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Be Part of Our
10th Anniversary

Join us in Nashville for the 2026 Be Pro Be Proud National Conference, July 20–22, as we celebrate ten years of impact and look ahead to what’s next.

Nashville, Tennessee

July 20–22, 2026

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Be Pro Be Proud 10th Anniversary

Nashville, Tennessee

July 20–22, 2026

ACCESS ALL CONFERENECE RESOURCES

Event Itinerary

Monday

JULY

20

  • 11:30 - 1:00 PM

    Registration
    Outside the Manor Rooms

  • 12:00 PM

    Prospective States Only
    Depart for Offsite Meetings

  • 12:15 - 1:00 PM

    Prospective States Only:
    Mobile Workshop Tour
    Offsite

  • 1:00 - 1:15 PM

    Prospective States Only
    Board Shuttle to Meeting Space 
    Offsite

  • 1:15 - 4:00 PM

    Prospective States Only
    Who is Be Pro Be Proud
    Part 1 Interest to License Working Session 
    Part 2 License to Launch
    Launch +180
    Metrics
    Development
    Marketing/Comms
    Tour Experience 
    Offsite

  • 4:40 - 5:00 PM

    Travel to Venue for TN Welcome Reception
    * Transportation provided
    Buses

  • 5:00 - 7:00 PM

    Welcome Reception hosted by TN State Chamber and the BPBP TN Team
    Acme Feed and Seed
    101 Broadway, Nashville

  • 7:00 - 7:30 PM

    Travel Back to Hotel
    * Transportation provided
    Buses

  • 7:30 PM

    Guest Free Time/Explore Nashville

Tuesday

JULY

21

  • 7:30 - 8:30 AM

    Registration
    Outside the Manor Rooms
    Buffet Breakfast Available
    Manor Rooms

  • 8:30 - 9:45 AM

    Welcome Session
    The Great Room

  • 9:45 - 11:00 AM

    Group Session: BPBP Impact
    The Great Room 

  • 11:00 - 11:30 AM

    Break

  • 11:30 - 1:00 PM

    Emerging Tech and Technical Professions
    Lunch and Guest Speaker
    The Great Room

  • 1:00 - 1:15 PM

    Break

  • 1:15 - 2:15 PM

    Group Session: Partners & Pathways: Education, Employment & Enlistment
    Manor Rooms

  • 2:30 - 3:30 PM

    Breakout Sessions: Round 1
    - Public Funding Discussion
    - Programming Discussion
    The Great Room

  • 3:45 - 4:45 PM

    Breakout Sessions: Round 2
    - Policy Momentum Behind Technical Professions
    - Current State Marketing Deep Dive
    Manor Rooms

  • 4:45 - 5:30 PM

    Downtime

  • 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

    10 Year Anniversary Reception - Wine/Beer, TN Whiskey Tasting, Heavy Appetizers/Stations, Brief Remarks, and Entertainment
    Commons Club and Patio

  • 8:30 PM

    Guest Free Time/Explore Nashville at Night

Wednesday

JULY

22

  • 7:30 - 8:00 AM

    National Board Meeting
    Manor 3

  • 8:00 - 9:00 AM

    Buffet Breakfast Available
    Manor Rooms

  • 9:00 - 10:00 AM

    Group Session: Voices from the Tour
    The Great Room

  • 10:00 - 10:15 AM

    Break

  • 10:15 - 11:15 PM

    Breakout Sessions: Round 3
    - Peer Connection Sessions
    Manor Rooms

  • 11:15 - 11:30 PM

    Break

  • 11:30 - 1:00 PM

    From The Golden Spike to The Next Generation
    Lunch and Guest Speaker - Josh Perkes with Union Pacific
    The Great Room

  • 1:00 - 1:15 PM

    Break

  • 1:15 - 2:15 PM

    Breakout Sessions: Round 4
    - Strengthening the Be Pro Be Proud Brand
    - Programs
    Manor Rooms

  • 2:30 - 3:30 PM

    Breakout Sessions: Round 5
    - Building the Digital Foundation
    - Coalition Building
    Manor Rooms

  • 3:30 - 4:00 PM

    Closing Session: Programs and The Vision Ahead
    The Great Room

  • 4:00 PM

    Departure

BE PRO BE PROUD STATE TEAMS

Strengthen Your State’s Impact

Collaborate with fellow state teams, share best practices and explore new strategies to increase engagement with students, employers and policymakers. Discover new ways to connect to industry, education and workforce partners while strengthening awareness of technical professions in your state.

    Attend sessions focused on:

  • Student engagement strategies

  • Industry partnerships

  • Parent and educator outreach

  • Statewide coalition building

  • Workforce funding opportunities

Events BPBP State Teams

STATE AND NATIONAL LEADERS

Explore Workforce Solutions That Drive Economic Growth

See how states are using innovative workforce initiatives to address labor shortages, strengthen economic competitiveness and connect students to high-demand careers

    Hear directly from:

  • National workforce leaders

  • Industry partners

  • State operators

  • Policymakers shaping workforce initiatives

Events State and national leadership

STATE ASSOCIATION TEAMS

Bring Be Pro Be Proud to Your State

Learn how industry associations, chambers and workforce leaders are launching successful Be Pro Be Proud initiatives in states across the country.

    Discover:

  • Licensing structure and support

  • Partnership development

  • Funding strategies

  • Coalition building

  • State implementation insights

Event State Association Teams

INDUSTRY, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY LEADERS

Join the Coalition Shaping the Future Workforce

Workforce challenges cannot be solved by one industry alone. This conference brings together leaders across education, workforce development, economic development and industry to build collaborative solutions.

    Learn about:

  • Workforce solutions

  • Industry partnerships

  • Talent pipelines

  • Economic development

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Be Part of What’s Next

The workforce challenges facing our country require bold collaboration, innovative thinking and scalable solutions. Join national leaders, industry partners, educators and policymakers as we work together to elevate technical professions, strengthen workforce pipelines and inspire the next generation to build America through Be Pro Be Proud. Be Proud of the future workforce we are building together.

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