IOA 2025 Attendee Experience

What to Expect at Conference

Every year, members of the International Ombuds Association, colleagues, and friends collaborate and meet at the IOA Annual Conference. This year, the Conference Committee has built an event with plenty of opportunities to connect, meet, strengthen, and create friendships within the IOA community.

Sunday | Miami CF

Calling all football fans! Join your fellow Ombuddies to watch Inter Miami CF vs. Toronto FC on Sunday, 6 April at 7:00 PM. IOA Ombuddies have provided a group link through which you can purchase tickets. There are two tiers of tickets that correspond to two different sections. It’s recommended to select seats in Section 119 in Rows 27-30 and those in Section 126 choose seats in Rows 24-25.

The stadium is in Ft. Lauderdale, with an approximate transit time of 35 minutes. Public Transit information to the stadium can be found here. This is not an IOA-organized event.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday | Start Times Vary

Early Morning Activities: Up early? Want to relieve some stress before a long day of conference sessions? Check the schedule for daily times.

Run or sing with fellow ombuds!

Monday | 6:00 PM | Meet in the Ombuds Lounge

Dine-Arounds

Dine-Arounds are a great opportunity to connect with others at the IOA Annual Conference in a smaller group. Dine-Arounds will take place on Monday, 7 April, participants can choose to join a group of 4-6 people. The group will meet and depart from the Ombuds Lounge at 6:00 PM unless otherwise noted. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up with your name and onsite contact information. All participants are responsible for their dining expenses.

Sign Up Now

Monday | 8:30 - 10:00 PM | Concerto A

OmbudSing Group Sing-Along

Whether you like to sing and/or enjoy listening to music, we hope you’ll join us! If there’s a favorite song that you’d like to sing with your ombuddies, please email the song name, performer, (and the key if different from the original recording) to Dana Hinojosa and Chuck Doran at [email protected].

Tuesday | 3:45 - 4:45 PM | Symphony 1-3

Ombuds Stories

Hear stories from practicing ombuds that will provide five glimpses into the personal journeys that delineate the boundaries of the ombuds profession and epitomize the range of experiences we all bring to our work.

Tuesday | 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Sound Garden

Late Night with IOA: 20th Anniversary Party

Wednesday | 9:00 - 9:45 AM | Ombuds Lounge

IOA Research Café

Grab a coffee and join members of the Research and Assessment Committee for IOA’s second Research Café! A research café brings the ombuds community together to create space to exchange research ideas, get peer feedback for an idea that they may have, and build potential research collaborations in a friendly and low-stake setting. Not only does this allow ombuds to connect with others interested in research, but also allows them to share their research journey – whether they have done research before or are just beginning.

Further the Conversation on the IOA CommUnity

In addition the in-person conversations and events at the conference we invite you to share your experience on the IOA Online CommUnity. Join a discussion, start a conversation about a session topic, and dive deeper into the subject matters that most relate to your ombuds experience.

Also, post about your experience on the social media platform of your choice. Tag IOA in your posts to share your conference experience with the greater IOA community.

Learn more about the Online CommUnity

Networking

The IOA Conference provides a platform for conversation and relationship-building. Check out a few of the ways you can better connect with your fellow conference attendees.

Ombuds Lounge: Stop by the Ombuds Lounge to recharge your devices and your spirits. We will have board games, a four-person escape room, and plenty of space to send emails or catch up with new and old friends.