PALOOZAversary 2026 - Peds-A-Palooza

MOMENTUM!

September 25-27, 2026 | Meet & Greet September 24
Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa

THE PEDIATRIC THERAPY EVENT OF THE YEAR.

It’s our EIGHTH Peds-A-Palooza, and this year’s theme is MOMENTUM.

Because when pediatric practice owners get in the same room, big things happen.

Fresh ideas. Real strategy. Honest conversations. The kind of clarity and motivation that’s hard to find when you’re buried in the day-to-day of running a clinic.

This isn’t just a conference where you sit, take notes, and forget everything by Monday. You’ll walk away with practical tools you can actually use, connections that last long after the weekend ends, and a renewed vision for where you want to take your practice next.

This year, we’re bringing all of it to Las Vegas for our biggest Palooza yet.

Expect powerhouse speakers, meaningful connections, big laughs, breakthrough moments, and a room full of people who truly understand the weight — and the privilege — of leading a pediatric practice.

If you’ve been before, you already know the magic.
If this is your first one? Vegas is one heck of a year to start.

PRESENTERS

Nancy Mura

Founder & CEO Peds-A-Palooza™ Community & Conferences | Host

DIANE CRECELIUS

PT, Founder ABC Pediatric Therapy

Haley Addis, M.S., CCC-SLP

Founder & CEO | More to Say Pediatric Development & Therapy

Lori Shaffer, M.A., CCC-SLP/L

Founder and President,
MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

Matt Hanses

Founder & CEO
Uplift Marketing

Will Humphreys

Chief Rockstar at
Virtual Rockstar

Mendy Heinz

Econologics Financial Advisors

Dr. Cliffton Brady, DC

Freedom Coach

The More to Say Team

Kelsey Pugliese MOT, OTR/L

Clinical Director,
More To Say

Lindsey Heaton OTD, OTR/L

Clinical Director,
More To Say

Mariana Marchito M.S., CCC-SLP

Administrative Director
More To Say

Talia Vendetto

Patient Services Manager
More To Say

The MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy Team

Chad Fife

Chief Financial Officer
MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

Christina Pagel

Director of Operations
MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

Kaleigh McKnight, M.S., CCC-SLP/L, BCBA

Director of Speech Services
MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

Megan Bacigal, M.A., CCC-SLP/L

Regional Discipline Director
MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

Amanda Schaefer, M.S., CCC-SLP/L

Regional Discipline Director
MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

Syeda Morshed

Regional Revenue Cycle Management Director
MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

IN-PERSON TICKET PRICES *

EARLY BIRD
May 22 - July 15

Owner tickets

$775

in the room block

Owner tickets

$825

outside of room block

Staff tickets

$645

in the room block

Staff tickets

$695

outside of room block

GENERAL PRICING
June 20 - August 25

Owner tickets

$825

in the room block

Owner tickets

$875

outside of room block

Staff tickets

$695

in the room block

Staff tickets

$745

outside of room block

LATE REGISTRATION
September 1 - September 23

Owner tickets

$925

no room block

Staff tickets

$795

nO room block

Which ticket should I purchase?

Inside the Room Block Ticket: Select this option if you booked your hotel room using the official Peds-A-Palooza hotel reservation link.

Outside the Room Block Ticket: Select this option if you are staying at a different hotel, booked directly with the hotel, or used a third-party booking service such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, or similar.

PALOOZAversary is a curated event created specifically for pediatric PT, OT, and Speech private practices and their staff.
To preserve the experience and networking environment for attendees, vendor/exhibitor registrations are handled separately and are not available through this ticket page.
For exhibitor or sponsorship inquiries, please contact hello@pedsapalooza.com.

THE WESTIN LAKE LAS VEGAS RESORT & SPA

101 MonteLago Boulevard Henderson, Nevada, USA, 89011

75%

Booked

The official Peds-A-Palooza room block and discounted rates close on August 25th.

*A room block is a section of the hotel that is reserved for our Palooza attendees and that offers a discounted rate. When the room block is closed or sold out, there are no more discounted rooms available, but the hotel might still have regular rooms.

- J.S.

Just want to shout out the PEDS-A-PALOOZA Community & Conferences team - this conference has been amazing and we are heading home full of awesome ideas, inspiration, and a new network of brilliant humans to collaborate with! Well done! We will attend again! And, The TALK Team will grow thanks to y'all!!

- A.P.

What an amazing 2 day conference filled with solid content. Lisa and I were in the office at 7:30 this morning already game planning how to implement. Big shout out to Emily Watkins Diane Crecelius Matt Hanses and Bryce Baillie for knocking it out of the park with what they shared. Thank you Nancy Mura for hosting another amazing event.

- B.H.

My team was so excited to get rolling on items that are going to have a huge impact on our clinic! THIS IS WHY YOU BRING STAFF TO THE CONFERENCE!!

- E.W.

Our team enjoyed this conference so much! Thank you Nancy for having the passion to help our field and to Diane for always sharing her knowledge, experience and wonderful ideas with us! We look forward to next year's conference and will be bringing more of our team back with us then!

- B.F.

Thank you so much for hosting this conference. We appreciate you Diane and Nancy for all the work you guys did to put on this event. We loved bringing some of the leaders from our OPTC staff this time. We had lots of great implementation time and we are leaving charged and ready to serve more kids!!!!!!!

- D.W.

AGENDA

All times are local times. Agenda is subject to change.

Thursday, September 24

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM

First Time Attendee Orientation

7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Meet & Greet + Registration

Friday, September 25

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM

Coffee & Communi-TEA

The networking starts early! Join us for a Cup o’ Joe, start making friends and solving problems!

Location: Exhibit Hall (TBD)

8:30 AM

General Session Begins

Location: Casablanca Ballroom D & E

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS .
MOMENTUM! Not Taking The Easy Route

Presented by Nancy Mura, Founder of Peds-A-PaloozaTM Community & Conferences and Founder/Owner of Let’s Talk Private Practice

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

EXTREME OWNERSHIP

• Consistent Trait of Great Leaders
• How To Lead So The Team Wins
• Ingredients For Team Retention That EVERY Leader Needs To Know
• Barriers To Goal Completion To Ensure You Remove

Presented by Diane Crecelius, PT, Founder ABC Pediatric Therapy Network.

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM

“STEAL & SHARE” NETWORKING

Who is this meant for? EVERY leader at your company!

Attendees go around the room, share winning Leadership strategies with each other. They ‘steal’ an insight or idea they find valuable and then ‘share’ their insight or successful actions, creating an exchange of ideas that enhances everyone’s learning experience. It’s a great way to foster connection and ensure that the information sticks long after the session ends.

Presented by Diane Crecelius, PT, Founder ABC Pediatric Therapy Network.

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM

Morning Break

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

RESILIENCE

Presented by Nancy Mura, Founder of Peds-A-PaloozaTM Community & Conferences and Founder/Owner of Let’s Talk Private Practice

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Lunch Break*

Special Lunch Opportunity: Our friends at Fusion are hosting an exclusive, invitation-only lunch on Friday! Invited attendees will receive additional details, including how to reserve their spot, closer to the event.

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

AI IS CHANGING THE RULES OF MARKETING. IS YOUR PRACTICE READY?

Parents are searching for answers. Therapists are deciding where they want to work. And AI is transforming what they see first. Is your practice ready for the new direction of marketing?

Presented by Matt Hanses, CEO and Founder of Uplift Marketing

4:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Group Picture

4:15 PM – 4:30 PM

Afternoon Break

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM

A Resource Worth Knowing

At Peds-A-Palooza, we’re always looking for resources that can help practice owners thrive. This session highlights a tool, service, or solution we believe is worth knowing about and may help you create greater momentum in your practice.

Evening:

THE NETWORKING CONTINUES

Keep the momentum going after dinner with informal meetups designed for connection, collaboration, and conversation. Share wins, discuss challenges, and get to know the incredible people in our community. We’ll announce meetup locations closer to the conference.

Saturday, September 26

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Coffee & Communi-TEA

The networking starts early! Join us for a Cup o’ Joe, start making friends and solving problems!

Location: Exhibit Hall (TBD)

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

BREAKOUTS

OWNERS BREAKOUT: THE PAYROLL CONVERSATION YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR

Optimizing Retention, Productivity & Profitability in Pediatric Therapy utilizing Incentives, both Individual and Team based while maintaining Quality and a Positive Culture. We will discuss the components of building a comprehensive incentive plan that is Right for Your Team.

Presented by Chad Fife, CPA, CFO of MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

Locations: Casablanca D & E

STAFF BREAKOUT by Department:

MARKETING: From Awkward to Authentic: How Anyone Can Speak on Camera with Confidence

Video is no longer optional in marketing today. It is one of the best ways to build trust, attract new patients, and show job seekers the real humans behind your practice. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to confidently jump on camera, deliver a clear message, and leave with practical skills you can immediately use in your own practice.

Presented by Matt Hanses, CEO and Founder of Uplift Marketing

Location: Casablanca Ballroom A

OFFICE MANAGERS, CLINIC DIRECTORS & THERAPISTS: Time, Priorities, and Pressure: Managing It All in a Fast-Paced Practice

• Juggling competing demands
• Deciding what actually matters
• Preventing overwhelm while staying effective

Presented by Kelsey Pugliese MOT, OTR/L, Clinical Director and Lindsey Heaton OTD, OTR/L, Clinic Manager of More To Say.

Locations: Casablanca B

FRONT DESK: Front Desk Ideal Scene

• Define the position
• Excel at Your Role
• Exceed Expectations
• Lead The Front Desk – Make it the Heartbeat of the Office

Presented by Diane Crecelius, PT, Founder ABC Pediatric Therapy Network.

Location: Casablanca Ballroom C

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM

Morning Break

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

BREAKOUTS

OWNERS BREAKOUT by Clinic Size

Small Clinics: The Bada$$ CEO

• CEO Basics – Where to start
• What should the CEO really focus on?
• How do I explain what I do to the team?
• Holding my role!
• Do NOT get pulled into a role someone else can do – Be the CEO!

Presented by Diane Crecelius, PT, Founder ABC Pediatric Therapy Network.

Location: Casablanca Ballroom A

Medium Clinics: The Leadership Bottleneck: When Your Growth Outpaces Your Structure

• Signs your org structure is breaking
• When to add layers (and when not to)
• Transitioning from small practice → scaled organization

Presented by Haley Addis, M.S. CCC-SLP, Owner More To Say

Location: Casablanca Ballroom B

Large Clinics: Beyond Two Clinics: Building the Systems, Leadership, and Financial Infrastructure to Scale

Opening a second clinic is often considered a major milestone for therapy practice owners. However, the transition from one location to two is fundamentally different from scaling beyond two clinics. What worked in the early stages—owner oversight, informal communication, and centralized decision-making—often becomes a barrier to sustainable growth.

Explore the realities of scaling a therapy practice beyond two locations. Let’s talk leadership development, operational infrastructure, financial planning, culture preservation, and creating systems that support long-term expansion.

Presented by Lori Shaffer, M.A., CCC-SLP, CEO & Founder, MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy, and her team.

Location: Casablanca Ballroom C

STAFF BREAKOUT: Staff Panel

Location: Casablanca Ballroom D & E

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Lunch Break*

Special Lunch Opportunity: Korro AI is hosting an exclusive lunch for Korro users! If you’re a Korro user, keep an eye out—details on how to reserve your spot will be shared closer to the event.

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

INSPIRATION STATION + INSIDE THE PRACTICE

Take a peek inside fellow practices, gather fresh ideas, and get inspired by the creative ways owners have designed their spaces.

Location: Casablanca Ballroom D & E

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

FROM ADVOCACY TO IMPLEMENTATION: LEADING YOUR PRACTICE THROUGH THE NEW ERA OF PEDIATRIC SPEECH THERAPY TIME-BASED CODING

Implementation of the new speech-language pathology code family on January 1, 2027, will influence nearly every aspect of pediatric therapy practice, including clinical documentation,

therapist workflows, scheduling, revenue cycle operations, payer interactions, financial planning, and EMR configuration.

Drawing from our participation in the AMA CPT Editorial Panel process, and our responsibility for implementing these changes across a 22-clinic, multi-state pediatric therapy organization, this

session bridges national advocacy with real-world operational leadership.

Rather than debating the adoption of the new codes, we will focus on helping pediatric organizations successfully implement them.

Presented by Lori Shaffer, M.A., CCC-SLP, CEO & Founder, MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy, and her team.

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Afternoon Break

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

WHAT YOU TOLERATE IS WHAT YOU GET: RAISING STANDARDS WITHOUT LOSING TEAM MEMBERS

• Addressing underperformance early
• Creating clear expectations
• Balancing empathy with accountability
• Protecting your culture through standards

Presented by Haley Addis, M.S. CCC-SLP, Owner More To Say

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM

A Resource Worth Knowing

Evening:

THE NETWORKING CONTINUES

Sunday, September 27

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Coffee & Communi-TEA

The networking starts early! Join us for a Cup o’ Joe, start making friends and solving problems!

Location: Exhibit Hall (TBD)

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

PURPOSE, PROFITS & GLOBAL IMPACT: The Hidden Architecture of A Practice That Matters

Most PT, OT, and SLP practice owners are building businesses. A rare few are building legacies. The difference isn’t talent, location, or luck — it’s architecture. In this presentation, Will Humphreys walks you through the Hierarchy of Success, the same framework he used to build and exit a multi-location practice. You’ll leave with a clearer vision of what your practice could become — and the conviction to stop playing small.

Presented by Will Humphreys, Chief Rockstar at Virtual Rockstar

Location: Casablanca Ballroom D & E

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM

PANEL: SURVIVING THE UNSURVIVABLE

Handling multiple locations & learning how to pivot.

Presented by Diane Crecelius, PT, Founder ABC Pediatric Therapy Network.

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM

Morning Break

11:30 AM – 12:45 PM

BREAKOUTS

OWNERS BREAKOUT: THE FINANCIALLY HEALTHY PRACTICE: The 7 Pillars That Drive Profit, Growth and Financial Control

Most practice owners work hard, serve their patients or clients well, and generate a respectable revenue. Yet many owners still feel financially stretched, overwhelmed, frustrated by low personal income and uncertain about long-term future financial stability.

• Why practice growth does not automatically create personal wealth
• The hidden financial disorganization that limits profit, growth, and control
• The 7 pillars every financially healthy practice has in common
• Common blind spots in profitability, staffing, scheduling, collections, marketing, and leadership
• Why your household—not your practice—should become the center of your financial strategy
• The one pillar that often determines long-term financial independence
• How to identify your biggest opportunities for improvement before they become costly problems

Presented by Mendy Heinz, Econologics Financial Advisors

Location: Casablanca Ballroom D & E

STAFF BREAKOUT: Communication That Actually Works (Even When It’s Hard)

• Giving feedback to peers and leadership
• Avoiding miscommunication loops
• Handling conflict professionally and directly

Presented by Mariana Marchito M.S., CCC-SLP, Administrative Director and Talia Vendetto, Patient Services Manager of More To Say.

Location: Casablanca Ballroom A, B & C

12:45 PM – 2:15 PM

Lunch Break

2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

BEYOND BURNOUT: THE ONE QUESTION THAT ELIMINATES BURNOUT

What if the thing exhausting you most is actually trying to tell you something? Join Cliffton Brady for a conversation that could bring you back to yourself.

Presented by Cliffton Brady, DC

Location: Casablanca Ballroom D & E

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

GOALS, ACTION & MOMENTUM: Don’t Let This Be Just Another Conference

You’ve spent the weekend learning, connecting, and growing. Now it’s time to put it all into action. Join Diane for a powerful closing session focused on turning inspiration into implementation, setting clear goals, and building momentum that lasts.

EARLY BIRDMay 22 - July 15

GENERAL PRICINGJune 20 - August 25

LATE REGISTRATIONSeptember 1 - September 23

- J.S.

- A.P.

- B.H.

- E.W.

- B.F.

- D.W.

EARLY BIRD
May 22 - July 15

GENERAL PRICING
June 20 - August 25

LATE REGISTRATION
September 1 - September 23