CPF’s Annual Partners
About CPF and the Awards
The California Preservation Awards are a statewide hallmark, showcasing the best in historic preservation. The awards ceremony includes the presentation of the Preservation Design Awards and the President’s Awards, bringing together hundreds of people each year to share and celebrate excellence in preservation.
The California Preservation Foundation (CPF), a 501c3 nonprofit, was incorporated in 1978. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.
Annual California Preservation Conference
For more than 40 years, the annual California Preservation Conference has brought together hundreds of passionate advocates, architects, builders, designers, preservationists, and more to learn, network, and share successes. The 2020 conference will be held in Sacramento from May 17-20. Below you can read about past conferences, and submit a proposal to bring a future conference to your town. To ensure geographic diversity, the conference alternates between Northern and Southern California, with even years in the North, and odd years in the South. We encourage you to read through the application carefully before beginning, and to identify the major partners and stakeholders early. The strongest applications are the ones that show an engaged community, who can help to ensure the conference’s success.
The California Preservation Conference is the largest and most respected event of its kind on the West Coast, annually bringing together more than 600 people to learn, share, and network. The conference is the culmination of a 12-24 month-long partnership with a host city and local preservation groups, aimed at investing in the city’s preservation efforts and economy.
Economic Impact
The California Preservation Conference typically makes an economic impact of between $250,000 – $350,000 in the host city, through lodging, food, transportation, and other costs. We work with a local steering committee to find responsible business partners in the city and local region, and host tours and special events designed to help our attendees get out and explore the host region.
Preservation Impact
In addition to training the conference attendees, we provide specialized training, support, and connections to conference host cities. In some cities, this has meant hosting workshops to train REALTORS® on incentives for purchasing historic homes. In other cities, it has meant providing advanced training on CEQA or the California Historic Building Code. CPF works closely with local partners to identify areas of need and create solutions to meet them.
Past Conference Themes and Locations
2020 Conference – A Changing Climate for Preservation, Sacramento
2019 Conference – Preservation Springs Eternal, Palm Springs
2018 Conference – Deep Roots in Dynamic Times, Palo Alto
2017 Conference – Preservation at the Forefront, Pasadena
2016 Conference – New Acts, News Assets: Changing Face of Preservation, San Francisco
2015 Conference – Gateways to Preservation: New Frontiers, San Diego
2014 Conference – Redefining Preservation: Dialogues and Directions in Cultural Heritage, Pacific Grove
2013 Conference – The True California Adventure: Preservation’s Wild Ride, Garden Grove
2012 Conference – Oald Roots, New Growth: Cultivating Communities, Oakland
2011 Conference – Preservation on the Edge, Santa Monica
2010 Conference – The Sierra Nevada: Preserving A Sense of Place, Nevada City
2009 Conference – The Culture of Leisure: Rethinking the California Dream, Palm Springs
2008 Conference – Balancing Complexity: The Vineyard and Beyond, Napa
2007 Conference – Preservation Goes Hollywood, Hollywood
2006 Conference – Finding Common Ground, Sacramento
2005 Conference – Diversity of Change: New Perspectives of Historic Preservation, Riverside
2004 Conference – Building Bridges, San Francisco
2003 Conference – A Blueprint for Preservation, Santa Barbara
2002 Conference – Vintage Sonoma County, Santa Rosa
2001 Conference – Spanning California’s History, San Diego
2000 Conference – Preservation for a New Century, Monterey
1999 Conference – Transcending the Centuries: Preservation of the Ancient and the Recent Pasts, Palm Springs
1998 Conference – New Perspectives on Preservation, Berkeley
1997 Conference – Preservation Comes Home, Pasadena
1996 Conference – Preservation Comes of Age, San Jose
1995 Conference – Preservation is Planning for the Future, Riverside
1994 Conference – A Capital Idea, Sacramento
1993 Conference – Celebrate Diversity: Communities United for the Future, Long Beach
1992 Conference, Eureka
1991 Conference, Santa Barbara
1990 Conference, San Francisco
1989 Conference, Los Angeles
1988 Conference, Palo Alto
1987 Conference, Coronado
1986 Conference, Monterey
1985 Conference – Conserving the Character of Community, Claremont
1984 Conference – Preservation: A Long-Term Capital Gain, Sacramento
1983 Conference – Preservation is Working for America, Orange County
1982 Conference – Reinvesting in America, Oakland
1981 Conference – Strengthening the Local Preservation Process, Riverside
1980 Conference – Historic Preservation: A Legislative, Administrative and Technical Process, Sacramento
1979 Conference – Can Historic Preservation Survive in the 1980s?, San Diego
1978 Conference – Preservation of the Total Environment: Building the Preservation/Conservation Constituency, San Jose
1977 Conference, Pasadena
1976 Conference, Filoli
1976 Conference, Riverside
Conference Application
Header image © Tim Griffith