UUA General Assembly & Conference Services

UUA General Assembly & Conference Services General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).

68% of attendees at GA 2026 have used Whova before. 90% of eligible attendees downloaded the app this year. There were 1...
07/26/2026

68% of attendees at GA 2026 have used Whova before. 90% of eligible attendees downloaded the app this year. There were 100 community board posts, 3,508 messages exchanged, 188 ice-breaker messages, 32 job posts, 507 photos shared, and 1,253 participants watching streams. Hundreds of personal agendas were created. Some people clearly adapted although others never did. Some found that familiarity made Whova easier while some were overwhelmed. Some where confused about locations while hundreds joined satellite/studio sites and congregational watch parties. In a large community like GA, it's typical that people have different experiences.

07/25/2026

What positive experiences were you surprised or delighted by during GA 2026?

07/24/2026

Studio & Satellite Sites validated the importance of gathering but challenged assumptions about format.

Participants continue to value gathering in person. At the same time, survey results revealed more nuanced conclusions. Overall satisfaction was positive. Perceived value was substantially more mixed. Intent to attend again under the same model was cautious, with many respondents indicating uncertainty rather than enthusiasm. Participants appreciated:
- seeing friends
- worshipping together
- meeting speakers and UUA staff
- and sharing community

However, many also expressed a desire for:
- more exclusive in-person experiences
- greater interaction
- additional opportunities for conversation
- more live programming
- and fewer activities that primarily involved watching content already available online

The implication is that long-term success of a Studio & Satellite Site model depends upon intentionally designing experiences that cannot be replicated through livestream participation alone.

There are also attendees who believe any sort of exclusively live content bars access.

What might a both/and opportunity look like?
Would you rather there be multiple sites (satellites) or a single host site - both with the option of virtual attendance?
Might multiple sites serve as a gateway to re-establishing district level participation (which some people really miss)?

07/23/2026

Innovations Introduced or Expanded in GA 2026
✓ Business meetings held separately from the community weekend
✓ Virtual-forward with optional opportunities for in-person engagement
✓ Studio Site – with meeting space and lodging under one roof and meals included!
✓ Satellite Sites – each offering a local flair to programming and engagement!
✓ Expansion of Congregational Gatherings/Watch Parties – ideal for congregations streaming publicly available content like business meetings and Sunday worship
✓ Hybrid production model (in-house governance; external production for closing weekend)
✓ Expanded on-demand learning library with more live programming
✓ Participation expanded to include single event ticket purchases and housing incentives to offset studio site registration costs
✓ “All In” congregation-wide access to GA programming for congregations meeting certain delegate registration criteria
✓ Community Care integration, including the return of our Systemic Justice team and distributed leadership across teams with two dedicated, long-term volunteer leaders
✓ Continuation and expansion of Meet the Moment programming with facilitator guides, more online cohorts, and a powerful programming overview presented by UUA executive leadership

07/21/2026

Participants continue to value General Assembly primarily because it creates opportunities for authentic human connection. Programming remains important. Governance remains essential. Learning remains highly valued. Yet participants repeatedly described conversations in hallways, shared meals, worship, volunteer service, local gatherings, and informal relationship-building as the experiences that most deeply shaped their General Assembly.
Satellite Site participants offered perhaps the clearest articulation of this theme. As one host summarized,
"The top word for the whole week was they loved the opportunity to connect with the community."
Another observed that participants frequently remained together long after scheduled programming concluded because local conversations became as valuable as the livestream itself.
Studio Site participants similarly requested more opportunities for interaction, discussion, shared meals, live music, and community-building rather than additional passive viewing experiences.
Do you agree with the evidence suggesting that GA functions as an ecosystem in which relationships amplify the value of programming rather than merely accompanying it? What programming did you most enjoy/appreciate during GA 2026?

07/20/2026

Attendee Feedback: A split schedule between business and other programming garnered a nearly equal split response. 52% recommend doing it this way again, 47% do not. Which group did you side with?

Benefits
• governance focus
• reduced conflicts
• relaxed pacing

Costs
• weaker sense of one shared event
• larger total time commitment
• awkward gap

07/20/2026

Participants consistently described General Assembly 2026 as being more complex than necessary. Examples include:
• multiple digital platforms
• separate business and program weekends
• different registration categories
• multiple livestream pathways
• location confusion
• changing schedules
• And complicated navigation

Collectively, this created unnecessary cognitive load, an observation that emerged independently from participants, Information Technology staff, accessibility leaders, satellite hosts, and studio attendees.
Do you agree? What improvements would you recommend?

06/30/2026

General Assembly 2027 Advisory Council
Purpose: The General Assembly Advisory Council (GAAC) serves as a trusted thought partner to the Director of General Assembly & Conference Services and the General Assembly planning teams.

The Council exists to:
- provide diverse perspectives from across Unitarian Universalism
- identify emerging opportunities and risks
- help interpret attendee experience
- test assumptions before major decisions are finalized
- strengthen communication with the wider UU community
- support continuous improvement of General Assembly

The Council is advisory. Operational and policy decisions remain the responsibility of UUA leadership and GACS.

Membership: The GAAC is comprised of 8–10 members representing:
- Board leadership
- ministers
- musicians
- accessibility
- production
- local hosts
- young adults
- racial and cultural diversity
- geographic diversity
- online participant perspective
- first-time GA attendee perspective
- long-time GA attendee perspective

Members must commit to:
- attending bi-weekly meetings
- reviewing occasional materials between meetings
- serving as ambassadors for thoughtful conversation (not advocates for predetermined positions)
- a one-year term
-participation and support during GA 2027

Interested? Email: [email protected]

06/30/2026

Over the past year, the General Assembly 2026 Advisory Council has been as much a listening body as one that actively generates organizational insight. Council members come to understand the complexity of GA, including the many competing values and objectives. They become increasingly better equipped to contribute in meaningful ways, including offering a psychologically safe space to explore ideas without the pressure of making formal decisions. The Council does not function as another layer of governance, but rather demonstrates its value as a trusted advisory group that broadens perspective, tests assumptions, and helps us think more systemically before decisions are finalized. The GAAC offers exactly the kind of thoughtful, strategic partnership we need. A tremendous thank you to the GA 2025 Advisory Council - Brandon Allen, Ida M. Jones, Amanda Sullivan, Ro Morris, Eric Huffer, Rev. Christe Lunsford, Brody Brenick, and representing the UUA Board, Rev. Kimberly Quinn Johnson.

A few friends from our congregtion here in Kentucky are joining me on a roadtrip to Louisville for the closing weekend o...
05/12/2026

A few friends from our congregtion here in Kentucky are joining me on a roadtrip to Louisville for the closing weekend of GA this year. We'll arrive on Friday in time for the Juneteenth Block Party, museum tours, and Regathering worship. On Saturday, we'll attend the MidAmerica regional assembly, then some of us will join our UU friends at the Pride Parade and Festival while others participate in the Meet The Moment discussion cohorts. We'll meet up later at Galt House for dinner and the Ware Lecture. On the way back home after Sunday worship, we'll debrief our experience and make plans for 2027. We've all registered for GA and signed up for studio site access. It's free to be in the studio audience since we booked a two night stay at the Galt House in the GA housing block. https://www.uua.org/ga/travel/general-assembly-hotels

Address

24 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA
02110

Telephone

+16179484209

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