Celebrating Creativity: Inspiring Excellence

October 7-9, 2026
Holiday Inn
St. Cloud, MN.

Conference Schedule of Events

Wednesday October 7

2:30-3:30   Registration Open- Conference Center

Pre-Sessions
3:30-4:30 p.m.   Leading the Way: Best Practices for Today’s Activity Professionals Panel

4:30-5:30 p.m.   Vendor Spotlight Facilitate by Stacie Oakland, Vendor Chair

5:30-6:00 p.m.   Registration Reopens- Conference Center

5:30-7:15 p.m.   Exhibit Hall Vendor Grand Opening, Buffet Dinner, Lucky Buck Auction and Special Events in the Celebration Room.

Thursday October 8

7:30-8:45 a.m.   Breakfast in the Atrium
7:30-8:50 a.m.   Registration Open- Conference Center

Opening Keynote

8:50-10:20 a.m.  Spark Your ARCC: Light up for those you serve
Speaker Sarah Ciavarri
Rox-Johnnies Meeting Rooms

10:20-10:40 a.m. Beverage Break- Vendor Exhibits Open- Celebration Room

Morning Sessions

10:40-12:10 p.m.  Living Well: Mental Health Through Therapeutic Activities
Speaker Nancy Richards
Rox Meeting Room

10:40-12:10 p.m.  Regulation Translation
Speaker Tia Hovatter
Bennies Meeting Room

10:40-12:10 p.m.  From Loneliness to Belonging: The Java Project
Speaker Dr. Kristine Theurer
Johnnies Meeting Room

12:10-1:10 p.m.  Lunch and Annual Meeting
Atrium

Afternoon Session #1

1:15-2:45 p.m.   Resident Council Madness
Speaker Tia Hovatter
Rox Meeting Room

1:15-2:45 p.m.  Imaginate! Cultivating Life Enrichment Through a Lens of Creativity
Speaker Nancy Richards
Bennies Meeting Room

1:15-2:45 p.m.  Doubling Activities and Personalization with YouTube
Speaker Jenny Barlow
Johnnies Meeting Room

Afternoon Session #2

3:00-4:30 p.m.   Dementia Programming: Back to the Future
Speaker Tia Hovatter
Rox-Bennies Meeting Room

3:00-4:30 p,m.  Play Matters
Speaker Nancy Richards
Johnnies Meeting Room

Thursday Evening

6:30-7:45 p.m.   Banquet and Awards Program
7:45-8:30 p.m.   “MNSWAP Game Night”

Friday October 9

7:15-8:25 a.m.  Breakfast- Atrium
7:30-8:30 a.m.  Registration Open- Conference Center
7:30-8:30 a.m.  Voting- Registration Area

Morning Sessions

8:30-10:00 a.m.  The Happy Concept
Speaker Tia Hovatter
Rox Meeting Room

8:30-10:00 a.m.  Doubling Activities and Personalization with YouTube (Repeat)
Speaker Jenny Barlow
Johnnies Meeting Room

8:30-10:00 a.m.  Finding Wonder at the Intersection of Nature and Poetry
Speaker Nancy Richards
Bennies Meeting Room

10.00-10:30 a.m. Beverage Break- Celebration Room

Large Group Closing Session

10:30-12:30 p.m. Celebrating Creativity with Excellence; Small Group Round Robin
Rox-Johnnies Meeting Rooms

12:30-12:45 p.m.  Closing Announcements, Election Results
Rox-Johnnies Meeting Room

Click Here for Printable Schedule of Events

Click Here for Printable Session Descriptions and Speaker Bio’s

Conference Details