The room you have been looking for.
Three days in Savannah with a small group of collegiate fitness leaders who do what you do. The kind of people you keep calling long after you get home.
Andaz Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Fifty people who understand your work
This is not a conference. There is no expo hall, no six tracks to choose between, no badge scanning on the way in.
The Summit is a small group of collegiate fitness leaders in one room for three days, working through the things that actually keep you up at night. Staffing. Budgets. Programming. The parts of the job nobody trained you for. You will talk more than you listen, and that is the point.
2026 Summit. An NPS above +80 is classified as world class by Bain.
You stop being the only person on campus who thinks about this all day.
You leave with a handful of people you can text on a hard Tuesday.
You learn from people solving the same problems on the same budget.
You work on your own plan out loud, with people who will push on it.
“This was my first smaller conference, and it was refreshing NOT to be overwhelmed by a multitude of sessions and a room full of vendors. I felt like I truly connected with the people I met.”
Who belongs here
- Associate and assistant directors
- Fitness and wellness coordinators
- Fitness facility managers
- Group fitness and personal training leaders
- City, parks, and community fitness directors
- Organizations serving collegiate fitness
- Here as part of the experience and the conversation, not behind an exhibitor table
Copy this into your request:
I would like to attend the 2027 Collegiate Fitness Directors Summit, June 22 to 24, 2027, at the Andaz Savannah in Savannah, Georgia. Registration starts at $399 and includes all educational sessions, roundtables, the action planning session, sponsor speed networking, the welcome dinner and happy hour, lunch on both full days, an offsite evening experience, morning movement sessions, and Summit materials. It is an intentionally small event built around peer problem solving rather than lectures, so the people in the room are directors and coordinators running programs like ours. I will come back with a written action plan for our program and a working network of colleagues at peer institutions.
Built around conversation, not lecture
You are in the room as a contributor, not an audience member. Here is what that looks like.
Small groups, real problems, no panel of experts at the front of the room.
You leave with something written down and a date next to it.
Short, structured conversations with partners who actually work in this space.
Bring something your program did well and walk the room through it.
The first night is where most of the year's relationships start.
See how other teams solved the same space and staffing problems. Registers separately from the Summit.
The shape of three days
Arrive and settle in. The Pre-Conference Facility Tour runs during the day for those who register for it. The Summit itself opens in the evening with a welcome happy hour and dinner, which is where most people meet the person they end up calling all year.
The full day. Morning movement, education blocks built around programming, staffing, and marketing and assessment, sponsor speed networking, and lunch together. The afternoon opens up before an offsite experience in the city.
Morning movement, then a session on your own development as a leader. The Action Planning Session runs late morning, so the last working hour of the Summit is spent on what you are taking home. Lunch together before you head out.
Time blocks and session titles post here as the 2027 program is confirmed.
Registration
Registration is open. Early Bird rates run through January 15, 2027.
| Early Bird Sept 1, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027Open now | Regular Jan 16 to Apr 16, 2027 | Late Apr 17 to May 20, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| College and University | $399 | $489 | $569 |
| Community | $549 | $649 | $749 |
- All educational sessions, roundtables, and the Action Planning Session
- Sponsor Speed Networking
- Welcome Dinner and Welcome Happy Hour
- Lunch on both full days
- One offsite evening social experience
- Morning movement sessions
- Summit merchandise and materials
- Collegiate Fitness Event App access
Announced separately: the Pre-Conference Facility Tour, with its own registration
Not included: lodging, travel, parking, and breakfast
Not ready to register? Join the list and we will keep you posted.
Collegiate fitness decision makers, three days, real relationships
Partners come to the Summit as members of the community. You sit at the tables, eat the same meals, and join the same conversations everyone else is in.
So when you get your structured time at Sponsor Speed Networking, you are talking with someone you already know by name, about a problem you already heard them describe. That is a different conversation than the one you have with a stranger walking past a booth.
Diamond Presenting Partner
Platinum Partners
Partners
A city that does half the work for you
The Andaz sits on Ellis Square, in the middle of the historic district. That matters more than it sounds like it should. Last year in Charleston, the best conversations of the Summit did not happen in the meeting room. They happened on the ten minute walk to dinner, and again on the walk back.
Savannah is built for that. Squares every few blocks, oak canopy over most of them, and enough good food within walking distance that nobody needs a car for three days.
You will see the city. It is just not why you are coming.
Everything on the schedule is within a few blocks of your room.
Twenty two squares, live oaks, and architecture worth the detour.
Come hungry. Plan at least one dinner of your own.
Where you'll stay
The Andaz is the host hotel and the venue. You will not commute to this Summit.
Welcome beverage on arrival, wi-fi in guest rooms and public spaces, local calls, and access to the Terrace fitness space. The destination fee is waived for Summit attendees.
Breakfast is not included in the room rate.
Self-park and valet are both available. The City of Savannah parking garage sits directly underneath the hotel.
- Valet: $50 weekday, $55 weekend, per car per night, taxes included
- Self-park: $24 per day through the City of Savannah
Summit attendees receive a 20 percent parking discount.
Parking rates are set by the hotel and the City of Savannah and are subject to change.
Room block cut-off: May 30, 2027
Group code: G-MB19
Book early. Rooms are limited and the block closes on the cut-off date.
Getting here. Savannah/Hilton Head International (SAV) is about twenty minutes away. The Andaz sits on Ellis Square in the historic district, so the Summit is walkable start to finish.
Not ready to register? Stay on the list.
Agenda drops, speaker announcements, and Savannah details as they are confirmed. No more email than that.
We will not send spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
Questions
When and where is the Summit?
Tuesday, June 22 through Thursday, June 24, 2027, at the Andaz Savannah, 14 Barnard Street, Savannah, GA 31401. The hotel is also the venue.
How do I register?
Registration is open. Use any Register Now button on this page, or go straight to events.collegiatefitness.com/cfd27.
Early Bird rates run through January 15, 2027. Registration closes May 20, 2027.
What is included in the registration rate?
All educational sessions, tabletop discussions, and the Action Planning Session. Sponsor Speed Networking. The Welcome Dinner and Welcome Happy Hour. Lunch on both full days. One offsite evening social experience. Morning movement sessions. Summit merchandise and materials. Access to the Collegiate Fitness Event App.
Lodging, travel, parking, and breakfast are not included. The Pre-Conference Facility Tour will be announced separately and has its own registration.
Are meals included?
Yes, most of them. The Welcome Dinner, the Welcome Happy Hour, lunch on both full days, and one offsite evening experience are all part of your registration.
Breakfast is not included, either on the Summit schedule or in the Andaz room rate. Plan for it in your travel budget.
How do I join the Pre-Conference Facility Tour?
The tour runs on Tuesday, June 22, before the Summit opens. Details and a separate registration will be announced closer to the Summit, so registering for the Summit does not sign you up for the tour.
Join the list below and we will let you know as soon as it opens.
Who should attend?
Collegiate fitness and wellness leaders: associate and assistant directors, fitness and wellness coordinators, fitness facility managers, and group fitness and personal training leaders. City, parks, and community fitness directors are welcome too.
Industry partners join the Summit through partnership rather than attendee registration, and they participate as members of the community rather than as exhibitors. If that is you, start with the sponsorship guide.
How big is the Summit?
Small on purpose. In 2026 there were 51 leaders from 19 campuses across 8 states, and 2027 is built to the same scale. That is the whole design. Everyone can be in one room, in one conversation, for three days.
Where do I stay, and when is the cut-off?
The Andaz Savannah, at $241 plus tax per night under group code G-MB19, with the destination fee waived. The room block cut-off is May 30, 2027. After that date, rooms are subject to availability at the hotel's standard rates, so book early.
Is there parking at the hotel?
Yes. Self-park and valet are both available, and the City of Savannah parking garage sits directly underneath the hotel.
- Valet: $50 weekday, $55 weekend, per car per night, taxes included
- Self-park: $24 per day through the City of Savannah
Summit attendees receive a 20 percent parking discount. Parking rates are set by the hotel and the City of Savannah and are subject to change.
How do I get the event app?
Registered attendees get access to the Collegiate Fitness Event App ahead of the Summit. It carries the schedule, the attendee list, and any updates during the three days.
What is the refund policy?
All registration sales are final. If you cannot attend, you may transfer your registration to a colleague any time before registration closes on May 20, 2027.
