12-14, 2026, at the David L Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
  • General responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
    • Supporting session speakers and associated events (e.g., session timing, technology troubleshooting, and/or answering general questions)
    • Distributing and collecting surveys
    • Communicating the needs of presenters and participants to the Forum Coordinators
    • Greeting and guiding participants to the event and exhibit areas
    • Assisting with the registration desk (e.g., attendee check-in, overview of Forum activities, and where to find relevant information)
    • Tracking session attendance

Benefits of Volunteering

  • A free Forum registration 
  • Free meals and snacks as provided at the conference
  • Networking opportunities galore!
  • A resume-worthy experience, supporting the largest climate change adaptation conference in the country

Volunteer Expectations

  • Helpful, flexible, courteous, and committed 
  • Attend a required virtual volunteer training session prior to the National Adaptation Forum
  • Check-in 15 minutes prior to your shift at the registration desk
  • Check-out after your shift at the registration desk and return all materials 
  • Review and sign EcoAdapt’s Volunteer Waiver
  • Agree to and abide by the National Adaptation Forum Code of Conduct

Timeline

If you’d like to join one of the pre-forum field trips, you’ll be able to select and purchase your spot during registration. Field trips have limited capacity and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to register early if you have a specific trip in mind. Please visit here for full trip descriptions, schedules, and any additional details.

As part of the registration process, attendees can choose to enroll in the National Adaptation Forum Buddy Program. The Buddy Program will connect anyone hoping to form new connections and networks within or across disciplines during the conference. 

The program works to create a welcoming environment that facilitates conversation, relationship-building, and the sharing of expertise, experiences, and guidance amongst peers. A buddy is intended to be a friendly face, someone to discuss sessions with, and help to alleviate the stress that can come from entering a space where you might not know a lot of people.

Buddy Program sign-ups will close on Friday, March 20, to give the Forum Team adequate time to make thoughtful matches.

Traveling to a meeting about climate change presents an existential challenge for many, which is why each Forum EcoAdapt donates money to a local organization that undertakes climate adaptation activities. These donations serve as a way to support on-the-ground adaptation action in our host city. This year, our travel offset partner is UpstreamPgh. Click here to learn more.

If you are interested in contributing to offset your travel, you will have the opportunity to do so while registering for The Forum.

For 25 years, UpstreamPgh has been working to make the Pittsburgh region cleaner and healthier. We focus on climate justice and clean water: enhancing native ecosystems, teaching our neighbors about climate-friendly practices, advocating for environmentally just policies, and promoting/building natural solutions to help neighborhoods adapt to climate change. We work “upstream”—tackling problems at their source—so that our communities can thrive.

Who Plans the Forum?

Since 2013, EcoAdapt has been responsible for the planning and execution of the Forum, along with the help and support of our amazing committee members and sponsors. 


Location and Accommodations

Exterior view of Pittsburgh stadium and city buildings during sunset with pink sky and reflection on river in the foreground
Photo Credit: Visit Pittsburgh
Exterior view of city buildings in Pittsburgh during the day with green plants growing in foreground
Photo Credit: Visit Pittsburgh

The 7th National Adaptation Forum will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) in downtown Pittsburgh, PA, and we have negotiated favorable hotel rates nearby! To learn more, visit the Accommodations & Location page.

Keeping Your Information Safe

An unfortunate reality of meetings and conferences is that both legitimate and illegitimate companies may contact potential attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors to offer services such as hotel reservations and the sale of attendee lists, or create urgent scenarios about owing money for services. The information on this page is not intended to scare, but rather to provide clear information to help you keep your information safe.

Most importantly: The National Adaptation Forum’s only third-party contractor permitted to contact you about the event is Delaney Event Management. No other third party is authorized to use the name of the conference, hotels, or any other related information. The National Adaptation Forum does not rent or sell email lists to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

Cold-calling or emailing: Some companies or individuals attempting to scam you or phish for your information may contact you aggressively and repeatedly. This could be to offer you sales of attendee lists, to “notify” you that your hotel room may not be available, or to offer you a big discount on the hotel room rate. This could also involve sending you an official-looking contract or a request for credit card details. AI tools commonly in use often make these appeals appear official and quite personalized.

  • Any statement offering attendee lists for money for the National Adaptation Forum is fraudulent.
  • Any proactive email or phone outreach offering promotional codes for hotel reservations is fraudulent. The Forum planning team will not call or email you individually to make a reservation. Anyone claiming otherwise is not authorized to do so.
  • Pay close attention to email domains. @nationaladaptationforum.org, @ecoadapt.org, and @delaneymeetingevent.com are the official email domains for any staff reaching out to you about the Forum. Scammers can try to mimic these domains by changing one letter or adding a character, so be sure to read email domains closely.
  • Do not click any links that look suspicious.
  • Hotel reservations for the Westin Pittsburgh should be made only via the link on the Forum Website. For any other bookings, please use your own discretion.
  • If someone contacts you by phone claiming an issue with payment or missing information, this can feel difficult to navigate. You can ask questions to confirm which company the caller is with and why they are calling. If you feel uncomfortable or suspicious about the call’s legitimacy, you can always hang up and call the number listed on the organization’s official website to ensure the outreach is legitimate.
  • Please notify info@nationaladaptationforum.org if you receive any unsolicited outreach.