Maybe you’re coming for the connections.
Maybe there’s a workshop you don’t want to miss. Maybe you want to see what’s happening across Eastern Kentucky, meet potential partners, find new ideas for your community, or put your organization in front of people from across the region.
Or maybe somebody told you about the food.
We’re good with that, too.
There are a lot of reasons to attend the 2026 SOAR Summit, presented by Appalachian Wireless and the Appalachian Regional Commission, October 7–9 in Corbin.
That’s actually part of what makes Appalachia’s Premier Event different.
Where else can you bring together business, workforce, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, economic development, community leadership, innovation, networking, food, entertainment, and hundreds of people working to move Eastern Kentucky forward—all in one place?
Whatever brings you to Corbin, our goal is for you to leave with more than you came with.
Here are five reasons to join us.
1. Come Hungry. Seriously.
We believe an event celebrating Eastern Kentucky should actually feel like Eastern Kentucky.
That includes the food.
Corbin loves company, and our host community also happens to have one of the most vibrant food scenes in Central Appalachia.
On Thursday, Summit attendees will get a taste of it with lunch from the nationally recognized Wrigley Taproom and Chef/Owner Kristin Smith.
And then there’s coffee.
We love coffee. You probably love coffee. And when you put hundreds of people together for a full day of programming and networking, we’re going to need quite a bit of it.
That’s why we’re excited to purchase coffee locally from Folktale Coffee & Bakehouse.
But we don’t want to bring all of Corbin to you.
We want you to experience Corbin, too.
The SOAR Summit Reception on Thursday evening is designed differently this year. Instead of keeping everyone inside one venue, we’re creating an opportunity to get out, explore our host community, visit local businesses and shops, discover downtown restaurants, and continue the conversations that started throughout the day.
Bring your appetite.
2. Meet Someone You Need to Know
If you’ve attended a SOAR Summit before, you already know this:
Some of the best Summit moments aren’t on the agenda.
They’re the conversation over coffee that turns into a partnership.
The introduction in the hallway that leads to an opportunity.
The employer you meet at lunch. The entrepreneur whose idea makes you think differently. The community leader facing the same challenge as you. The organization you didn’t realize could help.
The Summit brings employers, entrepreneurs, educators, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, students, funders, workforce professionals, community leaders, and people who simply care about the future of Eastern Kentucky together under one roof.
And in 2026, we’re intentionally creating more room for those connections to happen.
Networking isn’t filler between sessions.
It’s part of the experience.
Come with the people you know.
Leave knowing people you didn’t.
3. Experience Eastern Kentucky in One Place
Eastern Kentucky is a big place.
There are incredible things happening across our region, but it can be difficult to see all of them.
At the Summit, we’re bringing them together.
The EKY Experience, presented by Appalachian Regional Healthcare, creates a place to discover businesses, organizations, industries, communities, programs, technologies, and ideas from across Eastern Kentucky.
And this isn’t about collecting brochures.
Talk to the people doing the work. Ask questions. Make connections. Discover something you didn’t know existed.
You might find a resource for your community, a future customer or partner, discover a career opportunity, an idea worth replicating, or you might simply walk away seeing Eastern Kentucky — and its potential — a little differently.
That’s the value of putting so much of our region in one place, at one time.
4. Steal a Good Idea. We Won’t Tell.
Actually, we encourage it.
One of the biggest changes to the Summit in 2026 is a renewed emphasis on practical learning.
We don’t just want you to hear about something interesting. We want you to figure out how to use it.
That means fewer sessions competing for your attention and more intentional programming built around issues that matter to Eastern Kentucky.
Through FOCUS Breakout Sessions, TenTalks, and hands-on workshops, you’ll hear from people tackling real challenges and building real solutions.
The question behind much of the programming is simple: What’s working, and how can we replicate it?
If another community has figured something out, learn from them. If they have developed a better approach, ask how they did it. If somebody has an idea that could work in your county, take it home and make it your own.
That’s not stealing. That’s Building Eastern Kentucky. Together.
5. Be in the Room
This one may be the most important.
The Summit has always been about bringing people together.
The 2026 experience begins October 7 and builds toward a full day on Thursday filled with programming, the EKY Experience, conversations, food, networking, and opportunities to connect.
The kickoff session on the KCTCS stage at the Corbin Arena will bring Eastern Kentucky’s stories to the forefront in a fast-paced setting built around the people and work moving our region forward.
And on Friday, we’ll gather again on the KCTCS stage at the Corbin Arena for the Principal Officer Plenary, presented by the University of the Cumberlands, bringing together regional, state, and national leadership as we look toward what’s next.
Those moments matter.
But the Summit has never been defined only by the people on the stage. It’s defined by the people in the room.
- People who employ our neighbors.
- People building businesses.
- People educating our children.
- People leading our communities.
- People solving problems.
- People with resources.
- People with ideas.
- And people looking for someone else who can help turn those ideas into action.
Put them together, and things happen.
So, What’s Your Reason?
Maybe it’s professional development or business development. You’re looking for your next partner, customer, employee, investor, resource, or idea.
Perhaps you want to learn what’s working in another community. Or maybe you want to experience the EKY Experience.
Maybe there’s someone you need to meet.
Maybe you simply believe that being part of Eastern Kentucky’s future means occasionally getting in the same room with the people helping build it.
Or, yes, maybe it’s Wrigley Taproom and those famous Brussels sprouts.
Your reason doesn’t have to be our reason. That’s the point.
For three days in Corbin, we’re putting an incredible amount of Eastern Kentucky… its people, ideas, businesses, leadership, food, opportunities, challenges, and momentum, in one place.
Come for your reason. Chances are, you’ll leave with five more.