2026 Forum Lottery and Registration

For over two decades, the Chesapeake Watershed Forum has inspired practitioners around the watershed. Our community has grown so passionate that our traditional “first-come, first-served” registration consistently sells out within hours. 

As host of this annual event, the Alliance has introduced measures to the registration process in order to ensure key audiences are represented and increase accessibility of this event. These measures include registration holds for specific audiences, early registration for speakers, and daily capped registration windows. While these measures led to some improvements in end-user experience, we continue to receive negative feedback and frustration from prospective Forum attendees over the registration process. We are trying a lottery system in 2026 to attempt to address these ongoing issues.

The purpose for the lottery system is as follows:

• Maximize the number of Forum attendees. By collecting interest for specific registration types prior to registration opening, we can maximize the number of attendees.
• Make the Forum more accessible to all interested parties.
• Streamline the registration process for a more seamless experience. By collecting demand before opening registration, the Alliance will now more accurately communicate registration availability. The week registration period also introduces new flexibility for prospective attendees.

Planning team members, sponsors, session and poster presenters, key Alliance staff, and select Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps members are exempt from the lottery. 

All other interested parties should submit a lottery application for the Forum. We encourage individuals who submitted or will submit a session or poster proposal to still complete a lottery application in case their proposal is not selected for the Forum.

Once your lottery application is complete, you will receive a confirmation email immediately following submission. All lottery applicants will receive an email on Monday, August 24, which will provide an overview of the 2026 Registration Process. Starting the week of August 31, randomly selected applicants will receive a registration code and a specific registration week. 

Selected individuals have one week to formally register. Second and final notification rounds are scheduled for September 8 and September 15, if spots are still available. We will notify all waitlisted applicants by September 21.

Initial notifications will be sent to lottery applicants via email on August 31. Recipients will have one week to complete their registration. 

A second round of notifications will occur on September 7. If any spots still remain, a final round of notifications will be sent on September 14.

You may elect to be placed on a waitlist when completing your lottery application. All waitlisted applicants will be notified by September 21. Waitlisted applicants will be drawn at random as registrations become available. The waitlist is for lottery applicants only. The waitlist will close on Thursday, October 29.

If you miss your designated registration week, your name will be returned to the general lottery. Should extenuating circumstances prevent you from registering, you must contact the Forum organizers immediately.

You may submit an application on their behalf, entering their name, if known, or title. Include contact information for yourself or the new employee (if already known) to ensure you/they receive follow-up communication related to registration.

Organizations that wish to send multiple employees to the Forum must have each employee submit an individual lottery application. A cap of six employees per organization will be enforced in each drawing round.

You may transfer your spot to another person. Notify the Forum Registrar by emailing chesapeakeforum@allianceforthebay.org by Thursday of your assigned lottery registration week. Existing registrations may be transferred to other individuals up until the first day of the Forum.

There is no guarantee that your first choice for registration will be available by the time you are selected to register. If you are selected to register, the Alliance will notify you of specific availability so you can decide how to proceed with your registration.

If you know your roommate’s name, please list it in your lottery application. All general attendees should submit an application to the lottery. If one person is selected, then the other person in a shared room will be invited to register. Please note, there are a limited quantity of double rooms available at the National Conservation Training Center.

The schedule and session descriptions for the 2026 Forum will be released in August 2026 prior to opening of registration.

Yes, the Alliance offers a limited number of scholarships for the 2026 Chesapeake Watershed Forum. Scholarships cover registration, lodging, and meals. 

All attendees ages 18 and over must provide an approved form of government identification to enter campus. A REAL ID, U.S. Passport, or U.S. Visa are accepted forms of identification. A standard driver’s license is no longer an acceptable form of identification to grant access to the National Conservation Training Center.

Please contact Jenny McGarvey at jmcgarvey@allianceforthebay.org or 804-977-1657. 

In-person registration closes Friday, September 20, 2026, 5 PM EST or when we sell out, whichever comes first.

We reserve one of the four lodges at NCTC for attendees who prefer to stay up late to network and hang out in the lounge. We do our best to assign only those individuals who sign up for the Night Owl option to the relevant lodge; however, due to limited capacity on Friday night, we make no guarantees.

Sorry, no walk-ins are permitted. The National Conservation Training Center is a federally secured facility. You must be registered in order to gain entry to campus.

Non-Forum attendees are discouraged from being onsite at NCTC. If you need to bring with you a guest such as a family member, caregiver, or significant other in order to attend, please contact Jenny McGarvey at jmcgarvey@allianceforthebay.org or 804-977-1657.

Only certified service animals are allowed on the NCTC campus. Please indicate at registration if you will be bringing your service animal with you. Security at NCTC may request documentation of certification. If it is a pet, security will not allow you through the gate and will ask you to house the pet at a local kennel.

All cancellations made at least two weeks prior to the Forum start date receive a full refund. In most cases, no refunds – full or partial – will be granted for cancellations made less than two weeks prior to the Forum start date. Forum fees can be transferred to another person up to the Forum start date.

Checks should be written out to the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and mailed to 151 West Street, Suite 101, Annapolis, MD 21401. Please include with check, the name(s) on the registration.