Looking Ahead, Together: Navigating the Future of Dispute Resolution
VMN is hosting our 2026 Fall Conference on September 25 & 26 (in-person) at the DoubleTree by Hilton Virginia Beach in Virginia Beach & September 28 - October 2 (virtual).
Conference Details
September 25 - 26 In-Person
September 28 - October 2 Virtual via MobileUp
*Early bird registration ends Friday, August 14.
On Friday, September 25 from 3:30-5:00pm, there will be a 1.5-hour Ethics presentation followed by a light reception and keynote address by Dean Alpaslan Özerdem of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University.
Following the reception on Friday evening, attendees are offered the opportunity to join fellow attendees and VMN Board members at various restaurants in Virginia Beach for a dine-around. This is a pay-your-own way dinner at one of many local restaurants. You can rsvp for the dine-around to be included in a future request to sign-up for a restaurant of choice.
On Saturday, September 26 we will offer a full day of conference presentations. Our Annual Meeting will take place during lunch on September 26. In addition to lunch, we will provide a continental breakfast prior to the first sessions on Saturday and coffee service during the day.
Note: Guest registration only covers the Friday evening Keynote & Reception. It does not include breakfast or the Annual Meeting lunch. If you only plan to attend the Keynote and Reception, and no other conference sessions, please purchase a stand-alone ticket for the Keynote & Reception.
The remainder of the conference, from September 28 - October 2, will be virtual, with 3 virtual sessions per day.
We will offer CMEs for most conference sessions and hours of approved MCLEs for Virginia attorneys. (Please note the schedule is subject to change. The agenda will be regularly updated with more information regarding CME/MCLE credits.)
Click HERE for conference information, including the agenda and a link to make a reservation at the conference hotel at the special rate of $119 + taxes & $6 parking.
The last day for regular registration is Friday, September 25, 2026.
Sponsorship and/or Exhibiting is a powerful way to support Virginia’s ADR community, showcase your commitment to peaceful conflict resolution, and connect with mediators and leaders from across the Commonwealth. Whether you’re an individual or representing a business, we have sponsorship and exhibitor options to fit your goals. You can download a Sponsorship Form here or an Exhibitor Form here.
Please note:
- The conference registration fee covers both the in-person and virtual portions of the conference.
- The Keynote, Annual Meeting, and in-person presentations will NOT be livestreamed or recorded. For most virtual sessions, we plan to offer recordings for viewing post-conference.
- We will NOT offer printed hardcopies of conference handouts for the in-person portion of the conference. All handouts will be provided via Whova, and registrants will be able to download and print handouts for the in-person sessions from Whova in advance to bring with them the day of the conference.
Cancellation policy: A full refund (minus $25 processing fee) is available for written requests received by Tuesday, August 25, 2026. After that date, we are unable to offer refunds for cancellations or no shows due to contractual obligations we have with the conference hotel and their vendors. To request a refund, please contact us in writing with your name and reason for cancellation at virginiamediationnetwork@gmail.com.
We appreciate your understanding and support, and look forward to welcoming you in September!
Disclaimer as to Presentations and Materials at VMN Conference: While the Virginia Mediation Network strives to make the information presented at our conference as informative, neutral, accurate and timely as possible, VMN makes no endorsement of, promises about, guarantees or opinions related to the accuracy, adequacy or protected ownership of the contents of the presentations. Any opinions expressed by a presenter, whether or not a member of VMN, shall not be considered the opinion of the organization itself. Reference to any specific commercial product, process or service, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the attendees, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Virginia Mediation Network.
Please note that we may post photographs taken at our event on our website. Please contact virginiamediationnetwork@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
