2026 Joint Conference

Schedule of Events

Everything, in order — keynotes, workshops, and the moments in between. The full agenda updates live below; here are the voices anchoring each day.

On the Main Stage

Three sessions the whole conference shares.

Two keynotes and a general session bookend the days — the throughline of connection, resilience, and the boundaries that keep this work sustainable.

Rob Lawless, Opening Keynote Speaker
Opening Keynote
Rob Lawless
Rob's 10,000 Friends: The FRIEND Framework for Authentic Human Connection

A human-connection advocate on a mission to meet 10,000 strangers for an hour each — 7,400+ people across 90+ countries so far, with stops on The TODAY Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and On Air with Ryan Seacrest. He's brought his FRIEND Framework to FOX Sports, KPMG, and SHRM, and he opens our conference with a practical blueprint for building relationships that actually last.

Jason Plotkin, Morning Plenary Speaker
General Session
Jason Plotkin
The One Where We Learn from the Unthinkable: Readiness, Response, and Resilience

The executive director who guided Temple Israel through the 2026 attack. In an honest, grounded session, Jason speaks to what readiness actually requires, how response unfolds in real time, and how a community finds its way to resilience — hard-earned wisdom none of us hopes to need, and all of us should hear.

Sheri Jacobs, Closing Keynote Speaker
Closing Keynote
Sheri Jacobs
The Unexpected Power of Boundaries: Building Deeper Connections

Research-grounded and relentlessly practical, Sheri closes the conference with a fresh case for why good boundaries are what make trust, connection, and sustainable community possible in the first place — and how to put them to work the moment you get home.

The Full Agenda

Every session, day by day.

Powered by Whova and updated in real time. Expand any day to see times, rooms, and details.

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Registration is open for the 2026 NAASE/NATA Joint Conference in New Brunswick, October 26–29.

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