2026 Agenda
Registration Open
12:00 pm-5:30pm Meadow Pre-Function Space
Rookie Camp
Pre-conference session for owners in business less than 2 years
The Senior Move Playbook: Deliver a Calm, Confident Senior Move
Build a relocation process your team can run consistently. This CTPro pre-conference session breaks relocation into clear stages: pre-move planning, sorting and packing, label systems, move-day coordination with movers, and resettling/setup in the new home. We’ll cover what to include in your packing and move-day checklists, how to set expectations with families, and how to prevent common breakdowns that create delays, damages, or client dissatisfaction. Leave with a repeatable senior-move workflow—including packing systems, mover coordination, and resettling checklists you can implement immediately.
1:00 pm-3:00 pm Meadow ABC
The CTBids Playbook: Strategy, Workflow, Staff Training, and Auction Marketing
This CTPro pre-conference session delivers a practical playbook for running online auctions end-to-end. We’ll cover CTBids strategy by category, workflow stages (intake, sorting, photography, listing, launch, pickup), and the checklists that keep your team on track. You’ll also learn how to train employees for consistent standards, assign Team Lead ownership, and market each auction with purpose—so you grow both your bidder base and your results. Walk away with a streamlined CTBids operating system—clear processes, Team Lead responsibilities, employee training standards, and a marketing cadence that drives bidders and results.
3:00 pm-5:00pm Meadow ABC
Owner Networking Reception
5:30 pm-6:30 pm Harmony 4th Floor
Guests staying at the Embassy Suites can enjoy this complimentary reception. A great way to meet new owners and reconnect with old friends before the official conference festivities begin!
2026 National Conference Welcome Party!
6:30 pm-9:00 pm The Overlook Rooftop 30th Floor
Kick off conference week with an evening of great food, drinks, music, and fun. Whether it's your first conference or your tenth, this is your chance to settle in, catch up with familiar faces, and get excited for the days ahead.
Breakfast on Your Own, Sponsor Hall Open
7:30 am-8:30 am
Guests staying at the Embassy Suites can enjoy complimentary breakfast in Harmony on the 4th floor. The Sponsor Exhibits will also be open during this time in the Meadows Pre-function space.
Hot Topics
8:30 am-9:30 am Meadows ABC
Connect with brand leadership and panel members as they share insights on the future of the business. Bring your questions and take part in an open, transparent conversation about what’s next.
Pro Series
Our Pro Series sessions feature outside experts who challenge your thinking and bring new ideas to the table—giving you practical strategies to help you run a more profitable, successful business.
Focus, Prioritize, Energize
9:30 am-10:30 am Meadows ABC
Let’s face it — it’s not enough to simply work hard and do your best. You need to know what to work on. With the daily demands of customers, clients, employees, and competitors, there’s no shortage of things competing for your time and attention. Every day, you make decisions about how to invest your time and money — but how do you know those decisions are actually building a sustainable, rewarding business? In this powerful session, Profit Soup expert Rod Bristol will help you gain clarity on the habits and routines that drive focus, strengthen decision-making, and lead to a more profitable business. Topics include: •FOCUS on Building Business Value →What value do you want to gain from your investment? By when? →What sales and profits would it take to achieve that goal? •PRIORITIZE Growing Sales and Profit →Monthly Financial Reviews – Using financials and KPIs drive sales and profit →Garbage In, Garbage Out – Keeping it Clean •ENERGIZE yourself and your team →Set expectations, engage your team, coach for peak performance
Break
10:30 am-10:45 am
Pro Series
Profit is not Optional
10:45 am-12:00 pm Meadows ABC
We all want to build a business that provides the lifestyle we dream of and a return on our investment. But how much profit does it take to produce the real returns you not only desire, but require? Do you know? In this session, we will explore the fundamentals of building business value. Then we will practice using the business analysis tool every businessperson needs in their toolbox: Breakeven PLUS. Learn to develop sales and expense management goals based on your target profit, then create the plan to grow your business and achieve your dream. Speaker Rod Bristol will leave you planning for profit instead of hoping for it. Topics include: •How much profit must I earn to be sustainable? •What sales would yield my profit goals? How many jobs will that take? •What is my magic number, and how can it tell me the sales needed to recover investments in marketing? •When should I expand my selling or administrative team? •How would improving production efficiency impact the volume needed to reach my profit goals? •How would lifting my average job amount impact sales and profit? •How many jobs are required to provide an ROI on my investment in another truck? Not a numbers person? No problem! You can still discover the power of using financial information to improve decision-making – and actually enjoy it!
Lunch
12:00 pm-1:00 pm Meadows ABC
Ignite Session
Creating Loyalty through Every Customer Interaction
1:00 pm-2:00 pm Meadows ABC
Conflict is unavoidable in a service-based business—but how we respond defines our professionalism, reputation, and customer trust. In this interactive general session, franchise owners will share real-world lessons from the field—what worked, what didn’t, and what they’ve changed—followed by time to break into small groups and apply those insights to your own scenarios. You’ll walk away with practical tools for de-escalating tension, managing complaints, and turning challenging moments into opportunities for stronger relationships and service recovery.
Break
2:00 pm-2:15 pm
Breakthrough Breakouts
2:15 pm-3:15 pm
1. CTBids Choose Your Own Adventure: Get the Answers You Need
Meadows ABC
Spend time with CTBids Panel members in a small-group format where you choose the topics most relevant to your business. Move between focused tables—covering areas like fraud prevention, buyer growth, listing strategies, shipping, and reporting—and get practical, real-time guidance through open discussion and Q&A.
2. From Onboarding to Ownership: Creating a Culture That Lasts
Riverbed C
Effective training is about more than teaching tasks. It's about creating a workplace where employees understand expectations, feel connected to the mission, and take pride in their work. This session will explore strategies for onboarding, skill development, coaching, and team engagement that help create a positive culture and prepare employees to succeed at every stage of their journey.
3. Consultations That Convert: Turning Conversations into Clients
Meadows D
Hear firsthand from a Sommer Bradds, owner of Caring Transitions of South Dayton, as she shares how they run consultations that build confidence, communicate value, and close the deal. Expect real examples, honest insights, and tactics you can start using right away.
4. From Chaos to Comfort: A Framework for Flawless Senior Relocation
Riverbed AB
Join an experienced Caring Transitions owner, for a hands-on, practical session that breaks down the essential layers of exceptional move management. Designed specifically for newer move managers, this session walks through the systems, design thinking, and client-care strategies that transform overwhelming moves into smooth, organized, and deeply personalized experiences.
Break
3:15 pm-3:30 pm
Breakthrough Breakouts
3:30 pm-4:30 pm
1. Building Your Foundation: Labor Efficiency & Controlling Labor Across Every Service
Riverbed AB
Here from owners on how they approach labor management across the business. Explore best practices for scheduling, staffing, and job costing, and gain practical insights to help improve productivity, control labor costs, and support long-term growth.
2. Growing with Intention: Margin Matters & Tracking Your True Costs
Meadows D
Discover how Stefanie Silvan of Caring Transitions of Western Montana evaluates profitability at the job level to make smarter business decisions and drive stronger financial results. This session dives into the real costs behind every move, auction, clean-out, and service you deliver, helping you identify where you're making money and where opportunities for improvement exist. Learn how to track job-level expenses, evaluate operational inefficiencies, and use accurate data to refine your pricing strategy for future clients. Whether you're newer to Caring Transitions or ready to scale, you'll walk away with simple tools and clear insights that lead to stronger margins and more predictable profit.
3. Future-Ready: How to Build a Business Someone Will Want to Buy
Meadows ABC
Learn how to build a business that is not only successful today, but truly attractive to a future buyer. This session will break down what drives business value—including profitability, systems, team structure, and consistency—so you can scale with intention, reduce owner dependence, and build with the end in mind.
4. Ship with Confidence: Efficient Shipping Strategies for Success
Riverbed D
Shipping doesn’t have to be a headache—or a cost center. Join Shipping Saint and owner Rebecca Beard of Caring Transitions of Augusta & Lake Oconee as they share practical ways to streamline shipping, improve efficiency, and enhance the customer experience. Learn how simple process improvements and the right tools can help your team spend less time managing shipments and more time focusing on growing the business.
Caring Transitions Group Photo
5:00 pm Meadows ABC
Awards Gala Cocktail Hour
6:00 pm-7:00 pm Meadows Pre-Function
Awards Gala & 20th Anniversary Party
7:00 pm-9:00 pm Meadows Pre-ABC
Breakfast on Your Own, Sponsor Hall & Registration Open
7:30 am-8:30 am
Guests staying at the Embassy Suites can enjoy complimentary breakfast in Harmony on the 4th floor. The Sponsor Exhibits and registration will also be open during this time in the Meadows Pre-function space.
20/20 Vision Begins!
8:30 am-9:15 am Meadows ABC
Welcome to 20/20 Vision! Join your conference panel members and brand leadership as we kick things off with insights, updates, and a look at what’s ahead—setting the stage for a great few days together.
Keynote Speaker
Ignite Your S.H.I.N.E.
Speaker: LaVonna Roth
9:15 am-10:45 am Meadows ABC
Leading a Caring Transitions business means showing up every day for clients, families, and a team that depends on your steadiness and heart. The best leaders don't just work hard, they lead with care that others can feel. This session is designed to help Caring Transitions owners and team leads unlock the kind of leadership that creates real momentum: stronger teams, more engaged employees, clients who trust you, and results that don't happen by accident. You'll walk away with a clear, practical framework for leading with alignment and renewed energy, so that no matter what the day brings, you show up as the leader you and your people deserve.
Networking Break
10:45 am-11:15 am
Vision to Reality: The Road Ahead
What are the biggest opportunities facing the brand? Where are we investing our time and resources? Join Brand Leadership for an update on key initiatives, recent progress, and future priorities designed to strengthen the business and support franchise owner success. Learn about the work happening across operations, technology, marketing, and business development, and gain insight into where we're headed next as a network.
11:15 am-12:00 pm Meadows ABC
Lunch
12:00 pm-1:00 pm Meadows ABC
Ignite Session
Ignite Sessions are dynamic, all-attendee gatherings that combine big ideas with small group roundtable time—giving you space to connect, share, and apply what you’ve learned.
Vision into Action: Scaling Growth with Real-World Strategies
1:00 pm-2:00 pm Meadows ABC
Join Cheri Blankenship of Caring Transitions of Sugar Land & Houston Metro for a candid look at what it really takes to grow a Caring Transitions business. Cheri will share her growth journey, including what broke as the business scaled, the changes she made, and the strategies that delivered results. You'll learn how her organizational structure evolved over time, the key systems that support her operation, and what she added at each stage of growth. Following the presentation, attendees will collaborate at their tables to apply these lessons, identify opportunities within their own businesses, and leave with concrete, actionable steps to implement over the next 30 days.
Break
2:00 pm-2:15 pm
Breakthrough Breakouts
These concurrent breakout sessions allow you to choose the topic most relevant to your business. With multiple sessions happening at the same time, attendees from the same office can split up, cover more content, and bring valuable insights back to their team.
2:15 pm-3:15 pm
1. Compensation, Incentives & Motivation: What Actually Drives Team Performance
Meadows D
Join Sherri Gillette, owner of Caring Transitions of Southern Arizona, to break down real compensation and incentive models that motivate your team, align with your goals, and support profitable growth.
2. Marketing Office Hours: Personalized Digital Audits & Guidance
Riverbed C
Have a marketing question? Looking for ideas to improve your online presence? Drop into this open-format help desk session and spend time with members of the Caring Transitions marketing team. Get feedback on your digital presence, discuss marketing challenges, learn about available tools and resources, and gather practical suggestions you can put to work in your business. Come for a few minutes or stay longer. This is your opportunity to get personalized guidance from the experts behind the brand.
3. BDR Playbook: Targeting the Right Partners, Mastering the Conversation & Executing the Plan
Riverbed AB
This practical, skills-focused session led by owners Stefanie Silvan and Alissa Agnoli will give your BDRs the blueprint they need to succeed in the field. You’ll explore how to identify high-value referral partners, how to deliver conversations that build trust, and how to follow a structured outreach plan that keeps your business top of mind. Attendees will leave with clarity, confidence, and a repeatable roadmap for driving steady referral growth.
4. Business Protection & Safety: Documentation, Checklists, and Risk-Reducing Practices
Meadows ABC
Protect your business while protecting your team. In this session, hear from owners Ted and Suzanne Austin of Caring Transitions Twin Cities Central as they share practical processes that reduce liability across projects, including setting clear client expectations, maintaining consistent documentation, and using repeatable checklists that keep work compliant and defensible. You'll also learn core employee safety practices for on-site work, lifting and moving, PPE, hazard awareness, and incident response so your team operates with confidence and your business is prepared.
Break
3:15 pm-3:30 pm
CT Owner Roundtables
3:30 pm-5:00pm Meadows ABC
Our most highly rated session — and the perfect way to wrap up Day 1. Join us for a fast-paced, high-energy “lightning round” of great ideas from Caring Transitions owners across the country. You’ll move from table to table, hearing short, focused conversations on real-world topics: strategies that worked, lessons learned, tools they swear by, and creative approaches driving results in their markets. Quick, actionable, and straight to the point, these owner-to-owner insights are designed to spark new thinking and give you practical ideas you can take back and implement immediately. Come ready to learn — and end Day 1 energized, inspired, and ready for what’s next.
Sponsor Networking Event
6:00pm-8:00pm Meadows Pre-Function
Join us for the Sponsor Welcome Event and connect with vendors who can help support and grow your business. Visit each table, learn about available resources, and complete your passport for a chance to win door prizes.
Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate the people, achievements, and milestones that have shaped Caring Transitions over the past 20 years. During our Awards Gala, we'll recognize outstanding franchise owners and teams whose dedication, innovation, and commitment have made a lasting impact on our system. We'll also take time to reflect on two decades of serving families, honoring our history while looking ahead to the future of Caring Transitions. Enjoy an evening of celebration, recognition, and fun as we commemorate this special anniversary together.