Welcome to the 2025 NCDA Global Career Development Conference! It is truly an honor to gather with you in Atlanta—a city with a heartbeat rooted in resilience, justice, and transformational change.

This year’s conference theme, Autonomy to Change: Evolving and Adapting Career Development in Revolutionary Times, calls us to reflect not just on how our profession is shifting, but on how we—as people, practitioners, and advocates—are being called to show up differently in a world that continues to challenge and inspire us.

There is something especially powerful about coming together in Atlanta during the week of Juneteenth. This is a sacred time and space—a moment to honor the ongoing fight for freedom and dignity, and to recommit ourselves to the kind of work that moves individuals and communities toward equity and opportunity. Atlanta’s legacy of activism and progress reminds us that career development is never just about jobs—it’s about people, potential, and justice.

Please check out the Juneteenth Celebrations and other activities in Atlanta.

Whether this is your first NCDA conference or your fifteenth, I hope you feel seen, welcomed, and inspired. You are part of something bigger here. Your presence, your story, and your work are what make this community so powerful.

Let’s make the most of our time together—learning, connecting, challenging assumptions, and building the future of career development with purpose and care.

Welcome to Atlanta. Welcome to your NCDA.

With gratitude,

Marty Apodaca
President, National Career Development Association

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Please do not hesitate to reach out to Headquarters if you have conference questions.

NCDA Phone: (918) 663-7060
Registration questions: nscrimsher@ncda.org
Exhibitor/Volunteer questions: bnavarro@ncda.org
General Questions and/or Conference App questions: mpowell@ncda.org

Conference Location: Atlanta Marriott Marquis, 965 Peachtree Center Avenue NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-7402; 404-521-0000.
Hotel Questions: mpowell@ncda.org or visit the hotel website.

Atlanta's rail system, MARTA, is the quickest and most cost-effective way to get from the Atlanta Airport to the Hotel. View detailed directors/costs here.

 

PRE-CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TASKS:

1. Download the Conference App. An email invitation to access the conference app was sent to all registered attendees on June 2. If you do not see the invitation, please look in your junk or spam folder. Contact mpowell@ncda.org if you cannot find the invitation.

You will need to download the mobile app at either the Google Play store or the Apple store. (The desktop version is best for downloading handouts.) Search NCDA 2025 or National Career Development Association for the conference app. QR codes are included here for your convenience:

Google- conference app                                                                    Apple- conference app

 

 

 

 

 

2. Program Books are Available Electronically Only. If you wish to use a printed program book, please download a copy now and bring it with you. Please note:

• The conference app will have the most up-to-date information available.
• Session descriptions are only available in the conference app.
• Some sessions have changed since the program book was printed.
• Tote bags will not be provided. You are welcome to bring your own.

3. First Timer’s Orientation will be held on Tuesday, June 17 at 5:00 pm and repeated on Wednesday, June 18 at 7:30 am. This is a fantastic session for anyone who has never attended an NCDA conference. Information will be shared on making the most out of the in-person event.

4. Conference Check-in.  All attendees need to check-in on-site. The Conference Registration Desk will open on-site Monday, June 16 at 3:00 pm. Grab your registration materials (including your name tag – required for all activities) and get answers to your questions early before the crowds arrive! The Conference Registration Desk is in the Atrium Ballroom Foyer.

5. Constituency Group Meetings, Wednesday, June 18, 8:30 am. These gatherings are a great way to get acquainted with people from all over the world with similar interests. Refer to the app agenda for the group and location.

6. Meals and Receptions. The Welcome Reception, with light appetizers/drinks, is Tuesday, June 17, 6:00 pm in the Exhibit Hall. Lunch will be provided for all attendees on Wednesday, June 18 in the Exhibit Hall at noon. These events are free to registered attendees.

7. NCDA Membership Meeting, Wednesday, June 18, 4:15 pm. Please view the Annual Membership Report prior to this meeting to learn more about the Association, the proposed Bylaws changes, and view the Slate of Officers. Members may cast preliminary votes to narrow the slate before the general election.

8. NCDA Career Resource Store. Open in the Exhibit Hall, the store is a great opportunity to browse and purchase the resources you need for your daily work. Be sure to use the $5 off coupon you received when checking in at the Conference Registration Desk.

9. Continuing Education. A number of CEs are available. Please see the instructions in the conference app or program book.

10. NCDA Strategic Scavenger Hunt. Be sure to play along for fun prizes! The Scavenger Hunt form will be in your registration packets at check-in.

11. Open Evening. Thursday evening, June 19th, is your open evening. Explore Atlanta’s nearby neighborhoods, wonderful dining, and various shopping options.

12. Social Media fun. Be sure to follow NCDA on Social Media @NCDAcareer

13. Virtual Conference July 14-October 31, 2025. If you also registered for the Virtual conference, watch for another email in July. All three live keynote sessions will be recorded for the Virtual conference and many presenters have recorded their presentations for the virtual app. If you have not registered for the Virtual conference, you may add it on to your conference registration by contacting nscrimsher@ncda.org

Many thanks to our conference sponsors and exhibitors! Visit them in the Exhibit Hall or the conference website.
See you soon in Atlanta!

 

www.NCDAconference.org