Past Conferences

Fall 2022 Conference

Held in Knoxville, the 2022 Fall Conference was a joint effort between TAPA and the Tennessee Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Chapter (TSITE). The theme was Inclusive Infrastructure for Today and Tomorrow with sessions geared for both engineers and planners. Tours included a bike and scooter tour through the City to the South Waterfront. Read more about the 2022 Fall Conference website.

Spring 2022 Retreat

The theme for this retreat was how planning can bridge the gap between different sectors, such as Historic Preservation, Environment and Conservation, Equity, and Economic Development. This event was held at Fall Creek Falls for the first time since their remodeling and many attendees enjoyed the trails at the park after each day's sessions. Read more about it at the Spring 2022 Retreat page.

Fall 2021 Conference

After being away for 19 months due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, TAPA held it's first in-person conference since the Spring Retreat in March 2020. Held in Chattanooga, it was a joint conference with the the Georgia Planning Association and included up to five break out sessions at a time. The keynote speaker was Charles T. Brown of Equitable Cities and several presentations dealt with equity. There were also four mobile tours offered showcasing landmarks in The Scenic City. Read more about the 2021 Fall Conference here.

Spring 2021 Retreat

For the second straight time, TAPA had to have a major event online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tagline this year was "Refresh, Renew, Refocus" and it consisted of 10.5 hours of CM credits streamed over two days in February. See the agenda here and watch recorded webinars on-demand from it here.

Fall 2020 Conference

While a unique interstate conference between the Georgia and Tennessee Chapters of the American Planning Association was planned for Fall 2020, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic altered this course. Instead, TAPA created a webinar series on Fridays in November and December. Consisting of 10 credit hours, the webinars could be viewed live or streamed on-demand at any time. Read more about this conference and watch recorded sessions at the 2020 Fall Conference page here.

Spring 2020 Retreat

Held early in Spring 2020 before folks thought twice about a hand shake, this year's Spring Retreat was held in Gatlinburg with the theme "Tourists, Tourneys, and Traffic". This theme led to sessions such as "Sports Tourism as Economic Development", "Gatlinburg Streetscaping for Pedestrians and Tourist Traffic", and "Parks and Sports Planning". Relive this pre-COVID conference at the 2020 Spring Retreat page.

Fall 2019 Conference

Located in the shadows of many new corporate headquarters, the Cool Springs Marriott in Franklin was a perfect venue for this year's conference that focused on "Growing Pains". While growth brings many benefits, this conference focused on addressing the challenges that come with it. The keynote speaker was Josh Westerhold from Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance Future Lab (a Franklin-based company) who discussed the future of transportation. More information is available on the 2019 Fall Conference page.

Spring 2019 Retreat

The 2019 Spring Retreat was held in Pigeon Forge from March 20th through the 22nd. The theme was Pathways for Sustainable and Resilient Communities. Besides the usual offerings, the Tennessee Chapter partnered with the City of Pigeon Forge's Division of Forestry and FEMA for the conference. To learn more about the event, please visit the Spring 2019 Conference webpage.

Fall 2018 Conference

The Fall 2018 Conference was held in Kingsport in September. As usual, this conference had several tours across the Tri-Cities area, as well as a star-studded lineup of presenters and speakers. The event was held at the MeadowView Event Resort and Convention Center. Attendees were rewarded with two tickets to Bays Mountain Park and many of them took advantage of it after the conference was over.

Spring 2018 Retreat

The Spring 2018 Retreat was held at Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson County. This year's theme was Planning for Advocacy and Engagement. 

Fall 2017 Conference

Planners across the State were on the shores of the Mississippi for the Fall 2017 Conference in Memphis. Just two blocks from the iconic Beale Street, attendees learned about the successes and the difficulties in the Bluff City. Many movers-and-shakers from the City gave presentations.

Spring 2017 Retreat

In March of 2017, the Spring Retreat was held in Fall Creek Falls State Park in Van Buren County, Tennessee. Formerly called the Winter Retreat, the event was moved forward in the year and rechristened the Spring Retreat as February snowfalls were frequent on the Cumberland Plateau where Fall Creek Falls is. 

Fall 2016 Conference

The Fall 2016 Conference cycled back to Knoxville. The Conference was lined with several excellent tours, a vast number of speakers, and a music show where several of our own learned how to play a one-string stand-up base. The 2016 conference website is still up here.