Learn, Connect & Have Fun

Thank you for attending the 19th Annual IOA Conference on 18 - 20 March 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

The IOA Annual Conference is more than an event – it's an immersive experience designed to empower and connect professionals like yourself.

The IOA annual conference is the premier venue to promote ombuds awareness, increase individual knowledge, and enhance professional skills. The annual conference features keynote and plenary speakers, workshops, presentations, and panel discussions and provides countless opportunities for connection and engagement.  

Keynote Speakers: Gain insights from thought leaders and industry experts.

Learning Opportunities: Dive deep into relevant topics with one of our Pre-Conference workshops and informative concurrent sessions. Learn practical strategies and best practices that you can apply in your role immediately.

Panel Discussions: Explore diverse perspectives from experienced ombuds and innovative approaches through our dynamic panel discussions, providing a comprehensive view of current challenges and opportunities in the ombuds community.

Networking Opportunities: Forge valuable connections with fellow professionals, fostering a community of support and collaboration. Share experiences, exchange ideas, and build lasting relationships.

Why Now? In a rapidly evolving landscape, staying ahead requires continuous learning and networking. The IOA Conference is your opportunity to invest in yourself, your career, and your impact as an ombuds professional at all stages of your career.

A Message from IOA 

As a profession committed to fairness, we appreciate hearing from members about holding the annual conference in Miami for IOA2025. As an international organization, IOA is always trying to balance a variety of potentially competing needs that our members may not be aware of. We hope it is helpful to share some information that impacted IOA’s decisions to contract with hotels in Miami to host our conference, as well as information about hotel contracting generally:  

• IOA's conference location is determined by a number of factors including what cities are willing to bid on our conference and if we have been to that region in the last five years.  

• IOA contracts with hotels at least three years in advance of the conference date. This is generally the minimal amount of advance time required to be able to secure space that is adequate for both hotel meeting and sleeping room needs.  

• The contract for Miami 2025 was re-negotiated as part COVID pandemic cancellations in 2021 and 2022, and cannot be canceled without significant cost to IOA.

• In September of 2023, California removed its travel ban list for state employees clearing the way for California's higher ed and government ombuds community to attend.  

• We try to host conferences in locations that can be easily traveled to by our international community. Miami is a gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, and also more easily accessible from southern Europe.   

• Finally, we have often considered hosting annual conferences in locations outside of the U.S. and have been met with concerns that U.S. members would not be able to travel. Balancing these competing needs is always a challenge.  

We understand some members are concerned and disappointed. We share this information in an effort to illuminate the complexities of hotel location contracting.  Should any location present an issue of physical safety for our members, participants, and staff, we will need to reassess as we get closer to the conference date.   

 Thank You to Our 2024 Partners 

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Partner with IOA in 2024