The Active Living Conference

The Active Living Conference (ALC) began in 2004 and is a venue for both cutting-edge research and for making findings usable by non-scientists. The conference brings together a diverse audience and provides networking and engagement opportunities for active living researchers and practitioners from many fields. Presentations and discussions focus on the importance of creating healthier communities for all people. The 2023 Active Living Conference was held on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, MD. A diverse group of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers attended to advance knowledge and action on how to evaluate, create and sustain active living environments.

The 2024 ALC will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, March 25-28, 2024 at the Westin Chattanooga. Our various committees are busy planning the events and programs. A Call for Presentations and Opportunities for Sponsorship are now open. Check below for more information. Click here to learn more about the Active Living Conference.

2024 Conference Theme

The 2024 Active Living Conference theme is Play every Day – it’s the Multigenerational Healthy Way! This theme represents a broad approach to the understanding that play, in whatever form, is meaningful, and critical to good health. Creating playful opportunities for people of all ages and abilities is a fundamental component of active living. Building communities that integrate movement into daily routines and facilitate active travel, recreation, inclusion, and sport can make it easier for people to play every day.

It’s fitting that the conference will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, an emerging active community that seeks to be the first National Park City in the United States – a place, a vision, and a city-wide community that is acting together to make life better for people, places, and nature. A defining feature is the widespread commitment to act so people, culture, and nature work together to provide a better foundation for healthy living. It is long-term, large-scale, hyperlocal, personal, and intergenerational. Consequently, it is an ideal place for us to convene, share best practices and learning, and cascade that knowledge within our respective spheres of impact.

While we know creating spaces that encourage physically active behaviors is important, evidence shows that there are persistent inequities in access, availability, quality of facilities, and programming. All communities need access to health-promoting spaces and resources to close gaps that disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color. Play, in its most inclusive definition, is often spontaneous behavior that simultaneously provides mental and physical health benefits to the player in a way that feels like fun, not work. By focusing on play as a catalyst to physical activity in public spaces, we can help prevent disease, promote health, build community capital, and ensure more equitable, inclusive communities.

The Active Living Conference will highlight research, policies, and practices through a series of panels, presentation sessions, public gathering, idea sharing, and, yes, playful experiences in the field to highlight examples in action. The information shared at the 2024 Active Living Conference will help active living researchers and practitioners from transdisciplinary fields broaden our understanding and address the barriers to improving health outcomes, eliminate disparities, provide accessible public spaces, and make active lifestyles achievable for all.

Call for Presentation Proposals

The Call for Presentation Proposals includes submission categories for research and practice/policy to ensure that the program includes presentations and lessons learned from organizations and advocates that are implementing evidence-based active living policies and strategies in communities across the globe. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm PT on Friday, December 1, 2023.

Just Released!

The Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living has just released Active Living Special Issue #1 (Vol. 3 No. 1).  Hot off the presses on August 28, 2023, this issue covers research and commentaries from the 2023 Active Living Conference in Bethesda, MD.  Click Here to view it.

Registration

Registration will open no later than December 1, 2023. The early-booking deadline is Monday, February 5, 2024.

• Earlybird Standard Delegate – $499
• Earlybird Student Delegate – $299
• Non-Profit Organizations – $449
• Standard Delegate (after February 5^th) – $599
• Standard Student (after February 5^th) – $329

The registration fee includes:

• All conference sessions
• Access to conference materials, including the Whova conference app
• Networking and poster reception
• Lunch as scheduled in the conference program

Refund Policy

If you find it necessary to cancel the registration completely, please notify us immediately. Cancellations must be submitted in writing to Amanda Walker  and received by February 13, 2023, in order to receive a refund less a processing fee of $25. No refunds will be granted for cancellations received after this date. Substitutions may be made at any time but please advise the conference organizers of a change of name as soon as possible.

Hotel Reservation Information

To ensure you have a comfortable and convenient stay during the conference, we have arranged a special group rate with The Westin Chattanooga.

Rate: $164 USD per night plus government taxes and fees (17.25%)
Last Day to Book: Thursday, February 29, 2024

To book your stay at The Westin Chattanooga at the special group rate, please follow the instructions below:

1. Click this Reservation Link
2. Select Your Dates: Choose your check-in and check-out dates within the event duration (March 24 – March 29, 2024).
3. Complete Your Reservation: Fill in your personal information, payment details, and any specific preferences you might have for your stay.

If you encounter any difficulties or have questions regarding the reservation process or the event, please do not hesitate to reach out to our convening coordinator for assistance. 

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ADVOCATE LEVEL SPONSORS: