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Become a Sponsor
Conference Sponsors
Annual Sponsors
Why Attend?
- Obtain Continuing Education Units available for all educational programs at no additional cost (CEUs not available for Doors Open events)
- Network with friends and colleagues across the country and internationally in our unique online, interactive events.
- Keep up with the latest research and scholarship in historic preservation, city planning, equity issues, design, archaeology, and architecture.
- Gain unique and unparalleled access to California’s hidden histories and masterworks of design.
Continuing Education
All live programs qualify for continuing education units through the AIA, AICP, ASLA and CLG. All attendees can take advantage of our continuing education program at no additional cost. Many sessions qualify for Health, Safety, and Welfare units (HSW). Some sessions will qualify for AICP legal and ethics credits.
For More Information
- Call us at 415-495-0349
- Email at cpf@californiapreservation.org
Photo Courtesy Sacramento Real Estate Photographers, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0
2026 California Preservation Conference
Past Meets Possible:
Reimagining Place and Purpose
Riverside Convention Center, Riverside, Calif. | May 6 to May 9, 2026
The California Preservation Conference brings more than 600 participants from across the state to learn, network, and share successes. The conference will include over 40 sessions, special events, networking activities, and site tours in and around Riverside.
General Details
Full Conference descriptions, schedule, and other details can be found on our conference app at https://cpf.lineupr.com/cpf26/.
The 2026 California Preservation Conference—“Past Meets Possible: Reimagining Place and Purpose”—is the premier gathering for preservation professionals, advocates, designers, planners, and community leaders eager to explore how heritage conservation can be a force for California’s future. From climate resilience and equitable housing to community revitalization and inclusive planning, the conference uncovers bold, interdisciplinary strategies that expand preservation’s role in shaping resilient, vibrant, and just communities across the state.
Our 50th Annual Conference invites preservationists, planners, architects, advocates, and community leaders to explore how heritage conservation can drive creative, inclusive, and sustainable futures.
Through five interdisciplinary tracks—Reuse & Revitalization, Participation & Engagement, Tools & Technology, History & Heritage, and Preservation Planning & Practice—we’ll uncover bold ideas that expand preservation’s role in solving today’s most pressing challenges. From adaptive reuse and housing innovation to digital documentation, community empowerment, and policy reform, this year’s conference bridges past and future to reimagine what preservation can be—and who it serves.
- Over 25 in-classroom sessions at the Riverside Convention Center
- Discounted hotel room block available at the National Historic Landmark Mission Inn
- Off-site tours and mobile workshops
Network with friends and colleagues at special events and mixers
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Opening Reception at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture (5/6)
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Emerging Professionals Mixer
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President’s Circle Reception (5/7)
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2025 California Preservation Awards Reception & Ceremony at the historic Mission Inn (5/8)
Keynote Speaker
Keynote Address
Sabrina Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Civil Rights Institute of Southern California
Raised in the Inland Empire, Sabrina Gonzalez is a first-generation college graduate with a master’s in nonprofit management who has dedicated her career to supporting youth and historically underserved communities. She has worked in education and youth development across California and Massachusetts, helping young people build life skills, access services, and prepare for the future. As the inaugural Executive Director of the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Gonzalez leads efforts in civil rights education, historical preservation, and community engagement across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Find Sabrina’s full biography at the Civil Rights Institute of Southern California.
Register & Pricing
Conference Registration
Conference Ticket Prices
| MEMBER Ticket | Cost |
| Full Package (Includes Opening Reception on Wednesday & Annual Luncheon on Friday) – a 15% savings | $505 |
| Regular Registration | $390 |
| Single Day: Thursday Registration Member Rate | $200 |
| Single Day: Friday Registration | $225 |
| NON-MEMBER Ticket (to receive the member discounts, join as a member here first) |
|
| Full Package (Includes Opening Reception and Awards Reception) – a 15% savings | $545 |
| Regular Registration | $430 |
| Single Day: Thursday Registration | $240 |
| Single Day: Friday Registration | $265 |
| Tickets for Students/Speakers/Moderators | Cost |
| Student Registration (CPF Student Membership Required) You will need to be logged in with your student membership account to view this option. |
$75 |
| Speakers & Moderators (All Conference Sessions – Special Events not Included) |
$75 |
| Special Events / Tours / Awards Programs | |
| SPECIAL EVENTS | |
| Opening Reception @ the Cheech | $130 |
| Annual Luncheon – Riverside Convention Center Patio | $75 |
| Preservation Design Awards – Mission Inn Only the Ceremony is Included with Conference Registration (pre-RSVP required) – To Register for the Ceremony+Reception, Register Here Separately |
$225 members / $250 non-members (Ceremony + Celebratory Reception) |
| Tours/Mobile Workshops | |
| WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 | |
| Study Tour: Fairmont Park | $75 |
| Study Tour: Reclaiming Pa’Capa: Honoring the Ancestors living in today’s public spaces + Riverside and “Pá’Čapa: A Mt. Rubidoux Story” film | $30 |
| Study Tour: Citrus Heritage | $75 |
| Study Tour: Sam Maloof House and Maloof Foundation for Arts Tour |
$150 |
| THURSDAY, MAY 7 | |
| Mobile Workshop: From Motel to Riverside Community Hub: The Farm House Collective | $75 |
| Mobile Workshop: History, Heritage, and Restoration of the 1862 Trujillo Adobe | $75 |
| Mobile Workshop: Piecing it Together: Modern Techniques in Mosaic Conservation | $70 |
| FRIDAY, MAY 8 | |
| Study Tour: Riverside City Hall and Surroundings: Mid-Century Municipal Identity | $50 |
| Study Tour: Riverside Museums: A Legacy of Adaptive Reuse for the Arts | $50 |
| Mobile Workshop: Queering the I.E.* | $50 |
| SATURDAY, MAY 9 | |
| Study Tour: Peter J Weber House | $20 |
| Study Tour: Murrieta Hot Springs | $210 |
| Study Tour: Route 66 Preservation Success Stories: A Mother Road Centennial Tour | $150 |
Full Conference Schedule
Conference Schedule
For full conference schedule with descriptions and speakers, visit https://cpf.lineupr.com/cpf26/
| DAY | PROGRAM NAME | TICKETED? |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Listening Session: California Statewide Historic Preservation Plan (2028-2033) Update | |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Reclaiming Pá’čapa: Honoring Ancestors in Today’s Public Spaces | Ticketed (Study Tour) |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Special Advocacy Program (Date and Time TBC) | |
| Wednesday, May 6 | The People’s Playground: Riverside’s Olmsted-designed Fairmount Park | Ticketed (Study Tour) |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Opening Reception | Ticketed (Special Event) |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Emerging Professionals Mixer | |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Certified Local Government (CLG) Forum | |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Citrus Chronicles: Exploring Riverside’s Agricultural Heritage | Ticketed (Study Tour) |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Sam Maloof Home: 25 Years of Preservation Success, Challenges, and Adjustments | Ticketed (Study Tour) |
| Thursday, May 7 | State Historic Resources Commission Meeting | |
| Thursday, May 7 | From Motel to Riverside Community Hub: The Farm House Collective | Ticketed (Mobile Workshop) |
| Thursday, May 7 | Community Cornerstones: Catalyzing California’s Main Streets Through Adaptive Reuse | |
| Thursday, May 7 | Redefining Suburbs: Spatial Acculturation in the San Gabriel Valley | |
| Thursday, May 7 | Beyond the Plaque: Amplifying Community Voices | |
| Thursday, May 7 | Discovery Through Digital Documentation: Creating Accessible and Immersive Experiences | |
| Thursday, May 7 | Flexible by Design: Leasing Strategies for Adaptive Reuse | |
| Thursday, May 7 | When Research Becomes Recuperation: Contexts for Under-Represented Communities | |
| Thursday, May 7 | Park Stewardship: Balancing Recreation and Preservation | |
| Thursday, May 7 | Restoring a Palm Springs Icon: Preservation and Community-Led Revitalization of the Plaza Theatre | |
| Thursday, May 7 | History, Heritage, and Restoration of the 1862 Trujillo Adobe | Ticketed (Mobile Workshop) |
| Thursday, May 7 | Our Chinatown, Our Legacy: A Community-Led Approach | |
| Thursday, May 7 | Compass for Compliance: State Law Updates and Historic Preservation Solutions | |
| Thursday, May 7 | From Citrus to Aviation: California’s Korean American Heritage Trail | |
| Thursday, May 7 | President’s Circle Reception | Ticketed, Invite-Only (Special Event) |
| Thursday, May 7 | Plenary Session | |
| Thursday, May 7 | Embracing the Balancing Act: Sustainable Strategies for Adaptive Reuse | |
| Friday, May 8 | Student Session (Details to Be Announced) | |
| Friday, May 8 | Documenting Resiliency: Asian American and Latinx Heritage in California | |
| Friday, May 8 | Many Faces of the Mills Act: History, Myths, Wins, and Pitfalls | |
| Friday, May 8 | Annual Membership Meeting | Ticketed (Special Event) |
| Friday, May 8 | Bowlarama | |
| Friday, May 8 | Voices of the Barrios: Cultural Heritage in the Pomona Valley | |
| Friday, May 8 | Glass and Roofing Solutions for Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings | |
| Friday, May 8 | Piecing it Together: Modern Techniques in Mosaic Conservation | Ticketed (Mobile Workshop) |
| Friday, May 8 | Riverside City Hall and Surroundings: Mid-Century Municipal Identity | Ticketed (Mobile Workshop) |
| Friday, May 8 | Adaptive Reuse Ordinances, 2025 and Beyond | |
| Friday, May 8 | Activating Home: Models for Community-Led Grassroots Preservation | |
| Friday, May 8 | Archiving for Community Access: Digitizing History on a Budget with Modern Tools | |
| Friday, May 8 | Where History Happened: Preserving and Interpreting Sites of Immigration History | |
| Friday, May 8 | California Preservation Awards Ceremony & Reception | Ticketed (Special Event) |
| Friday, May 8 | Riverside Museums: A Legacy of Adaptive Reuse for Arts & Culture | Ticketed (Mobile Workshop) |
| Friday, May 8 | Queering the I.E. | Ticketed (Mobile Workshop) |
| Friday, May 8 | How Women’s History is Changing Preservation | |
| Friday, May 8 | Shaping Preservation: Lessons Learned from Riverside’s Cultural Heritage Board | |
| Friday, May 8 | Finding New Ground: Relocating Houses and Rebuilding Communities | |
| Saturday, May 9 | The Peter J. Weber House: Tradition, Innovation, and Endurance | Ticketed (Study Tour) |
| Saturday, May 9 | Route 66 Preservation Success Stories: A Mother Road Centennial Tour | Ticketed (Study Tour) |
| Saturday, May 9 | Rail to Wellness Revival: Perris Valley Historical Museum & Murrieta Hot Springs Resort | Ticketed (Study Tour) |
Hotel Information and Discounted Rates for Conference Attendees
Join us at the historic Mission Inn. Discounted rates for all conference attendees are available now. Room reservations will be required.
Book your room using the group name: “California Preservation Foundation”
Room Rate: 209.00 USD per night
Last Day to Book: Sunday, April 5th, 2026
Conference Tracks
Our conference will include six thematic Tracks:
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Reuse & Revitalization — Exploring creative solutions for housing, density, and the reuse of historic buildings.
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Participation & Engagement — Strengthening partnerships with communities, advocates, and stakeholders to broaden preservation’s reach
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Tools & Technology — Harnessing new technologies and digital tools that transform how we document, interpret, and protect historic places.
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History & Heritage — Deepening our understanding of the diverse stories, people, and movements that shape California’s built environment.
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Preservation Planning & Practice — Advancing policy, planning, and professional standards to ensure preservation remains a vital part of community development.
Sponsorship
Interested in Becoming a Conference Sponsor?
Submit Your Conference Sponsorship Commitment by Clicking Here >>
Click Here to Download the Brochure
Volunteer Application
Volunteers receive complimentary access for the same amount of time they volunteer. A full volunteer information packet is available for download here.
All interested volunteers must submit a volunteer application on the form below.
Submit a Proposal for the 2027 Conference (San Jose)
Past Conference Programs
Interested in Our Past Programs?
Click the year of the program below for all the fun details from the last three years at the CPF Annual Conference.
