View the 2026 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education Agenda

• • Leadership & Organization

• • Strategy & Planning

• • Enrollment, Retention & Fundraising

• • Marketing Technologies (MarTech) & AI

• • Signals & Shifts

• • Research & Impact

• • Branding & Content

• • Reputation & Communications

Your Guide to Session Formats

Not all conferences are created equal – and neither are all sessions. Here’s your cheat sheet to every format you’ll find at this year’s event so you can plan like a pro (and still leave room for happy surprises).

 

Keynote

The whole room, one moment. Keynotes are all-hands gatherings with no competing sessions –  just you, your peers and a speaker who’s here to make you feel something. Q&A with the main act usually closes it out.

✦ Expect to leave inspired, challenged, or both.

 

Senior Leader & Next Leader Experiences  

Targeted, immersive pre-conference experiences built specifically for where you are in your career. Each one blends education sessions with interactive workshops – so you’re not just learning, you’re doing. Pre-registration required.

✦ Your people, your challenges, your room.

 

Breakouts

Peer-reviewed sessions across a wide range of topics – you pick what fits your role or career stage using the audience guide. Typically panel-led, with time for Q&A at the end. The bulk of your learning schedule lives here.

✦ Listen, absorb, then ask the thing you’ve been wondering.

 

Fireside Chat

A moderator + one or two subject matter experts in honest, unfiltered conversation about the topics that actually matter right now. Less formal than a panel, more revealing than a lecture.

✦ The kind of conversation you wish every conference had.

 

Workshop

Longer, in-depth and more hands-on. Workshops are two-hour sessions built for skill-building and strategy development. You’ll leave with things you can actually use back on campus, not just notes to revisit later.

✦ Block the time. It’s worth it.

 

Idea Exchange

Small group. Real conversation. These sessions are designed for genuine discussion and idea sharing – you’ll engage directly with fellow attendees, not just listen to someone at the front of the room.

✦ Less audience, more dialogue.

 

Industry Leader

One sponsor gets the mic for a focused deep dive into their offering and how it can elevate your work. Less pitch, more perspective – hear directly from the people building the tools and opportunities you’re curious about.

✦ Learn what’s possible from the people making it possible.

 

Innovation Showcase  

Three solution providers, each with a sharp take on what’s happening right now. Fast, punchy and forward-looking – think speed round meets industry insight. A great way to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

✦ Three voices, three angles, one session worth your seat.

 

Braindate 

New this year! Connect with fellow attendees through the conference app around topics that genuinely interest you. You bring the topic, find others who care about the same thing, and we’ll provide the space. Casual, self-directed and surprisingly fun.

✦ Your niche topic deserves a crowd. Go find them.

 

Exhibit Hall Stage

Fast takes, spontaneous moments and a little bit of everything in between. The Exhibit Hall Stage is designed for discovery, so stop by whenever you have a free moment. You never know what you’ll find.

✦ No agenda. No expectations. Just check it out.