2026 Great Lakes Beach Association

National Beach Summit

Traverse City, Michigan

Oct 27-30 2026

REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST!

Join us Oct 27-30 in Traverse City, Michigan for the 24th Annual Great Lakes Beach Association (GLBA) meeting. The National Beach Summit will be held in at the Hagerty Center at Northwestern Michigan College.

Abstracts for posters and presentations are now being accepted - submission details below

Questions? Contact Dr. Shannon Briggs (BRIGGSS4@michigan.gov)

Call for presentation and poster abstracts

The submission deadline for presentations, posters, and student posters is 3 May 2026.

Presentation Abstract Submission Guidelines

Abstract Title: Limited to 12 words.
Abstract Length: Limited to 300 words.

Presentations should be at 20 to 30 minutes in length. Longer presentations should be submitted as two separate presentations of equal length (e.g., Part 1 and Part 2).

Topic Areas

Please review the following topics to consider the category where your presentation would best fit. Authors may suggest additional topics that are not on the list, but they must fit a general topic area related to sustainability:

Policy, Water Quality Standards, and New Alternative Methods
Laboratory Technologies/Rapid Detection Methods
Harmful Algal Blooms
Pollution Mitigation Strategies and Case Studies
Microbial Source Tracking and Risk-Based Decision Making
Beach Safety, Dangerous Currents, and Beach Notification Systems
Trash Mitigation and Microplastics
Community Science
Indigenous-led monitoring and Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Public Engagement and Communications
Predictive modelling
Coastal Resilience
Data stories: Lessons learned from years of monitoring

Presenters of selected abstracts should expect to be contacted in June 2026. Selected presenters will receive a discounted rate to attend the full conference.

Poster details

Posters should be no larger than 36” x 36”.

Easels will be provided at the venue; Presenters will also be provided poster board or backing (such as a cork board or foam board) to display their poster securely if needed.

Submit your abstract here

Registration

Registration opens in August 2026

Accommodation

Delamar Hotel Traverse City

Location: 615 E Front St., Traverse City, MI 49686

Group room rates: To secure the GLBA group room rate book before Oct 2, 2026

Group Code: National Beach Summit

$139.00 USD/Night approx

Phone: +1 231-947-3700

Advise agent of Group Discount: Group Code: National Beach Summit

Web: Delamar Traverse City

National Beach Summit location

Location: Hagerty Center At Northwestern Michigan College

Web: https://www.hagertycenter.com/

Address: 715 East Front Street, Traverse City, MI, USA

Getting to Traverse City

Nearest Airport — Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), Traverse City

Cherry Capital Airport is located right in Traverse City, approximately 5 miles / 8 km from the Hagerty Center — about a 10–15 minute drive by rental car or rideshare.

Other Nearby Airports

Detroit Metro (DTW): Approx. 235 miles / 378 km away — about 3 hrs 30 min to 4 hrs by car. Direct regional flights to TVC are also available from DTW (approx. 1 hr flight).
Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International (GRR): Approx. 145 miles / 233 km away — about 2 hrs 15 min by car.
Chicago O'Hare (ORD): Approx. 330 miles / 531 km away — about 4 hrs 45 min to 5 hrs by car. Regional connecting flights to TVC may also be available.
Pellston Regional Airport (PLN): Approx. 70 miles / 113 km away — about 1 hour by car. Smaller airport with limited service.