We invite individuals from the horticultural therapy community and allied health professionals to propose sessions and interactive workshops in the following areas:

• Integrating climate change and biodiversity awareness into horticultural therapy (HT) / therapeutic horticulture (TH) practice.
  
• New and proven methods for therapeutic interventions across nature-based therapies.
• Introducing new techniques or modifying old ones as we adapt to stressors caused by change in many arenas; climate, areas of conflict, evolving perspectives, and use of technology, etc.
• Representing diversity among HT/TH practitioners and researchers.
• Collaboration and partnership models for resilience and long-term sustainability.

Presenters will be selected from proposals submitted in response to this Request for Proposals by a peer review panel. Please submit your proposal online by April 30, 2024. Notification of decisions will be sent by May 17, 2024.

Submissions must include all information requested. Please note biographical information requested MUST be in the format described within the “Proposal Submission Guidelines.”

Additional Information:

• Presenters are required to register for the conference and will receive a discounted rate. *Honorariums/speaker fees are not available to session presenters.
• Presenters are required to provide their own handouts. Handouts can be posted on a secure AHTA site for attendees to download prior to the conference. If printed handouts are preferred, copies must be provided by the presenter.
• Presenters Must have their own laptop to present from. If using a Mac or Apple product, please bring the appropriate adapter. 

Online Proposal Submission Guidelines

Please read thoroughly prior to beginning your online submission. This document is intended to be used as a helpful guideline in preparing your RFP.

Session Content (all required unless noted otherwise):

• Title of proposed session
• A brief description of the session: Limit 30 words. If your proposal is accepted, this will be inserted into the printed conference program to describe your session.
• Briefly explain why this session should be at the AHTA Annual Conference. Indicate where and when this presentation was previously given (if applicable). 
• Session content and methodology: Please be brief - yet thorough and descriptive.
• Learning outcomes: Three learning outcomes should be provided that are measurable and indicate what the audience will learn by participating in this session. State, for example: “At the end of this session, participants will be able to . . . “
• Audience skill level of session: basic/intermediate/advanced

Session Formats:

• Workshop/Interactive presentation: 90 min. The facilitator(s) lead the participants in an interactive discussion, skill-building, or hands-on workshop.

• Lecture/PowerPoint presentation: 60 or 90 minutes. A single presenter who facilitates a focused presentation on a particular topic, program, or organization.

• Panel Discussion: 60 min. Two or more speakers. Each speaker presents different aspects, perspectives, or thoughts on a particular topic leaving time for discussion at the end.

• Poster Presentations: display a poster of an academic research project or of an HT program. Posters will be displayed continuously during the conference. At a dedicated session, poster authors will be available to answer questions and discuss their work. 
  
  
• Roundtable Discussion:  60 min. The presenter will moderate and guide a participatory discussion on their proposed topic or population. Rooms will be set for round tables of up to eight chairs per table. All Roundtable Discussions will take place concurrently. 

Please note that the 60/90-minute formats may also include a Q&A portion. Rooms will be assigned based on your presentation type and preferred room setup. Please note that all sessions will be limited only to the maximum number of attendees a room can hold.

Room setup:

• General Session room – Set in crescent rounds. Seats 150 people.
• Concurrent session rooms (3) – Set as half classroom, half theater. Seats 50 people.
• Poster session room – Pre-function room B

Speaker Information:

• A biographical summary (30 words maximum) with professional credentials for each participant, highlighting competency in the subject matter. Note that you must have a biography for at least one speaker when submitting your proposal. All others may be submitted at a later date if necessary.
• For online program/email marketing: A biographical summary (100 words maximum) with professional credentials for each participant, highlighting competency in the subject matter. Please do not send a resume in place of the summary.
• Accepted presentations shall be posted, with the authors’ permission, on the AHTA website for attendees to access following the conference.

RFPs will only be accepted via the online submission form. The form cannot save data; be prepared to fully answer all questions above at the time of submission.  RFPs will not be accepted by email.

If you have any questions, please contact the AHTA office at [email protected] or 1-888-294-8527.

Submit Your Proposal Today