RPC 2026 Annual Conference

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 12:30 PM
Friday, October 16, 2026 1:30 PM

Mountain Lake Lodge 115 Hotel Circle Pembroke, VA, 24136 United States (map)

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2026 Annual Conference - Registration now open!

You are invited to attend our 47th Annual Conference organized by the Executive Committee of the Rural Planning Caucus of Virginia, which will be held from October 14-16, 2026 at the historic Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia. Please consider bringing an item or items that represent your locality for the silent auction on Thursday October 15th which goes to benefit our scholarship program.

Unless noted, all sessions will have AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) credits. *CM Credits for the 2026 conference should be available in the late November - early December timeframe.*

Virginia RPC is an organization that is dedicated to identifying, publicizing and satisfying the unique planning needs of small towns and rural areas. Every year the RPC Executive Committee works hard to organize a conference where rural planning professionals from around Virginia and surrounding states can discuss important rural planning topics and network to better promote and sustain resilient rural communities.

2026 marks 47 years that RPC has been hosting an annual conference for rural planning professionals. Over the years, we have supported the next generation of rural planners by offering an annual scholarship to planning students to continue their studies. Since 1999, RPC has awarded over $14,000 to college students at Virginia universities with planning programs. In 2022, RPC launched a new mentorship scholarship to allow for rural localities to send a manager along with a new staffer.

Please visit our Past Conferences page to see what kind of conference topics and activities we have covered in prior years.

Conference Schedule

The 2026 conference is expected to provide full conference participants with around 10–12 CM credits - including legal credits. If your two-year AICP reporting period is almost over, you'll appreciate these CM credits!

Review the conference schedule here

Wednesday Workshop: Preserving History in Giles County

Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Begins at 12:30 PM.

Join RPC for a mobile workshop exploring historic preservation districts in Newport and Pearisburg, Virginia.

Meeting location: The building at 641 Blue Grass Trail, Newport, VA. The building has no name; it is the only building at this location.

Start-time update: Please use the 12:30 PM start in these workshop details, which updates the time shown in the linked conference agenda.

Logistics: The workshop begins at the meeting address, then continues by bus to historic sites in Newport and Pearisburg. Return to Newport is scheduled for 4:15 PM.

What to bring: Dress casually and wear good walking shoes. Bring a raincoat or umbrella. The workshop will be held rain or shine. Water and trail mix will be provided.

RSVP and questions: Please contact Diana Utz at 540-842-4598 or Dianautz1@outlook.com if you plan to attend.

Workshop schedule and speakers

12:30 PM: Welcome, introductions, and overview of the Newport and Pearisburg Historic Districts, with Diana Utz.
12:45 PM: Merits and Myths of Historic Districts, with Don McCown, Piedmont Environmental Council.
1:00 PM: Newport History, with Doug Martin, local Newport historian and resident.
1:20–2:30 PM: Board the bus to explore the Newport Historic District, with stops at the Methodist Church, Clover Hollow Covered Bridge, Iron Furnace, and other points of interest, with Doug Martin.
2:30 PM: Bus departs Newport for Pearisburg, VA.
2:45 PM: Tour the Andrew Johnston House complex with Suzy Bane, Director, and Jeanne Butler, VADAR, George Pearis Chapter.
3:45 PM: Board the bus to the Giles County Courthouse for a walkthrough with Jeanne Butler.
4:15 PM: Return to Newport, VA.

Registration is required

Payment in Full In Advance Or At Event

Registration for the 2026 conference includes annual RPC membership for the period October 16, 2026 through December 31, 2027.

Registration cancellations will be accepted until Monday, September 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM (noon).

Cancellation Policy:

RPC must provide attendee estimates to the venue for meal planning purposes. Once these estimates are provided and the food is ordered, we cannot provide refunds.

No registration refunds will be given after 12:00 PM (noon) on Monday, September 14, 2026. However, a registration may be transferred to another attendee up until 4PM October 12, 2026 for no charge. Please contact Will Cockrell if you need to transfer a registration.

Registration for the 47th annual conference of the Rural Planning Caucus of Virginia. Registration is required for those attending the conference sessions. Since guests of registrants are not likely to attend conference sessions but would join for meals, guests do not need to register and pay a registration fee since their meals will be included in their lodging costs which is separate from the conference registration.

Example: Suzy Q Planner and her spouse want to come to the conference. Suzy signs up for a full registration. She also makes a double lodging reservation for two nights. She and her spouse's meals are covered in her lodging costs and she only pays conference registration for herself since her spouse plans to explore and hike while she is in conference sessions.

2026 Conference Registration Options:

Full Registration - $125.00: This option is for those that also have lodging at Mountain Lake and whose meals are already included in their lodging costs.

Day Attendee Option 1- $205: This option is for those who do not have lodging at Mountain Lake and includes one day of meals (i.e. for those attending just Thursday). Cost includes the conference registration and meals for 1 day (including applicable meal taxes).

Day Attendee Option 2- $285: This option is for those who do not have lodging at Mountain Lake and includes two (2) day of meals (i.e. for those day attends attending the full conference). Cost includes the conference registration and meals for 2 days (including applicable meal taxes).

Life Member Registration - $100: This option is only available for those RPC members who have been designated Life members by the Executive Committee.

NOTE: Conference registration fee does not include meals. Meals are included with lodging costs. If you sign up as a day attendee, RPC will provide ensure the hotel knows you have already paid for meal.

Please consider bringing an item or items that represent your locality for the silent auction on Thursday October 15th which goes to benefit our scholarship program.

Lodging & Meals Information

Lodging for the 2026 conference is at Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia. Lodging is separate from the conference registration cost. All meals are included in the lodging costs. The 2026 lodging rates are:

2026 Lodging Rates

Single - $183.00 per night (plus taxes )

Double – $268.00 per night (plus taxes)

NOTE: The per night lodging rate includes a meal plan of breakfast, lunch and dinner and your meal GRATUITY. You do not need to provide tips. The double lodging rate include two meal plans.

Lodging Information:

1) When making reservations, please mention that you are attending the RPC conference.
2) For those that desire to arrive earlier than the conference or stay later after the conference ends, Mountain Lake Lodge will be offering the same lodging rate two days before and two days after the conference.
3) Mountain Lake Lodge requires a first night's room deposit that is guaranteed with a credit card when reservations are made.
4) Hotel check-in is at 4:00 PM and check-out time is 11:00 AM.
5) For current room availability and conference lodging rates, call Mountain Lake Lodge at (540) 626-7121, ext. 8, and mention the Rural Planning Caucus conference. Please confirm availability and rates directly with the lodge before making travel plans.
6) LodgingCancellations/ Refunds: In order to receive a refund on the deposit provided when your reservation was made, all cancellations must be made within 14 days prior to arrival. Any cancellation after this date results in the loss of the one night deposit provided when the reservation was made. This is the policy of Mountain Lake Lodge and RPC has no control on lodging reservation refunds.
7) Reservations cannot be made online. You must call the below number to receive the special RPC lodging rate:

Mountain Lake Lodge Reservations:
(540) 626-7121 EXT. 8
Reference " Rural Planning Caucus" Lodging Block