In this article, we have compiled all the upcoming positive psychology conferences during 2019 and included those we know about for 2020. If you’re interested in speaking or presenting at any of these, we have also included the official pages for each event. These links will include the guidelines for submissions, symposia, schedules, and more information on the conferences themselves as they become available.
If you have no plans to present research or host a workshop, these positive psychology conferences are still very much worth attending. Whether its simply for a chance to interact with other therapists, coaches, or positive psychology enthusiasts, they are often global gatherings of professionals from a diversity of sectors. Here is a brief overview of what you can expect from each of the conferences, and we will continue updating this page as more events are announced.
30th World Summit on Positive Psychology, Mindfulness, Psychotherapy and Philosophy
Date: March 18-19, 2019
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Price: Varies between USD $200 to present an academic webinar and $999 to register as a speaker. Business registrations and packages cost slightly more.
Description: This year’s theme is “Psychological and Philosophical pursuit of Happiness and Wellbeing”. Researchers, academics, presenters, and experts will present and discuss the latest in Mindfulness, Stress, Wellbeing, Spirituality, and more. The conference will bring together ideas and perspectives from different disciplines, including social, pure, and applied sciences.
Visit the Positive Psychology Conferences 2019 Website here.
World Happiness Summit 2019
Date: March 15-17, 2019
Location: The University of Miami, Miami, Florida, US
Price: Ranges between USD $145 and $750
Description: Held over three days, the World Happiness Summit (WOHASU) unites and connects global experts on wellbeing and happiness. The summit introduces tools for building wellbeing and approaches for managing stress. Coaches, speakers, and positive psychology enthusiasts can network at this weekend event, which centers around “A Holistic Approach to Happiness”.
Visit the official webpage here.
The 4th Ultimate Wellbeing in Education Conference
Date: March 21, 2019
Location: Westminster Academy, London, UK
Price: £159.43
Description: A one-day conference led by the University of Buckingham Vice-Chancellor and IPEN (International Positive Education Network) President Sir Anthony Seldon. Discussions will center around the important role of wellbeing education and how it can best be implemented in educational settings. Those working with young people such as teachers, pastoral staff, lecturers, and more, will be able to listen to experts talk on wellbeing in education. Everybody interested in education is invited to register.
Visit the website here.
SAS Education Conference 2019
Date: March 21-23, 2019
Location: Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Price: USD $325 for trainee members and $555 for non-faculty members, with more prices available.
Description: The Society for Affective Science (SAS) features TED-style talks, a ‘Trajectories, Transitions, and Turning Points’ session, joint sessions, and invited speakers. This year’s Presidential Symposium looks at research into emotion, ethnicity, and culture, with speakers such as Tiffany Brannon, Michele Gelfand, and Jeanne Tsai.
Learn more about the SAS Conference here.
Third Positive Education Conference (PENZ19)
Date: April 8-9, 2019
Location: Christ’s College, Christchurch, New Zealand
Price: Starts at NZD $565 for registration before 14th March, and $615 after
Description: With a focus on the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of whole-school wellbeing strategies, the 3rd PENZ Conference invites teachers, therapists, sports coaches, academic researchers, parents, and policymakers to join. The question guiding the conference is “How do you embark on creating a whole-school wellbeing strategy and what does that look like in your particular school?”
The conference page can be found here.
25th Annual Wisconsin Symposium on Emotion
Date: April 10 – 11, 2019.
Location: University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Price: General admission is USD $161.76 including fees
Description: This symposium marks the 25th birthday of the yearly HealthEmotions Research Institute event. The theme is “Adversity, Resilience, and Psychopathology”, and featured speakers include professors and psychiatrists in the field of affective neuroscience.
Here is the official website.
PESA National Conference 2019
Date: April 11-13, 2019
Location: RACV Royal Pines, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Price: Full-day registrations begin at $790 for PESA members and students, while 1- and 2-day registrations are also available.
Description: The fifth annual PESA national conference takes place in April for participants who want to learn about developments and research in Positive Education. The conference program balances both practical application and theory, allowing practitioners, teachers, educators, parents, researchers, and community to share ideas. Expect workshops, masterclasses, panels, and presentations. Keynote speakers include Sonja Lyubomirsky, Lea Waters, and Lindsay Oades.
Find out more here.
10th Annual Spiritual and Cultural Care Conference
Date: April 12, 2019
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Price: $95 for students, $130 at regular rate
Description: The International Network on Personal Meaning (INPM) organizes a yearly one-day Spiritual and Cultural Care conference that includes workshops and talks for practitioners. The focus is on Integrative meaning therapy (MT), which combines CBT, positive psychotherapy, and Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy. Students, counselors, health practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, social workers, and providers of spiritual care are all welcome.
Visit the website here.
2019 ResilienceCon™
Date: April 14-16, 2019
Location: Scarritt Bennett Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Price: USD $285 for students, and $439 for regular registration, up to $488 for Deluxe Early Birds
Description: Continuing on last year’s theme of ‘Connectedness’, the 2019 ResilienceCon is a global event. Academics, students, psychology practitioners, educators, social workers, criminologists, sociologists, as well as those in prevention, public health, or related fields to the above are welcome. Discussions will look at wellbeing, strengths, resilience, and overcoming adversity.
Visit the official website here.
ICPPW International Conference on Positive Psychology and Wellbeing
Date: April 18-19, 2019.
Location: Holiday Inn Paris Gare, Paris, France
Price: €500
Description: The goal of the ICPPW conference is to bring worldwide experts, researchers, and scientists together to discuss Wellbeing and positive psychology. Discussions and presentations will cover areas for future research, innovations, and challenges for implementing positive psychology solutions on top of the trends shaping the field.
Visit the official website here.
2019 Positive Business Conference
Date: May 9-10, 2019
Location: University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, Michigan, USA
Price: $845 for conference attendees, $645 for faculty staff and students
Description: Business and psychology experts will be able to share ideas on culture wellbeing strategies in organizations to foster the same. Ideas around purpose and meaning in the workplace, employee engagement, fulfillment, health, and happiness in organizations are encouraged. Main stage sessions at the 2019 conference will feature talks from industry and thought leaders, and there will also be workshops.
Visit the Positive Business Conference site here.
ICHW 2019: Future Directions for Healthy Living
Date: May 16-18, 2019
Location: Foggia and Trani, Italy
Price: Between €50 and €100, which may not include VAT
Description: The International Conference on Happiness and Wellbeing (ICHW) creates a forum where practitioners and scientists can discuss ongoing or brand new research developments in the fields of wellbeing, happiness, and quality of life. Keynote speakers include five psychology professors from around the world, who specialize in areas such as Flow, psychotherapy, methodology, and health.
You can visit the official site here.
Positive Schools Mental Health and Wellbeing Conferences 2019
Date: May 23-24, 2019
Location: Brisbane Convention Center, Queensland, QLD
Date: May 29-31, 2019
Location: Melbourne Convention Center, Melbourne, VIC
Date: June 5-7, 2019
Location: SMC Conference & Function Center, Sydney, NSW
Date: June 12-14, 2019
Location: Rydges Esplanade, Fremantle, WA
Price: AUD $550 for all days (Early Birds) or $570 after the 1st of May.
Description: This wellbeing conference takes place in several locations across Australia. The main themes for 2019 are building contextual wellbeing, creating healthier cultures in schools, and developing respectful, safe relationships in school communities. Over 40 presenters will be at each event, and attendees can expect workshops, keynotes, and more.
Find out more on the official website here.
7th International Self-Determination Theory Conference (SDT 2019)
Date: May 21-24, 2019
Location: Hotel Zuiderduin, Egmond, Netherlands
Price: Between €290 (for Early Bird students) and €500 on-site for faculty and senior researchers
Description: Once every three years, the SDT takes place to discuss motivation and self-determination. This year’s event will include working sessions, presentations, and experts on Self-Determination Theory, featuring the founders of the concept-Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. The topics include self-determination and intrinsic motivation for teams, organizations and individuals.
The SDT 2019 website can be found here.
6th International Conference on Positive Psychology and Well-being (CPPWb 2019)
Date: June 1-3, 2019
Location: Kunming Jin Jiang Hotel, Kunming, China
Price: From USD $400 without a submission to USD $600
Description: Researchers, engineers, academics, policymakers, and educators are invited to present and share their knowledge on topics such as positive individual traits, clinical psychology, mental and physical health, positive technology, emotion cognitions, positive psychotherapy, stress management skills, coping with loss and pain, and other related issues.
Here is the website.
Wellbeing At Work Events 2019
Date: June 6, 2019
Location: New York, USA
Date: June 13, 2019
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Date: September 10, 2019
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Date: September 26, 2019
Location: Sydney, Australia
Date: October 9, 2019
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date: November 6, 2019
Location: London, UK
Price: TBA – Register your interest on the relevant page to be informed of updates about tickets, or check back with the event closer to the date.
Description: Wellbeing at Work Events are where business leaders and HR practitioners can listen to and interact with academics, experts, and others in the field. The latest developments and breakthroughs in wellbeing are presented in a one-day event. Focused on improving organizational and people performance, this is a global event held in many locations throughout the year.
Flourish: Positive Education Conference
Date: June 16 & 17th, 2019
Location: Ridley College, St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada
Price: $250CAD
Audience: Designed for educators, researchers, and practitioners interested in Positive Education and wellbeing in K-12 schools and higher education.
Description: Learn. Connect. Be Inspired! Flourish will serve as an exciting opportunity to advance the understanding of Positive Education, to share promising practices and to connect to a global movement dedicated to wellbeing and achievement. This conference begins with a wellbeing experience. We will kick off with a welcome address by Prof. Lea Waters, Ph.D. followed by a Positive Education Party created by the Flourishing Center. Monday will include TED-style talks by our invited speakers, workshops and keynotes. The anticipated highlight will be the lunchtime Living Library – think “speed-dating” for Pos Ed practitioners. The event is hosted by Ridley College in partnership with the Canadian Positive Psychology Association.
Visit the website here.
5th Positive Psychology Tour with Martin Seligman 2019
Date: June 21-24, 2019
Location: Graz, Austria
Date: June 26, June 30, 2019
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Date: July 1 (Bregenz), July 2-3 (Götzis), July 4 (Bregenz), 2019
Location: Bregenz and Götzis, Austria
Price: A single ticket for one of the locations starts at €300 (Super Early Bird) and goes up to €420. Packages start at €520.
Description: The theme for this tour, at which Martin Seligman will be presenting, asks “How relevant is positive psychology for our successful future and our society?” Organized by Seligman Europe, each of the three days will have a different sub-theme. In Graz, this is positive psychology’s contribution to coaching, therapy, and counseling. The second leg of the tour stops in Hamburg, where the key focus of the ‘Human Congress’ is the field’s sociopolitical relevance. Lastly, in Bregenz (and Götzis), the role of positive education and its relationship to positive management and leadership is considered.
Find out more here (German).
Happiness and Its Causes 2019
Date: June 24-25, 2019
Location: International Convention Center, Sydney, Australia
Price: Starts from AUD $895 plus GST for a 2-day Early Bird ticket. Pre- and post-conference tickets are also available.
Description: Professor David Cooperrider from Case Western University is delivering a keynote speech at this event, on “Embracing Change In Your Life”. Participants can also expect to learn from Michael Mosely, Professor Elissa Epel, Professor Amit Bernstein, and Dr. Fred Luskin. Topics include life satisfaction, happiness, and the conference is for people, practitioners, and companies with an interest in education, mental health, business, psychology, health care, and more.
Here is the official website.
International Meaning Conference (IMEC) 2019
Date: July 12-14, 2019
Location: Birkbeck College, London, UK
Price: £290 full conference for students and unemployed, £370 for full conference Early Birds
Description: IMEC is a bi-annual conference about living a life that’s meaningful. “The Personal and Social Power of Meaning” is this year’s theme, with talks on a wide range of multidisciplinary topics. These include forces impacting on meaningful lives, interpretative phenomenological analysis, radical change, purpose and relationships, and more. Interactive workshops and debates will also take place.
Find the official event website here.
International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology
Date: July 18-21, 2019
Location: Convention and Exhibition Center, Melbourne, Australia
Price: Full conference member registration is now USD $650 for Early Birds. After 14th April, this will become USD $764. The daily rate for non-members is USD $360.
Description: Organized by the IPPA, this year’s theme for the Congress is “Nexus”. As a synonym for ‘connection’, the event aims to establish linkage, cooperation, and collaboration between disciplines, people, and science. Expect presentations, workshops, and programs focused on promoting human flourishing.
Here is the official website for the IPPA event.
17th Annual ISQOLS Conference
Date: September 4-7, 2019
Location: University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Price: USD $300 for early bird students and concessions, ranging up to USD $775 on the day for non-members.
Description: Keynote speakers at this yearly International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOSL) event include Michael Marmot, Stefano Bartolini, Martine Durant, and Christian Welzel. The conference theme is “Happiness in a Multicultural World”, and topics will cover well-being, quality of life, happiness, and tolerance.
Here is the ISQOLS 2019 site.
The Social Structure of Subjective Well‐Being: Education, Status and Social Mobility
Date: October 3, 2019
Location: University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Price: TBA
Description: This event is for sociologists, psychologists, practitioners, and those interested in subjective wellbeing (SWB) as a goal. New insights into the role of socioeconomic characteristics and ascriptive factors structure SWB will be discussed, and debate encouraged. Topics of debate include ‘What liveable society involves’ and ‘How new means of social interaction impact on subjective wellbeing’.
The website for the event can be found here.
Strengths Philippines Conference 2019: Strengths in Action
Date: October 19, 2019
Location: Makati City, Philippines
Price: Php 4,500
Description: The Strengths Philippines Conference is hosted by the community of Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches in the Philippines. The program will consist of two plenary sessions and a total of nine breakout learning sessions. The talks and workshops throughout the day will focus on how individuals can use and aim their talents and strengths in their personal and professional lives, as well as within their businesses and companies.
Learn more about the conference here.
9th Annual International Peace Conference
Date: October 25-26, 2019
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Description: Global peace and emotional education initiatives are the cornerstone of this unique conference. It includes the sharing of ideas for building emotional intelligence and positive psychology in business, organizations, homes, academic institutions, and government organizations for our sustainable future. Speaker papers will be published in a conference journal. The 2018 one-day conference was sold out, with professional attendees from 12 countries, so this year’s conference has been expanded to cover two days.
Visit the website here.
2nd Positive Psychology in Practice Conference
Date: October 24-25, 2019
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Price: Between €175 students one-day rate and €399 for standard attendance at both days.
Description: Topics to be discussed at this event include Appreciative Inquiry, Science of Happiness, Well-being and Success, Flow, Resilience, Quality of Life, and Positive Psychology Coaching. Expect keynote speakers, poster exhibits and presentations, as well as opportunities to network over lunch. The focus is scientific and practical applications of PPIs (positive psychology interventions) at work and in therapy.
Visit the website here.
Positive Psychology and Happiness 2019
Date: November 13-14, 2019
Location: Dubai, UAE
Price: TBA
Description: The theme for this year’s Conference on Positive Psychology, Happiness, Mindfulness, and Wellness Summit is ”Interventions towards Positive Education, Happiness, Wellness, Resilience and Wellbeing”. Symposia, presentations, keynotes, lectures, and many more activities will center on the many themes that come under this banner. Organized by Lexis Conferences, experts from a large range of disciplines such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, and more will be attending.
Find out more here.
2nd International Conference on Well-being in Education Systems
Date: November 12-14, 2019
Location: Locarno, Switzerland
Price: CHF 160 for the conference alone, and CHF 230 for the conference and social event.
Description: The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) is organizing this conference. Researchers, teachers and other educators, and practitioners are invited to join in the scientific debate on a new perspective for wellbeing. This sees wellbeing as a required factor for educational goals, as a means of inclusion and equity, and as a key social and individual resource. Posters, symposia, and presentations are welcome for submission.
Visit the website here.
Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) 2020 Annual Convention
Date: February 27-29, 2020
Location: TBA, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Price: TBA
Description: The annual SPSP event is a global meeting of practitioners, academics, psychiatrists, and psychologists in the personality and social psychology fields. The newest empirical and theoretical developments will be discussed, though the precise outline has not yet been released.
Visit the SPSP event website.
Do you know of any other positive psychology conferences that haven’t been listed above?
Please leave a comment!
Hi, I am a senior psychologist and a business leader. My book on Burnout: How to beat fatigue and thrive in an overworked world, is being published by Penguin Random House. Will be out end of July 2019. I would love to speak to someone from Positive Psychology about it. thanks.
I’d love to participate in these conferences in the future. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working in psychiatry in San Diego California.
thank you
30th World Summit on Positive Psychology, Mindfulness, Psychotherapy and Philosophy is fake, cuz I registered on the website and pay for the online webinar, but didn’t get any email. I emailed them but also didn’t get any reply.