Looking Back, Moving Forward: The Evolution of the TNOTA Annual Conference
By Valery Hanks, OTR/L - TNOTA Vice-President and Conference Committee Chair
TNOTA has hosted its annual conference each fall for as long as I have been a member. Over the past ten years, my involvement with conference planning has steadily increased—beginning as a Conference Committee member, then as an elected Board member, and for the past four years as Vice-President of TNOTA, a role in which I chair the Conference Committee. These positions have afforded me valuable insight into the evolution of our annual conference and the significant growth our organization has achieved.
From 2015 through 2019, TNOTA hosted robust conferences at a variety of venues, typically at state universities or hotels. During this period, attendance grew steadily, and we expanded our statewide reach by rotating conference locations geographically. We offered a diverse array of topics presented by skilled, highly regarded speakers, which contributed to a growing sense of excitement and engagement within the organization. In 2019, this momentum culminated in a particularly notable achievement when the AOTA President served as our keynote speaker!
In 2020, as we all experienced firsthand, the landscape changed dramatically. Rather than cancel the conference, TNOTA demonstrated resilience and innovation by successfully transitioning to a fully virtual format. We delivered a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions across the weekend, ensuring continued professional development opportunities for our members despite the challenges presented by COVID-19.
In 2021, TNOTA returned to an in-person conference in Nashville. Although attendance was modest, the conference was a meaningful success and marked an important step toward reestablishing our annual tradition
Attendance rebounded further in 2022 when the conference was held at the Lichterman Nature Center in Memphis. This unique venue provided an engaging setting where practitioners and students could enjoy scenic surroundings while participating in insightful and relevant educational sessions.
In 2023, TNOTA partnered with APTA to host a joint OT-PT conference in Chattanooga. This milestone event emphasized interprofessional collaboration and was well received by both disciplines. It strengthened our partnership with APTA and highlighted the value of interdisciplinary practice.
We returned to the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville in 2024 with sessions focused on the historical foundation of OT. Attendance this year exceeded 250, our highest conference attendance to date.
The following spring TNOTA earned the “Thinking Outside the Box” Award in recognition for our innovative work in facilitating student engagement over the past year which included hosting the first-ever Student Lounge at the annual TNOTA Conference in 2024. This was the second year in a row that TNOTA won this award; in 2024, the award was received in recognition of TNOTA’s efforts to host the first-ever joint OT-PT conference.
Our 2025 conference was held in Jackson and did west Tennessee show up to support our organization. This conference was a huge success with innovative topics and unique practitioners sharing their knowledge.
Our keynote panel was especially engaging with all 5 practitioners discussing the unconventional area of OT they practice.
Looking ahead, the 2026 TNOTA Conference promises to be another outstanding event. This year’s theme, Finding Our Rhythm: OT in a Changing World, is poised to inspire dynamic presentations and thought-provoking discussions. Plus, if you need to fulfill your Ethics and Jurisprudence or Suicide Awareness requirement for licensure, both will be offered as part of pre-conference. Save the date –September 18 to 20, 2026– and watch for Early Bird Registration opening this summer. We are looking forward to seeing you there.
