By: Lori Cochran, MS, CCC-SLP, Vice President-Elect for Educational and Scientific Affairs

Each year, the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) Annual Convention stands as the largest gathering of speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and students in the state. For attendees, the TSHA Convention experience feels seamless. Sessions flow smoothly with inspiring content, exhibitors are ready to greet attendees, students connect with mentors, and colleagues from across Texas reunite. What many attendees don’t see is the extensive and detailed planning that begins a year before anyone steps foot into the convention center.

Working as a Team
At the heart of Convention are TSHA’s volunteers. Committee chairs, submission reviewers, and Convention planners begin work as soon as the prior year’s event concludes. One of the earliest and most critical tasks is the Call for Papers. Each year, TSHA receives hundreds of submissions from clinicians, researchers, and educators eager to share their expertise. Volunteer reviewers carefully evaluate each proposal, considering quality, relevance, and the potential value to attendees.

Shaping the educational program at the TSHA Convention is exciting but also presents some challenges. The Convention Programming Committee must juggle competing priorities to do our best in meeting the needs of all attendees.

• Balancing Session Topics. The committee attempts to make sure audiology, school-based practice, medical-based practice, and all specialty areas are represented as well as covering a variety of professional issues that may not fall into clinical categories.
• Identifying Gaps in Content. As a team, we identify areas where clinical content is underrepresented. We are often able to secure engaging, nationally recognized invited speakers to cover these content gaps, but we do have to work within a limited budget.
• Developing the Program Grid. Working with our state office, the committee slots each educational session into different rooms, accounting for anticipated attendance.

This balancing act requires countless hours of discussion, revisions, and tough decisions. Our end goal is to deliver a program that reflects the diversity of the professions and delivers value to every attendee.

Enhancing the Attendee Experience
While the educational program forms the backbone of Convention, much of the work behind the scenes is focused on enhancing the overall attendee experience. Volunteers collaborate closely with TSHA’s professional management company to coordinate the many moving parts that make Convention possible. This includes registration systems, hotel accommodations, exhibitor and sponsor coordination, and technology support.

In recent years, particular emphasis has been placed on creating opportunities for early career professionals and first-time speakers so they feel welcome and supported at Convention. This year we also look to enhance opportunities for all attendees by organizing educational content and networking activities within our new Learning Pathways. You can look forward to meeting with old friends and connecting with new ones, attending oral sessions and posters, and engaging in networking activities, all with colleagues who share similar professional interests and experiences.

It Takes a Village
The TSHA Convention doesn’t happen because of one person or even one team. It’s the result of months of collaborationamong volunteers, committee members, speakers, exhibitors, and staff. While the work is complex, it’s also deeply rewarding. Every detail comes together to create an event that strengthens our community, fosters professional growth, and celebrates the work we do as speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

When you walk into the Fort Worth Convention Center in February and feel the energy in the room, remember that behind every session, every event, and every conversation, there are countless volunteers and staff who have spent months making it possible. We can’t wait to see you there!