2026 SEGD Academic Summit — Call for Extended Abstracts Now Open!

January 14, 2026

Liz Griswold

The 2026 SEGD Academic Summit invites extended abstract submissions from educators, researchers, students, and practitioners exploring ideas and research shaping the future of experiential design, with selected work presented at the virtual Summit and published in Communication + Place.

Are you reimagining how people connect to place, story, and experience?

SEGD invites you to share your boldest ideas, research, and teaching innovations by submitting an extended abstract for consideration for the 2026 SEGD Academic Summit hosted on June 24-25, 2026 from 12:30-5:00 pm ET each day. The SEGD Academic Summit is a dynamic virtual gathering that brings together leading voices in experiential design to explore where the field has been—and where it is headed next.

Educators, students, researchers, and professional practitioners from around the world will convene to exchange ideas that are actively shaping the future of experiential design. From branded environments and digital experiences to exhibitions, placemaking, public installations, wayfinding, and strategic research, the Summit celebrates the full spectrum of practices that define our evolving discipline. 

SEGD is now accepting extended abstract submissions that push boundaries and spark dialogue. We welcome academic and professional research as well as curriculum-based innovations that engage with the historical, cultural, social, institutional, and technological forces influencing experiential design across past, present, and future contexts.

What to Submit

Submissions should be made in the form of an extended abstract following SEGD’s official submission guidelines. All entries will undergo an anonymous peer review conducted by the SEGD Academic Task Force.

Important Deadlines

All extended abstract submissions must be uploaded by February 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM (ET), following the guidelines linked below.

Selected authors will be invited to present their expanded work at the 2026 SEGD Academic Summit and will also be featured in SEGD’s online academic journal, Communication + Place, the official journal of experiential design, showcasing research by academics and professionals advancing the field through creative research, curriculum development, and user-centric testing.

Explore past issues of Communication + Place to see how research and practice have shaped the discipline—and how your work can join that legacy.