2026 National Conference

Join us in celebrating the 40th anniversary of CERT at the 2026 National CERT Conference. The conference will take place in Irvine, California from August 24 - 29, 2026. This year's theme, "Stronger Communities Start Here" plays homage to CERT's roots and the foundation of resiliency that CERT plays in its communities across the country. Join us for three full days of pre-conference training and two and a half days of continued learning and breakout sessions.

Schedule:

  • Pre-Conference: August 24 - 26, 2026
  • Main-Conference: August 27 - 29, 2026


Register for the Conference

Conference Registration Rates

Conference registration is now open. Early Bird Registration rates available until May 1, 2026. 

Group Conference Rates

Unfortunately, due to an issue with our registration system, group registration is not available. Programs will need to register each person individually. 


Staff Conference Rates

Conference rates for NCA members who are paid staff working with CERT:

Staff Conference RatesBefore 5/1/26After 5/1/26
NCA Member General Registration $525$575
NCA Member General Registration including Pre-Conference$600$650




Volunteer Conference Rates

Special discounted rates are available to NCA members  who are CERT volunteers and are paying their own way to attend conference. See the discounted rates below:

Volunteer Conference RatesBefore 5/1/26After 5/1/26
NCA Member General Registration $395$445
NCA Member General Registration including Pre-Conference$470$520

Other Conference Rates

Special rates for other types of conference registrations. Non-NCA Members will not have the ability to take Pre-Conference Training.

Other Conference RatesBefore 5/1/26After 5/1/26
Non-NCA Member Registration $700$700
Exhibitor Only Registration - Support Staff$295$295
  

Cancellation/Refund Policy

No refunds will be issued for any cancellations received after July 27, 2026. Substitutions are allowed and must be submitted in writing prior to the start of the conference.



Conference Agenda

This year, the conference is composed of seven (7) different tracks. These tracks are designed to help attendees decide what breakout sessions may apply best to meet their needs. Attendees do not need to choose a track; they can still choose to attend breakout sessions that are of interest to them. The conference tracks are:

  • New Program Manager: presentations and trainings that will assist persons new to the CERT Program Manager role.
  • Advanced Program Manager: presentations and trainings that will assist persons who have years of experience in the CERT Program Manager role and are looking to build new skills or enhance their existing programs.
  • Hands On Activities: new ways to teach and learn CERT preparedness skills and decision-making.
  • Community Resilience & Innovation:  This track explores unique ways CERT volunteers can expand community resilience through outreach, collaborations, and strategic partnerships. 
  • Campus: designed to help those who have or are interested in starting a campus and/or teen CERT program expand and enhance their programs.
  • Multicultural: This track looks at ways CERT programs can expand the reach of their programs and improve inclusiveness.
  • Workplace: This track brings into focus efforts companies take to improve resiliency and reduce customer impacts. 
Please see below for the Conference Agenda. We are committed to providing an engaging and informative conference experience. As with any live event, the schedule may occasionally change due to speaker availability or other unforeseen circumstances. Please check the agenda regularly for the latest updates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

See below for additional information about the conference.