A draft schedule of this year’s conference can be found here. Please note that this schedule is not final and is subject to change. A schedule with detailed session information should be available by early August.

This year’s theme, “Care. Community. Connection.” beautifully encapsulates our shared commitment to creating a space of joy, learning, and rejuvenation for survivors of domestic violence and all those working to end relationship abuse.

No, all sessions will be held in-person in Kansas City, MO. There will not be an option to attend remotely.

Yes, registration is required to attend. All attendees must register online prior to 11:59 pm ET on October 10, 2025. There will not be any option to register onsite. Only paid attendees will be permitted to attend conference events, including all sessions, meals, and the Dance Party. Unpaid guests without a registration badge will not be allowed into the conference spaces.

This conference is designed for:

• Survivors who are passionate to create change and de-stigmatize domestic violence
• Advocates, allies, and leaders working to shift power back to survivors
• Stakeholders, legislators, and staffers working to create policy and funding to best support survivors
• Community and corporate leaders dedicated to creating safe and healthy relationships

We are expecting over 800 individuals to attend this year!

Your ticket includes all conference sessions and some meals. Breakfast will be provided on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Lunch is provided on all three days of the conference. The Monday and Tuesday evening receptions at the conference will offer hors d’oeuvres/heavy appetizers, but not a seated dinner. Your ticket does not include flights to/from the conference, or your hotel stay.

Invoice requests can be sent to [email protected]. In your request, please specify:

1. The name of your organization (if applicable)
2. The contact person(s) for your organization, with mailing and email address
3. The name(s) of all attendees

Checks can be made payable to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and sent to: PO Box 90249, Austin, TX 78709. Please include “2025 Conference Registration” in the check memo and be sure to share your contact information. Once payment is received, you will be sent a voucher code to apply for your online registration.

A receipt was sent to the email address provided for each registrant. If you did not receive this email, be sure to check your spam and junk folders. If you still need assistance obtaining a receipt, please email [email protected].

• You can make changes to your registration, including cancelation, on our registration website. Please click “Already Registered?” and enter your confirmation number or click the link from your confirmation email.
• If you can no longer attend but would like someone else to attend in your place, please contact [email protected] to process the substitution.
• You may cancel before 11:59 pm CT on Friday, September 12 for a partial refund, less a $175 cancelation fee per registration canceled. Refunds will be issued to the method of payment used at registration. We are not able to issue refunds after the September 12 deadline.
• View our full cancellation policy here.

You will be asked to note any accommodation requests during the online registration process. If you have accessibility requests related to your hotel stay, please coordinate with your hotel directly.

If you did not receive a confirmation email and receipt to the email address used to register, please check your spam and junk folders. If you are still unable to find it, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

Please visit our Community Membership page to learn more about membership and to sign up.

We have secured a block of discounted rate rooms for conference attendees at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Be sure to book your hotel soon for best availability!

To reserve your room online, please visit our conference hotel booking link.

To reserve over the phone, please call Marriott Central Reservations at 1-888-236-2427 and reference “National Domestic Violence Conference.” Please confirm that the rate you are quoted matches the rate in the online booking link to ensure you are in the correct block. Note that Marriott Reservations will never ask you to prepay or tell you that the cost is non-refundable. If you receive that information, you may be booking through a third party.

We expect our conference programming to begin at 11:00 am CT on Monday, October 27 and wrap up around 4:30 pm CT on Wednesday, October 29. We recommend arriving by Monday morning and planning to leave Wednesday evening.

Paid parking will be available onsite.

You can find everything you need to know about the 2025 National Conference on Domestic Violence in the conference app!  With the app, you can find your schedule, relevant updates, times, locations, maps of the facility, surveys, and more.

An email with app access instructions will be sent to all registered attendees a few weeks before the conference. Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox for more information!

Yes, registering for breakout sessions in advance will help us ensure we have everything you need during that session. This includes materials, seating, and setup or accessibility requirements.

Absolutely. However, we recommend registering early since seats fill up quickly, and priority will be given to those who have pre-registered. We want you to enjoy the conference without interruptions. By registering ahead of time for a session, we can ensure we have everything you need.

Not all presenters give permission to share their slides outside of their session(s), but we will share for the ones that do.

• If you plan to use the official conference app, you will need a smartphone or tablet along with access to the email address you used when registering for the conference.
• Some attendees like to bring their laptop to take notes, while others prefer a notebook and pen. It’s up to you!

No, recordings of sessions are not permitted.

If you find yourself in crisis or in need of emotional support during the conference, please visit the registration desk during conference hours to be connected to an on-site advocate. For support outside conference hours, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, text “START” to 88788, or chat with an advocate at thehotline.org.

We encourage all attendees to make their own choices for their health and safety, and we ask that you respect the choices of others. This is an in-person conference, so please distance or mask as you feel comfortable and appropriate. A small number of masks and COVID tests will be available onsite, but if you plan to mask for all days and events, we ask that you bring your own. If you are feeling sick at the conference, we will have a limited number of COVID tests for use at registration.

Yes, there will be a private nursing room with a refrigerator.

Information on criteria for session proposals and the link to submit can be found here. Sessions must be submitted by Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 11:00 pm CT.

No, The Hotline welcomes submissions from all those interested in presenting at the conference, including non-members.

Speakers will be notified of a decision if selected in mid-July.

Yes, approved speakers must register themselves for the conference and will receive a discounted conference registration of $499. Speakers are responsible for travel and lodging costs.

We ask that you limit your co-presenters to no more than 3 additional presenters to manage the limited 75-minute time period.

Please reach out to [email protected] for assistance.

Scholarship applicants will be asked to submit an online application with several short-answer responses.

Applications will open Thursday, June 5 and close Wednesday, June 18.

Be sure you are subscribed to our conference email list to receive first access to the application link!

Scholarship recipients will be notified in late July.

• National Scholarship recipients will receive one (1) complimentary full conference registration, as well as a travel and lodging stipend to cover travel, hotel, and non-conference meal costs. Attendee is responsible for booking their own travel and hotel accommodations.
• Local Scholarship recipients will receive one (1) complimentary full conference registration. This scholarship is open to Kansas City area residents only, and does not cover any travel, hotel, or meal costs.

Yes, there is no limitation to being awarded a scholarship for multiple annual conferences.

Please reach out to [email protected] for assistance.

We have a variety of opportunities available! Please check out our sponsorship packet for more details.

Please reach out to [email protected] for assistance.