State Leadership Conference

State Leadership Conference 2026

NEW Location! Hyatt Regency & Century II in Wichita! March 2-3, 2026

Conference Info

Advisors

Members

Judges

Recognition/Scholarships

State Officer Canidates

Expo

Speakers

Conference Information

Advisor/Member/Attendee Event Information Document HERE.

Expo/Speaker Event Information Document HERE.

The above documents utilize tabs on the left hand side to help with organization.

The Event Information documents linked above have all current information about our State Leadership Conference, please refer to those for dates/deadlines, venue/hotel information, and more!

Address: Hyatt Regency Wichita & Century II400 West Waterman Street,

Wichita Venue Map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w66DLMCUPb2s4xvXiphCgFp8BGDw7ulK/view

- Outside food and drink is not allowed.

- Vehicles on display or left in the building overnight must disconnect battery and have less than a quarter tank of fuel.

- Wooden wheel pads must be used in all areas of Convention and Exhibition Halls. Tire and vehicle shine are prohibited within the facility.

- Events utilizing prohibited items will be assessed additional clean-up fees.

Hotels:

Hotel: Hyatt Regency II – Room Rate $136 per night before taxes

Hotel Reservation Deadline is Feb. 8, 2026.

- We have hotel room minimums to meet so please plan to book at the Hyatt. We have 20 rooms available on March 1 and 212 rooms is our minimum for March 2. There are 265 rooms total available. If we overbook the Hyatt, we do have a clause for alternative room placement.

https://www.hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/WICRW/G-HS26

Parking:

Hyatt Regency Guests: Those who book utilizing the URL above will have parking included with their hotel room. (Breakfast is not included.)

Kansas HOSA Sponsors: Kansas HOSA will provide parking for official sponsors of Kansas HOSA.

All Others: Parking will be $6. Park in the lot to the South of the Hyatt, this lot runs $5.40 - $6 for the day. You will utilize the Park Mobile signs for information.

Kansas HOSA is not responsible for any parking citations/tickets.

Monday, March 2

STUDENTS CANNOT BE DROPPED OFF AT THE CONFERENCE VENUE WITHOUT AN ADVISOR OR CHAPERONE PRESENT. KANSAS HOSA STATE STAFF IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR STUDENT SUPERVISION.

Conference check-in 8:00 am start
Opening Ceremony 9:00 am start
Competitive events and sessions 10am start
Officer Candidate Speeches will occur on March 2, 5 - 6pm
- Candidates & Voting Delegates will have schedules cleared during this time
- Any other attendees who wish to attend are welcome.
Lunch will be provided and have a window of time for attendees to go eat
The schedule will run until 6pm

Tuesday, March 3

Competitive events will start at 8am
We aim to end competitive events by 12pm – this will be heavily dependent on numbers.
Food trucks will be on site for lunch (time TBA)
Closing will start 1/1:30pm and typically runs an hour. We won’t have candidate speeches in with closing this year so that should shorten our closing time.

The below list includes those items that are not permitted within the facility. Use of the below items without approval from Century II Management may result in additional fees. In rare circumstances, Century II Management may give written approval to allow such items. This list is not all-inclusive, subject to change, and additional items may be banned or restricted by Century II Management, dependent on events.

• Paint and shoe polish

• Tape unless purchased through Century II Staff

• Glitter, confetti, silly-string, stickers, etc.

• Metal-wheeled carts

• Flammable gasses including: hydrogen, oxygen, propane, butane, etc.

• Compressors that are not part of a display or machinery

• Weapons

Public Health: If registrations are under 20, all registrants will automatically jump to round 2 presentations on site at SLC. If registrations are over 20, competitors will need to prepare for round 1. This information will be announced when registration closes.

CPR/First Aid:
- Per the guidelines page on hosa.org, the AHA changes announced in October 2025 will NOT be updated in guidelines until the 2026-2027 academic year. Students will need to refer to previous AHA guidelines.

Creative Problem Solving & Native Health Advocacy: This is a TWO PART event. Teams will have a report time to get their secret topic and create their presentations. Then they will have a later presentation time in front of the judges. This is described in the guidelines and we will follow those. If a team does not complete the preparation time, they will not be able to complete the presentation.

Health Career Photography:
- Round 1: Digital upload through apps.hosa.org by 11:59pm on February 1. No hard materials required for this round. You can refer to the guidelines, page 2-3 information regarding digital uploads keeping in mind that our SLC deadline is February 1. Everything in points 8 - 11 is relevant to SLC other than the date difference.
- Round 2: Schedules will be announced on Feb. 16. Competitors MUST submit a digital upload in round 1 to receive a round 2 appointment time.
- Project Display Time - we are still working out details but DO anticipate having a project display time at SLC. This will NOT be the same as the presentation before the judges so you might have two “events” on site at SLC.
- Round 2 Presentations will be before our judges in the selected presentation room. Competitors will need to have a hard copy of their portfolio. However, Kansas HOSA does NOT require a specific portfolio. You can use a 3 ring binder or whatever will work for you. (If you move on to ILC, you will need to follow any ILC requirements regarding portfolios.)
- If you do not take your portfolio with you out of the presentation room, you will need to pick it up from Headquarters (Willow room) by the close of SLC or we will discard them.

Complete Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10hVBno8a07W9ZjewZQ2cgcw5mAf0ij2FS2U8lOrsq-k/edit?usp=sharing

State Officers Advice

Shivani

"Talk to everyone! Friends and connections make everything much more engaging"

Amber

"Go to speaker sessions in topics you might not know about, you could discover a new passion"

Theresa

"Be personable! Connections you make at SLC can become lifelong friends or great career opportunities"

Vidhu

"SLC is not just a competition, take advantage of all the opportunities you can"

Alaina

"Study for your events! Your preparedness will always pay off"

Judges

Kansas HOSA currently has over 60 competitive events that have on-site and/or virtual judging needs. We also have needs for event managers, timekeepers, mock patients, etc.

Judging Dates:

Virtual judging will take place from Feb. 4, 8am – Feb. 10, 8pm at your leisure during this time.
On-site judging and staff needs will be on March 2 from approximately 10am – 6pm and March 3 from 8am to approximately 12pm.

Judge Responsibilities:

Each judge will judge one to two events, for smaller events (small number of competitors) judges may judge three similar events.

Recruitment:

Judge Recruitment closes on January 23. Event information can be found at http://www.hosa.org/guidelines.

This includes the structure for each event, rubrics that you will be provided, and skill scenarios for events that include a skill round two.
If you are interested in judging/volunteering, please complete our registration form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdbwjjMnoYJBnLN_ncoFIwqbxOEbgoxuLKxEDMOJDjpLPXrw/viewform?usp=header

Follow-up for judges and volunteers will come from State Advisor, Tina Garetson, or Judge Coordinator, Nikki Cooper at ncooper3@kumc.edu.

Scholarships/Recognition

For access to all applications and information, see this Google Folder.

ALL Recognition and Scholarship Applications are due to tgoosz@kumc.edu by 11:59pm on January 23.

Recognition:

Chapter Advisor of the Year - can be submitted by members, colleagues, and self-nomination. All those nominated will be recognized at SLC 2026 and the top scoring advisor will be awarded the Kansas HOSA Outstanding Chapter Advisor of the Year and will be recognized at the International Leadership Conference.

Chapter Member of the Year - submitted by the local chapter advisor. Each chapter can nominate one Chapter Member of the Year to be recognized at SLC 2026 for their outstanding service to their local chapter.

Scholarships:

Kansas HOSA Scholarships (2-4 offered, $500 each, seniors and current post-secondary students are eligible)

KU School of Nursing Scholarship - Thanks to a generous sponsorship this special $500 scholarship will be available at SLC 2026. Please use the Kansas HOSA Scholarship to apply for this.

Rob Fields Scholarship (1-3 offered, $300 each, seniors only)

State Officer Candidates

State Officer Candidates must submit their completed application to tgoosz@kumc.edu by 11:59pm on January 23 and ensure you have taken the online State Officer Exam Kansas by 8pm on January 30.

The Google Folder holds the application containing all information you need for candidacy, preparation, and applying.

Jan. 6, 6pm: Officer Candidate Informational Zoom (for candidates and advisors):

- Recording can be found in the google folder

Jan. 23 by 11:59pm, submit application to tgoosz@kumc.edu

Jan. 12, 8am - Jan. 30, 8pm: Complete the online State Officer Exam Kansas during the online testing window at your school.

Week of Feb. 2: Officer Candidates notified of qualification for next round.-

Week of Feb. 9: Officer Candidate Zoom Interviews begin

- You will take the online HOSA State Officer Exam during the testing window (Jan. 12, 6am – Jan. 30, 8pm) at your school.

- The test will be timed (50 minutes maximum allowed) and consist of 39 multiple-choice questions

- Topics: HOSA-Future Health Professions current facts and information, the history of HOSA, leadership qualities and parliamentary procedure. More information on preparing for the test can be found in the application packet.

- You will need to score a 70% on this test to move forward in the candidacy process. - Qualification notifications will not be released until after the testing window closes.

1. Candidate Application (emailed to Tina Goosz by 11:59 pm January 23)

- Application found in google folder

2. State Officer Test

- Completed during online testing window (Jan. 12, 8am - Jan. 30, 8pm) at your school

- Watch Officer Candidate Informational zoom for content information

3. Interview

- Selected candidates (based on test results and the application score) will have a Zoom interview with the State Advisor and the State Officer Coordinator prior to SLC.

- This will be a scored interview and is part of your overall application process.Must qualify for this stage based on test score

4. SLC Speech

- NEW for 2025-2026: A maximum of 20 candidates will be invited to present their two-minute speeches at SLC.

- This will be determined by the scoring on the questionnaire in this application packet and the interview score.

- Prior to SLC, a current State Officer will coordinate with those giving speeches at SLC for a social media feature prior to SLC. This is not scored but will allow for membership to “meet” you ahead of the conference.

- At SLC, invited candidates will be allowed a two-minute (strictly timed) window to give a brief speech to the membership. Use this to showcase who you are, your HOSA story, and why you want to be a State Officer. Be creative!

- For SLC, you will be expected to be in business professional dress. If you have official dress, that would be great! If not, business professional is fine.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out (tgoosz@kumc.edu). For selection of officers, State Staff will use the scores from your candidate questionnaire, your interview, and votes received from voting delegates.

Expo Details

The Kansas HOSA State Leadership Conference will be held March 2-3, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency & Century II in Wichita, KS. We invite you to join us as part of the Expo at this year’s conference.

Expo Registration Fees:

1 day: $225 ($125 for non-profits)
2 days: $400 ($200 for non-profits)
Kansas HOSA Sponsors: Fee waived for one day; $75 to add a second day

Registration includes one 6-foot table and two lunches. Over 1,000 students are expected to attend. Unless a sponsor, parking is not included.

Please register online by January 30, 2026, to secure your spot – space is limited. A confirmation email and invoice will follow once registration is complete. Registration Link

We hope to see you at the conference. Follow-up for the expo will come from our Expo Coordinator, Niki Dinkel at ndinkel@kumc.edu.

Address: Hyatt Regency Wichita & Century II400 West Waterman Street,

Wichita Venue Map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w66DLMCUPb2s4xvXiphCgFp8BGDw7ulK/view

- Outside food and drink is not allowed.

- Vehicles on display or left in the building overnight must disconnect battery and have less than a quarter tank of fuel.

- Wooden wheel pads must be used in all areas of Convention and Exhibition Halls. Tire and vehicle shine are prohibited within the facility.

- Events utilizing prohibited items will be assessed additional clean-up fees.

Hotels:

Hotel: Hyatt Regency II – Room Rate $136 per night before taxes

Hotel Reservation Deadline is Feb. 8, 2026.

- We have hotel room minimums to meet so please plan to book at the Hyatt. We have 20 rooms available on March 1 and 212 rooms is our minimum for March 2. There are 265 rooms total available. If we overbook the Hyatt, we do have a clause for alternative room placement.

https://www.hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/WICRW/G-HS26

Parking:

Hyatt Regency Guests: Those who book utilizing the URL above will have parking included with their hotel room. (Breakfast is not included.)

Kansas HOSA Sponsors: Kansas HOSA will provide parking for official sponsors of Kansas HOSA.

All Others: Parking will be $6. Park in the lot to the South of the Hyatt, this lot runs $5.40 - $6 for the day. You will utilize the Park Mobile signs for information.

Kansas HOSA is not responsible for any parking citations/tickets.

The below list includes those items that are not permitted within the facility. Use of the below items without approval from Century II Management may result in additional fees. In rare circumstances, Century II Management may give written approval to allow such items. This list is not all-inclusive, subject to change, and additional items may be banned or restricted by Century II Management, dependent on events.

• Paint and shoe polish

• Tape unless purchased through Century II Staff

• Glitter, confetti, silly-string, stickers, etc.

• Metal-wheeled carts

• Flammable gasses including: hydrogen, oxygen, propane, butane, etc.

• Compressors that are not part of a display or machinery

• Weapons

Speakers

We are excited to announce that all registrations are open for the KS HOSA State Leadership Conference 2026. We have a NEW venue this year and will be at the Hyatt Regency / Century II in Wichita on March 2-3, 2026. We currently estimate 1,200 attendees for this conference based on previous growth. If you have any questions about the conference, please contact State Advisor, Tina Garetson, at tgoosz@kumc.edu.

Needs: With an estimated 1,200 attendees, we have needs for speakers, hands-on trainers, etc. Sessions will be scheduled on March 2 from approximately 10am – 6pm and March 3 from 8am to approximately 12pm and staff will work with your availability to schedule your sessions. With the State Leadership Conference, we also encourage sessions that allow members to destress, are shorter rotations for skills, are community service based, etc.
Speaker registration will close January 30.

If you are interested in speaking at our conference, please complete our registration form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc73zNzI72dBIClNEoJQm_hHnjwzrioPHbQ03Rfyly89rFVzg/viewform?usp=header

Follow up for speakers will come from the State Advisor, Tina Garetson. Scheduling of sessions will occur in February.

Address: Hyatt Regency Wichita & Century II400 West Waterman Street,

Wichita Venue Map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w66DLMCUPb2s4xvXiphCgFp8BGDw7ulK/view

- Outside food and drink is not allowed.

- Vehicles on display or left in the building overnight must disconnect battery and have less than a quarter tank of fuel.

- Wooden wheel pads must be used in all areas of Convention and Exhibition Halls. Tire and vehicle shine are prohibited within the facility.

- Events utilizing prohibited items will be assessed additional clean-up fees.

Hotels:

Hotel: Hyatt Regency II – Room Rate $136 per night before taxes

Hotel Reservation Deadline is Feb. 8, 2026.

- We have hotel room minimums to meet so please plan to book at the Hyatt. We have 20 rooms available on March 1 and 212 rooms is our minimum for March 2. There are 265 rooms total available. If we overbook the Hyatt, we do have a clause for alternative room placement.

https://www.hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/WICRW/G-HS26

Parking:

Hyatt Regency Guests: Those who book utilizing the URL above will have parking included with their hotel room. (Breakfast is not included.)

Kansas HOSA Sponsors: Kansas HOSA will provide parking for official sponsors of Kansas HOSA.

All Others: Parking will be $6. Park in the lot to the South of the Hyatt, this lot runs $5.40 - $6 for the day. You will utilize the Park Mobile signs for information.

Kansas HOSA is not responsible for any parking citations/tickets.

The below list includes those items that are not permitted within the facility. Use of the below items without approval from Century II Management may result in additional fees. In rare circumstances, Century II Management may give written approval to allow such items. This list is not all-inclusive, subject to change, and additional items may be banned or restricted by Century II Management, dependent on events.

• Paint and shoe polish

• Tape unless purchased through Century II Staff

• Glitter, confetti, silly-string, stickers, etc.

• Metal-wheeled carts

• Flammable gasses including: hydrogen, oxygen, propane, butane, etc.

• Compressors that are not part of a display or machinery

• Weapons

We approach break-out sessions with a “sky’s the limit attitude” and invite speakers to provide sessions on career paths, personal journey, passion projects, panel discussions, teaching skills/hands-on sessions, escape rooms, soft skills necessary for future healthcare professionals, break-out rooms, and more. For the State Leadership Conference, we also welcome more casual sessions such as our quiet room (see volunteer needs), crafting, service projects, etc. to provide members a break from the competitive event environment.

The State Leadership Conference is slightly different from the Fall Leadership Conference where members have competitive events going on as well so audience sizes can vary. Where Fall we often have very large speaking sessions available, with State you can plan on smaller audiences, members may slip into a session or out if they have a competitive event during the session, etc. However, we are estimating 1,200 attendees and want to make sure our members have plenty of learning opportunities during the conference.

Need: Skill sessions - teach members specific healthcare related careers

Need: Engaging presenters to share about career paths/opportunities. Think healthcare adjacent opportunities too!

Idea: We would love to offer some sort of interactive relay “race” around healthcare related activities. It’s an amorphous idea right now and we would love to see someone run with it.

Idea: Escape rooms. If you can come up with a topic that you can then require members to demonstrate learning or skills to “escape” the room, that would be amazing.

State Leadership Conference 2026

Conference Information

State Officers Advice

Shivani

Amber

Theresa

Vidhu

Alaina

Judges

Scholarships/Recognition

State Officer Candidates

Expo Details

Speakers

For More Information about Kansas HOSA, contact Tina Garetson at tgoosz@kumc.edu or (620) 670-5272.