IMA Biennial Conference 2026
Mentoring Metamorphoses
Conference Early Bird Registration Is Open UNTIL JANUARY 31, 2026
Conference Dates
May 13-14, 2026
Preconference May 12, 2025
Thank you for your Proposals!
We’re thrilled to share that we received a record number of submissions this year, a true reflection of the passion, innovation, and commitment within our global mentoring community.
Our review process is now officially underway and will continue through mid-January. We’re inspired by the breadth and depth of ideas coming in and can’t wait to share the outcomes with you.
Questions? Contact us at imaconference@mentoringassociation.org.
Early Career & Doctoral Student Consortium
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Join emerging mentoring scholars and professionals for a dynamic, half-day consortium on May 12, 2026. Designed for doctoral students and early-career faculty, this session features mentoring-focused discussions, research sharing, and collaboration with international experts.
Send your application packet or questions to: imaconference@mentoringassociation.org.
Through keynote presentations, expert panels, and interactive sessions, we will examine
Future-proofing mentorship
Strategies for resilience and adaptation.
The evolving landscape of mentorship
Challenges, opportunities, and best practices.
Bridging generations and disciplines
How mentoring fosters long-term impact.
Transformative mentoring
Driving growth across sectors and industries.
Beyond traditional models
Rethinking mentoring for a rapidly changing world.
Building mentoring ecosystems
Strengthening collaboration, inclusion, and sustainability.
Join International Mentoring Association, the premier source for best practice solutions in support of mentors, mentees, mentoring professionals, and their programs, for our biennial conference. Experience powerful and inspiring discussions, and make connections with others in the mentoring world.
our Keynote Speakers
![Head shot Feb 23 cropped[90] (1)](https://evgigsoft.conference.evgigsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Head-shot-Feb-23-cropped90-1.jpg "Head shot Feb 23 cropped[90] (1)")
Angela Byars-Winston, PhD, MA
Keynote Topic
Culturally Aware Mentorship:
Transformative Lessons from STEM
Professor Andrew J Hobson
Keynote Topic
Averting the Terrors of Judgementoring: Transforming Mentoring Relationships and Outcomes Through Onside Co-Mentoring
Transformative Mentoring Initiatives Panel
Discover the Future of Mentoring in Action
Join a dynamic panel featuring Janet Huber, Jameson Powell, and Dr. Laura Lunsford as they showcase innovative mentoring initiatives that are reshaping workforce culture and redefining leadership development. Hear real-world strategies from across industries and gain fresh perspectives you can apply in your own organization.
Janet Huber
Jameson Powell
Laura Lunsford
Pre-Conference Events
Unlock Your Potential
Join Our Mentoring Certification Training!
Led by: Dr. Miriam Marguerita Gomez Witmer
Are you ready to elevate your mentoring skills and make a profound impact? The IMA Mentor Training is your gateway to becoming an exceptional mentor and leader. This training is designed for top-performing learners and ambitious adults eager to forge powerful mentoring relationships and drive success.
Through engaging hands-on exercises and dynamic discussions, you will explore essential mentorship theories, tools, and frameworks that empower you to thrive as a mentor, mentee, or program director.
What sets our training apart? You'll connect with a vibrant, diverse group of participants from around the globe, creating unparalleled opportunities to network, collaborate, and gain fresh perspectives.
Join us in shaping the next generation of leaders and innovators! Embrace this chance to grow, inspire, and be inspired. Your journey toward impactful mentorship begins here!
Positive Psychology, Well-Being, and Mentoring:
What's the Connection?
Led By: Carol Radford, Meg Roa, and Noa Daniel
At some point in every mentoring conversation, mentees share their feelings of stress from their new roles. Mentors also feel overwhelmed as they try to support their novice teachers and set them up for success.
In this pre-conference session, participants will explore how positive psychology’s PERMA principles can influence the well-being of both mentors and mentees. In this experiential session, participants will try various strategies, discover which ones align with their own mentoring programs, and add them to their mentoring toolkit.
Workshop leaders will share examples of what the PERMA framework looks like in practice and how a focus on well-being can be embedded in any mentoring program. Strategies include the Values in Action strengths test, a five-step protocol for intentional mentoring conversations, how to create a Circle of Light, and how meditation and mindfulness practices can support well-being and mentoring. Each participant will also receive a copy of Mindful Mentoring: A Reflective Guide for Mentors and Mentees.
The International Mentoring Association (IMA) envisions being the premier organization and leading resource for mentoring excellence and best practices.
Our 2026 conference theme, “Mentoring Metamorphoses: Growing and Flourishing in an Era of Change,” will highlight innovative programs and approaches that position mentoring as a key driver of individual and organizational transformation and advancement.
This year’s conference takes place in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida - named one of the “Best Places to Travel in the U.S.” (Forbes) and the “Best Food City in the U.S.” (Travel & Leisure).
Join us for the preconference on May 12th and the conference May 13-14, 2026 at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg – Student Center (200 6th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701) to explore new ideas, share best practices, and connect with colleagues who are shaping the future of mentoring.
Conference Venue
University of South Florida St. Petersburg
200 6th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Conference Hotel
Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront
333 1st St SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Hotel Accommodations: We are pleased to offer a special conference rate at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, located at 333 1st St SE, just a five-minute walk from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg where the conference will be held.
The Hilton provides a comfortable and convenient stay in the heart of downtown. Rooms are available at a discounted rate.
To secure your room, use the group SRP code 90A when booking online through the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront – IMA Conference Block, or call the hotel directly at 833-372-8357.
Air Travel:
- Tampa International Airport (TPA), located under 25 miles from the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Student Center. TPA offers extensive domestic and international flight options.
- St Petersburg Clearwater Airport (PIE) located just north of downtown St. Petersburg, provides a convenient regional travel option with over one million passengers served annually. Approximately 12 miles from the Hilton and conference venue.
- Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) offers an easy, stress-free travel experience with short lines, a compact terminal, and convenient parking just steps from the concourse. Approximately 35 miles from the Hilton and conference venue.
Conference Fees
IMA Members
- Early Bird Pricing ENDS January 31, 2026
- Regular Pricing is $425 Feb. 1 - May 1, 2026
- Includes entrance to May 13-14 main conference
Non-IMA Members
- Early Bird Pricing ENDS January 31, 2026
- Regular Pricing is $475 Feb. 1 - May 1, 2026
- Includes entrance to May 13-14 main conference
Student (Undergrad/Grad)
- Includes 1 year IMA membership for students
- Includes entrance to May 13-14 main conference
Pre-Conference Mentoring Certification
- Unlock Your Potential Join Our Mentoring Certification Training!
- Facilitated by: Dr. Miriam Marguerita Gomez Witmer - Full-Day Workshop May 12, 2026
- Includes entrance to May 12 preconference certification training only
Pre-Conference Positive Psychology Workshop
- Positive Psychology, Well-Being, and Mentoring: What's The Connection?
- Facilitated by: Carol Pelletier Radford - May 12, 2026 1-4pm
- Includes entrance to May 12 preconference workshop only