Be Part of North America’s Momentum for Change

Are you applying social marketing to tackle real-world challenges? Whether you’re advancing research, delivering programmes, or shaping policy, the North American Social Marketing Conference ignited by SPARKS (NASMC 2026) invites you to share your work.

Join us in Victoria, Canada, this October as we bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and changemakers from across North America and beyond. NASMC 2026 is designed to inspire, connect, and strengthen how social marketing is applied to today’s most pressing issues across health, environment, and safety.

Contribute to a Stronger, More Connected Field

This year’s conference represents a deliberate step forward. Delivered in partnership between the Social Marketing Association of North America and the Northwest Social Marketing Association, and shaped by the energy of SPARKS, NASMC 2026 brings together established communities to create a more dynamic and collaborative programme.

By presenting, you’ll contribute to a shared effort to advance behaviour change for social good. Whether your work is grounded in evidence, practice, or innovation, your insights can help move the field forward and support more effective, equitable, and sustainable outcomes.

We’re looking for contributions that demonstrate how social marketing principles and tools are being applied to influence behaviours that benefit individuals, communities, and society.

Share your work. Strengthen the practice. Be part of what comes next.

Why Submit

Showcase Work That Matters

Share your work with a highly relevant audience of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and behaviour change professionals from across North America and beyond. NASMC 2026 is a space for practical insight, evidence, and real-world application, where contributions are valued for their ability to inform and improve practice.

Be Part of a Connected and Evolving Community

NASMC 2026 brings together the established North American Social Marketing Conference with the energy and innovation of SPARKS. Delivered in partnership between the Social Marketing Association of North America and the Northwest Social Marketing Association, the conference is designed to strengthen connections across disciplines, sectors, and geographies.

Contribute to Work That Moves the Field Forward

Your submission can help shape how social marketing is applied to complex challenges across health, environment, and safety. The programme is built around sharing what works, what doesn’t, and what comes next, with a focus on approaches that can be adapted, scaled, or transferred into practice.

Build Relationships That Extend Beyond the Conference

NASMC has a strong track record of bringing people together who go on to collaborate, partner, and develop new projects. Whether you’re looking to exchange ideas, find collaborators, or expand your professional network, the conference creates the conditions for meaningful connection.

Learn, Challenge, and Refine Your Thinking

This is not a passive conference. It is a working space for testing ideas, sharing lessons, and engaging with others who are tackling similar challenges. You’ll leave with practical insight, fresh perspectives, and a clearer sense of how to strengthen your own work.

Submission Categories

Submissions are invited from NGOs, government agencies, academics, students, nonprofits, social businesses, and private sector organizations.

The NASMC committee welcomes submissions in the following formats:

• Poster
  • Ideal for sharing research, project results, or case studies in a visual format.
  • Posters will be displayed in a dedicated area for networking and discussion during breaks and a dedicated poster walk at the end of one of the main conference days.
• 20 - 45 Minute Presentations
  • Perfect for presenting concise research findings, innovative ideas, or case studies.
  • Longer sessions may be awarded for submissions seeking more in-depth exploration of specific topics.
  • We welcome proposals including interactive elements, such as discussions, brainstorming, or group activities.

Conference Tracks

We encourage submissions with a clear social marketing perspective under the following tracks:

Health

This track focuses on the role of social marketing in improving health outcomes, enhancing wellbeing, and addressing the broader determinants of health. We welcome submissions that explore how behaviour change approaches can support healthier individuals and communities across diverse contexts.
Topics may include, but are not limited to, disease prevention, mental health and wellbeing, health equity, healthcare access, patient adherence, and interventions addressing the social, environmental, and commercial determinants of health. Contributions that demonstrate measurable impact, innovative approaches, or transferable learning are particularly encouraged.

Environment

This track explores how social marketing can contribute to environmental sustainability and support behaviour change in response to climate and ecological challenges. Submissions should consider the interconnected relationship between human behaviour, environmental systems, and long-term sustainability.
Relevant topics may include sustainable consumption, waste reduction and reuse, conservation, climate action, biodiversity protection, ecosystem recovery, clean energy and decarbonization, environmental justice, and the application of behaviour change in emergency or resource-constrained settings. Work that reflects systems thinking, cross-sector collaboration, or the integration of environmental and human health perspectives is especially welcome.

Safety

This track examines how social marketing can be applied to improve safety outcomes across a range of settings and populations. It focuses on preventing harm, reducing risk, and promoting behaviours that protect individuals and communities.
Submissions may address areas such as injury prevention, road safety, workplace safety, community safety, violence prevention, and emergency preparedness. We also welcome work that explores issues of equity, inclusion, and access in relation to safety, as well as interventions that address stigma, structural barriers, or vulnerable populations.

How to Submit

Step 1: Download the Call for Papers document and track descriptions. This document outlines submission guidance and what you will need to make your submission via Propsal Space 

Step 2: Prepare your submission offline. Draft your abstract according to the guidelines in the  track descriptions document.

Step 3: Create a user account on Proposal Space and complete your submission.

• Submissions should be managed by the primary contact for the abstract, who will receive all correspondence.
• Additional presenters and full author details can be added during the submission process.

Step 4: Enter your abstract information into Proposal Space and finalize your submission.

Contact Information

If you have questions about the submission process, please contact the conference team at northam@wsmconference.com