Presentation Formats

   1.   Oral Session Presentations (each session will be a total of 90 minutes)

       Applicants must select one of the following formats:
 

A.   Oral Presentation Paired with Others

• 15–20-minute presentation with slides

• Sessions are limited to 1 presenter per presentation 

• Conference organizers will group 3–4 like presentations into a shared session

• A 15-minute Q&A will take place at the end of the session

• Abstracts must include:

  • Goals and rationale

  • Methods or approach

  • Results or findings

  • Conclusions and implications for policy or practice

 

B. Panel Presentation

• A 90-minute moderated panel organized by a lead presenter

• Sessions are limited to 4 presenters: 3 speakers and a moderator 

• Focused on a cohesive set of related perspectives or findings

• Q&A will occur at the end of the session

• Abstracts must include:

  • Goals and rationale for the panel

  • Description of panel structure and approach

  • Key findings or central themes

  • Anticipated conclusions or key takeaways

• Learning Objectives: 

  • Minimum of 3, maximum of 5

  • Short and concise

  • Use action verbs that are measurable, such as define, apply, identify, etc.

  • Avoid passive words such as… appreciate, approach, explore, grow, know, learn, or understand

 

C.   Interactive Workshop

• A skills-based, participatory 90-minute session

• Sessions are limited to 4 presenters, 3 speakers and a moderator 

• At least 50% of session time must involve interactive or hands-on activities

• Abstracts must include:

  • Goals and rationale

  • Session outline and components

  • Strategies to ensure active participant engagement

• Learning Objectives: 

  • Minimum of 3, maximum of 5

  • Short and concise

  • Use action verbs that are measurable, such as define, apply, identify, etc.

  • Avoid passive words such as… appreciate, approach, explore, grow, know, learn, or understand
     

   2. Poster Presentations

• Posters should highlight research, policy, or practice-based prevention strategies. 

• Posters should incorporate visual elements (e.g., charts, diagrams, photographs) use minimal text and encourage discussion with attendees.

• Note: Audiovisual or special equipment is not available for poster sessions.

Who Should Submit?

We encourage proposals from:

• Advocates and educators

• Civic and government leaders

• Community coalition leaders and members

• Evaluators and prevention specialists

• Faith-based leaders

• Individuals with lived experience

• Law enforcement and alcohol regulators

• Pre- and post-doctoral students

• Public health, safety, and regulatory professionals

• Researchers and scientists

• Treatment and recovery leaders

Conflicts of Interest

•    Presenters must have no conflicts of interest, including funding from the alcoholic beverage industry.

 

 Required Proposal Elements

• Presenter(s) contact information (name, affiliation, email, mailing address). Note that contact information will NOT be shared publicly

• Presentation title (do not begin with “The” or end with a period)

• Presentation Abstract)

• Learning Objectives

• Short Bio for each presenter

• Conflict of interest attestation

• CV/Resume

• Citation of similar recent conference presentations, if applicable

• Key source references supporting the evidence or policy claims; references should be listed at the bottom of the poster.

Please Note: Only presenters who will attend and actively present should be listed. Bios for co-authors who will not attend/be present for the session will not be accepted.

 

 Title Guidelines

 The primary purpose of a session title is to attract the reader.

· The presentation title should show that the session will be useful to the attendee.

· Impart to the reader a sense of urgency. (i.e., why they need this information now.)

· Convey that the main benefit of your session is unique, not information that is readily available elsewhere.

· Avoid overly glitzy or inauthentic titles, such as "The Secret Magic of Policy" or "Cry Me a River About Regulatory Changes." 
 

 Abstract Guidelines

Each session abstract should be a short description that will be published on the conference website and in conference materials.
 

• Your abstract should be a minimum of 4 sentences. A single paragraph; not too brief nor too lengthy. Maximum length: 250 words

• You should strive to tell attendees what they will learn from your session, but the abstract should include different information than the learning objectives. 

• Avoid referring to specific people or organizations by name.

• Avoid using the passive voice. (Passive voice example: A new model was implemented. Active voice example: The department implemented a new model.)

• Avoid exaggerated or lengthy commiseration (Example: In a difficult world of changing regulations, tightening budgets, less-motivated staff, challenging patients, and ever-increasing expectations of management to do more with less...)

• Use sentence case; capitalize only proper nouns

• Spell out acronyms at first use

• Exclude punctuation in academic degrees (e.g., PhD, MPA)

• Proofread, carefully accepted abstracts will appear in the program with minimal editing
   

 Learning Objective Guidelines
      Clear learning objectives should state what the learner will be able to do upon completing the session.

• Each objective should complete the sentence "At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to..."

• Objectives should start with an action verb, such as "define, identify, apply, differentiate, etc."

• Learning objectives should not start with words such as: appreciate, approach, become, believe, explore, grow, improve, increase, know, learn, think critically or understand. 

 

 Conference Registration and Costs

• Acceptance of a presentation does not include reimbursement of speaker expenses, including honoraria, travel, lodging, or other related costs.

• All presenters must register for the conference and are responsible for registration fees and travel expenses. Limited partial scholarships may be available, subject to funding availability.

 Audiovisual Support

Standard room setup includes:

• Projection screen

• LCD projector

• PC laptop

• Projection cart

• Requests for additional audiovisual equipment, including audio needs, must be indicated during submission and confirmed at least 10 days prior to the conference.
   

Post-Conference Materials Availability

Presentation materials may be shared on the AP2026 website at the presenter’s discretion. Materials will be posted by November 15, 2026, if provided.
 

 

Final Notes

By submitting a proposal, applicants acknowledge that acceptance is not guaranteed. The USAPA reserves the right to revise or edit session titles, abstracts, and/or learning objectives for marketing purposes; request modifications or additional information as part of the review process; assign final presentation formats and session placement; and combine or restructure proposals to ensure program balance, inclusivity, and maximum impact. Speaker substitutions or the addition of presenters not included in the original submission are not permitted without prior approval.