Conference At-a-Glance
Queen City Connections: Charlotte 2026
WEDNESDAY, April 29
12:00-5:00pm
Registration Open
1:00-1:15pm
Conference Welcome
1:30-2:15pm
NC A-list Mixer
TBD
Employer Visits
2:00-4:00pm
Employer Expo
4:15-5:15pm
Roundtables
- Quantify What Matters: Using Evidence to Protect and Prove Your Work
- Internship Insights: What Employers and Faculty Need to Know
- AI implementation in Career Services: A Roundtable Discussion
- From Meeting Rooms to Modules: Enhancing Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities via Canvas
- Finding the Sweet Spot: Using AI to Help Students Integrate Career Assessments & Research Careers
- Reimagining the Role of Your Student Career Coaches
- Beyond Branding: Centering Equity and Empowerment in LinkedIn Education
- Start with the Stats: Turning Hiring Data into Meaningful Campus Engagement
- No More Bored-Rooms: Creative & Boutique Campus Engagement for Employers & Career Services
- From Rookie to MVP: Building and Assessing Competencies through Co-op
- Beyond the Walls: Connecting Students with Alumni and Employers Beyond the Walls of a University's Boundary
- Creating Connected Leaders: The Presidents’ Roundtable Model and Its Adaptation Across Universities
- From Growth to Grounded: Designing a Scalable Employer Engagement Model Through Relationship Mapping
- The Power of Career Champions: Elevating Student Success
- Gate 301 Professional Life - The Redesign
- Bridging Academia and Practice: Collaborative Professional Development in Experiential Learning
6:00-8:00pm
Social Activity at Armored Cow/Dinner on Own
9:00pm
Hospitality Suite Opens
Thursday, April 30
7:00-8:00am
Morning Walk
7:30-9:00am
Registration Open
8:00-9:00AM
Breakfast
Mentor Program Meets Ups
9:00-10:30am
Fireside Chat/Opening Session
"Building the Future of Early Talent Together"
Panelists: Lindsay Joyner, Truist | Dana Hutchens, Wake Forest University | Alex Novell, Ally | Solange Tricanowicz, EDPNC | Patrick Madsen, UNC Charlotte (moderator)
10:45-11:45am
Breakout Session #1*
- Beyond Recruitment: Building Multi-Dimensional Campus-Employer Ecosystem
- Career Collaborative Training Model: Empowering Faculty & Staff to Advance Student Career Readiness
- Bridging the Rural Divide: Internship Models for Experiential Learning in Rural NC
- Building Bridges: Forging Community Partnerships for Workforce Success
- Progress Without Panic: Teaching Career Decision-Making Around Pivots, Tunnel Vision, and Endless Options
12:00-1:30pm
Lunch, NCACE Business Meeting, Awards
1:45-2:45pm
Breakout Session #2*
- Swipe Right for Talent: AI in Early Careers
- Humor, Science, and Clear Communication for Leaders
- Building Community Through Connection: The Impact of Mentor Meetups
- Building a Foundation for Scale: Implementing the Career Ecosystem Model
- The 80% Open Rate Secret: Nurturing Student Engagement Through Strategic Email Campaigns
3:00-4:00pm
Breakout Session #3*
- Out of the Forest: Re-orientation for Seniors Toward Life After Wake
- Employer Feud: It’s Not You, It’s the Career Fair!
- Mentorship to Pipeline: Launching Careers Through Strategic Partnerships
- Smoothing the Path: Making Internships More Accessible for Every Student
- Connecting Students, Institutions, and Employers Through Strategic Career Planning
4:15-5:15pm
Community, Impact and Engagement Mixer
5:30-7:30pm
Networking Dinners/Dinner on Your Own
7:30-9:30pm
President's Reception
9:30pm
Hospitality Suite Opens
Friday, May 1
8:30-9:30am
Breakfast
Directors/Employer Meets Ups
9:30-10:30am
Keynote Session with Veris Insights
11:00-11:30am
Networking
11:30am-12:00pm
Conference Closing + 2027 Conference Site Reveal
**note hotel check-in and check-out time is 4:00PM and 12:00PM respectively
***Full conference details to be released in February