The PPS 2026 Schedule in 30 Seconds
- Dates: Wednesday, November 11 to Saturday, November 14, 2026, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. All program times are Mountain Time.
- Wednesday is arrival day: registration opens at 8:00 AM, education sessions run through the day, and the evening brings the First-Timer's Meet and Greet and the Welcome Reception.
- Thursday is the big one: the Dicus Celebration and keynote with Joe Montana at 7:30 AM, then the exhibit hall opens in Bartolin Hall at 11:30 AM.
- Friday brings the capstone with Melissa Stockwell, the busiest afternoon of sessions on EMRs, AI and revenue, and the Closing Party at 7:30 PM.
- Saturday morning closes with the 2027 regulatory and payment update, which is the session to stay for before you fly home.
- Fly into COS if a reasonable route exists (about 15 minutes to The Broadmoor). DEN has more flights but adds roughly 75–90 minutes each way.
The full program for the APTA Private Practice Annual Conference 2026 is now published, which changes how you should plan. Knowing the day of the keynote, the hours the exhibit hall is open and which afternoon holds the EMR and AI sessions tells you which day to fly in, which day you can leave, and when you'll actually have time to talk to vendors. This page puts all of it on one timeline. For dates, venue basics and the 12 vendor questions, see our complete PPS 2026 guide.
PPS 2026 Schedule at a Glance
PPS 2026 runs Wednesday, November 11 through Saturday, November 14, 2026, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Wednesday is registration and arrival, Thursday holds the Joe Montana keynote and the exhibit hall opening, Friday has the capstone and the heaviest session block, and Saturday ends with the 2027 payment update. All times are Mountain Time.
| Day | What happens | Plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Nov 11 | Registration opens 8:00 AM · education sessions · First-Timer's Meet and Greet (4:45 PM) · Member Meeting and Welcome Reception (5:30 PM) | Arrive by early afternoon |
| Thu, Nov 12 | Dicus Celebration and keynote with Joe Montana (7:30–10:00 AM) · exhibit hall opens in Bartolin Hall (11:30 AM–6:00 PM) · sessions on growth, AI front desks and retention | Your main vendor day |
| Fri, Nov 13 | Breakfast with exhibitors (8:30–10:30 AM) · capstone with Melissa Stockwell (10:30 AM) · lunch in the exhibit hall (12:00–2:00 PM) · EMR, AI and revenue sessions · Closing Party (7:30 PM) | Follow-up conversations |
| Sat, Nov 14 | 2027 Regulatory and Payment Updates (9:30–11:45 AM) · program wraps | Fly out mid-afternoon or later |
From the official event platform, checked October 2026. Times are Mountain Time and can change; confirm on the official program before booking non-refundable travel.
Before You Arrive: Time Zone, Altitude and Registration
Colorado Springs runs on Mountain Standard Time during PPS 2026 (daylight saving time ends on November 1), so East Coast attendees are two hours ahead of the program clock. The city sits above 6,000 feet, so plan for the altitude, and pick up your badge on Wednesday if you can.
- Time zone: a 7:30 AM Mountain keynote is 9:30 AM Eastern. If you are flying from the East Coast, that early Thursday start feels later than it looks, which helps.
- Altitude: Colorado Springs is at roughly 6,000 feet. Drink more water than usual on day one and go easy on the first evening reception.
- Weather: mid-November in Colorado Springs is usually cool and dry, but early-season snow is possible. Pack a real jacket and check the forecast before you leave.
- Registration: opens Wednesday at 8:00 AM. Collecting your badge Wednesday means you walk straight into Thursday's keynote instead of queuing.
Wednesday, November 11: Arrival, First Sessions and the Welcome Reception
Wednesday is quieter than Thursday and Friday, which makes it the easiest day to settle in. If you can arrive by early afternoon, you get a session or two, your badge and the evening networking events without rushing.
The two Wednesday sessions above deal with problems most owners feel weekly: denials and remote therapeutic monitoring. If either is on your list this year, our guides to care-to-cash billing and remote therapeutic monitoring give you useful context before you sit down.
Thursday, November 12: Joe Montana Keynote and the Exhibit Hall Opening
Thursday opens with the Dicus Celebration and keynote with Joe Montana from 7:30 to 10:00 AM Mountain Time. The exhibit hall in Bartolin Hall opens at 11:30 AM and stays open until 6:00 PM, with lunch from 11:30 to 1:30 and networking from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.
If you only have one full day at PPS, make it Thursday. The keynote, the longest exhibit hall window and a strong session lineup all fall on the same day.
Friday, November 13: Capstone, EMR and AI Sessions, Closing Party
Friday starts with breakfast in the exhibit hall from 8:30 to 10:30 AM, followed by the capstone with Melissa Stockwell at 10:30 AM. Lunch is back in the exhibit hall from noon to 2:00 PM, the afternoon holds the EMR, AI and revenue sessions, and the Closing Party starts at 7:30 PM.
Friday afternoon is the best-packed block of the week for anyone weighing a software change. The 2:00 PM clash between the EMR implementation session and the responsible AI session is the one scheduling decision most owners will have to make.
Saturday, November 14: 2027 Payment Updates, Then Home
Saturday's main session, 2027 Regulatory and Payment Updates Impacting Physical Therapy Services, runs from 9:30 to 11:45 AM Mountain Time. Book a flight that leaves mid-afternoon or later so you don't miss it.
It's tempting to skip the last morning of any conference. This one is worth staying for: whatever changes in 2027 payment rules will shape your billing workflow, documentation and staffing decisions for the next year. Afterward, budget about 15 minutes to Colorado Springs Airport, or 75–90 minutes to Denver International plus airport time.
Sessions Practice Owners Should Plan Around
If you run or manage a private practice, the sessions with the most direct business impact at PPS 2026 cover denials and revenue leaks, AI in the front desk and in documentation, EMR selection and implementation, patient retention and plan-of-care completion, growth metrics, and 2027 payment changes.
| If your priority is… | Sessions to plan around | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue cycle | Managing Denials 2.0 · Plugging the Top Revenue Leaks in PT Practices | Wed · Fri |
| AI | Virtual Front Desks, AI and Compliance Guardrails · Who Holds the Safety Net? (responsible AI) · Beyond the Hype: Real ROI of AI | Thu · Fri · Fri |
| Choosing or switching an EMR | The EMR Dozen: What 12 Implementations Taught Me | Fri 2:00 PM |
| Growth and expansion | Metrics and Thresholds for Adding Providers, Space or Locations | Thu |
| Retention | Retention as the North Star (plan-of-care completion) | Thu |
| Compliance and payment | HITECH on a Shoestring · 2027 Regulatory and Payment Updates | Thu · Sat |
| New revenue between visits | RTM 2.0 | Wed |
Titles shortened where long; match them to the official program for exact times and rooms.
How to get more out of the AI sessions
Three sessions this year deal with AI from different angles: the front desk, ethics and guardrails, and return on investment. Go in with one practical question: which job in your practice would AI take on, and who checks its work? AI that drafts notes, reads referral faxes or flags a claim before it's sent is useful today. AI that "decides" anything clinical isn't something a therapist should hand off. If you want a baseline before you go, our page on AI in Practice Pro shows what drafting, routing and flagging look like in a real workflow, including what a therapist still reviews and signs.
When to Fly In and Out for PPS 2026
For most attendees, the best plan is to fly into Colorado Springs (COS) on Tuesday, November 10, or early Wednesday, November 11, and fly out on Saturday, November 14, after the 9:30–11:45 AM payment session. If you fly through Denver (DEN), add roughly 75–90 minutes of driving each way.
| Your plan | Arrive | Leave |
|---|---|---|
| Full conference | Tue, Nov 10 evening or Wed, Nov 11 by early afternoon | Sat, Nov 14, mid-afternoon or later |
| Keynote plus exhibit hall only | Wed, Nov 11 evening | Fri, Nov 13 after lunch in the exhibit hall |
| Flying into DEN | Leave an extra 2 hours on arrival day for the drive south | Leave The Broadmoor by about 12:30 PM Saturday for a late-afternoon DEN flight |
| East Coast travelers | Tuesday arrival makes the 7:30 AM Thursday keynote easy | Evening flights home land late; check arrival times |
Flights to Colorado Springs vs. Denver. Colorado Springs Airport is the closest airport to The Broadmoor, roughly 9–11 miles away. Denver International has far more nonstop routes, so the choice usually comes down to your home airport. If COS has a reasonable connection from your city, the short drive at both ends usually beats Denver's wider flight selection. Mid-November isn't peak travel season, but the venue is shared by every PPS attendee that week, so booking once you've confirmed your days is sensible.
We don't sell or price travel. Check flights directly with airlines or a booking site, and confirm airport information with Colorado Springs Airport and Denver International Airport.
Getting From the Airport to The Broadmoor
From Colorado Springs Airport, The Broadmoor is about a 15-minute drive by rental car, rideshare or pre-arranged car. From Denver International Airport, it's roughly 89 miles south via I-25, about 75–90 minutes by car depending on traffic, or longer by scheduled shuttle.
| Route | Distance / time | Options |
|---|---|---|
| COS → The Broadmoor | ~9–11 miles · ~15 min | Rideshare (Uber/Lyft), taxi, rental car, or transportation arranged through the resort |
| DEN → The Broadmoor | ~89 miles · ~75–90 min | Rental car via I-25 South, scheduled airport shuttle services to Colorado Springs, private car, or rideshare (expensive at this distance) |
| Denver city → Colorado Springs | ~70 miles | Colorado's state-run Bustang intercity bus connects Denver and Colorado Springs; there's no direct passenger train between the two |
- Uber from Colorado Springs Airport to The Broadmoor is the simplest option for most solo travelers, since the ride is short.
- Shuttle from Colorado Springs Airport to The Broadmoor: ask the resort when you book; resort transportation is arranged directly with the hotel.
- Denver airport to Colorado Springs drive time: plan on 75–90 minutes in normal conditions. Allow more on Wednesday afternoon and if snow is forecast.
- Rental cars: available at both airports. If you fly into one airport and out of the other, check one-way drop fees.
Staying at The Broadmoor During PPS 2026
The Broadmoor at 1 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, is both the conference venue and the main place attendees stay. Room rates vary by date and room type, so check the official event page for any conference room block before booking directly.
Staying on site saves the commute and keeps the early keynote and evening receptions easy. If the room block fills up, nearby Colorado Springs hotels are an option, but factor in the drive and parking each day. For conference-specific rates, start with the official APTA Private Practice event page; for the resort itself, see The Broadmoor.
How to Use the Exhibit Hall Hours
The PPS 2026 exhibit hall is open Thursday from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM, with Friday breakfast (8:30–10:30 AM) and lunch (12:00–2:00 PM) also held there. Use Thursday to shortlist two or three vendors and Friday to go deeper with them.
- Thursday, 11:30 AM–1:30 PM: walk the whole hall once, without stopping for long demos. Note who covers your top priority, whether that's documentation, billing, scheduling or reporting.
- Thursday, 4:00–6:00 PM: come back to your shortlist. Ask every vendor the same questions in the same order so the answers are comparable.
- Friday breakfast or lunch: ask each shortlisted vendor to trace one patient live, from referral fax to paid claim, and count how many times someone re-types information.
- Before you leave: score each vendor 1–5 on documentation, scheduling, billing and RCM, patient engagement, reporting, AI, security, and support for every discipline you run.
The full 12-question vendor checklist is in our PPS 2026 guide. If you run PT alongside OT or SLP, add one more: ask to see a single patient's care across disciplines, not three separate demos. Our practice specialty page explains why that matters.
Practice Pro at PPS 2026
Find Us at Booth #1207
Practice Pro is a Silver sponsor and exhibitor at PPS 2026. Find us at Booth #1207 in the exhibit hall during Thursday and Friday exhibit hours.
Bring your toughest question. We'll walk one of your real workflows from referral to paid claim and show where AI drafts, routes and flags, and where your team stays in control.
Prefer a set time? Book 20 minutes with our team.
Not Going to PPS 2026? How to Follow Along
Plenty of owners can't leave the clinic for four days. You can still get most of the value. Follow the official hashtags #PPS2026 and #APTAPPS2026, watch APTA Private Practice's channels for session highlights, and run the same software evaluation from your office: ask every vendor the same questions, request the trace-one-patient walkthrough on a video call, and score them the same way you would at a booth.
PPS 2026 Schedule: Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
- APTA Private Practice, official event page for the APTA Private Practice Annual Conference 2026 (ppsapta.org/events/apta-private-practice-annual-conference-2026) — dates and venue.
- Official 2026 PPS Annual Conference & Exhibition event platform (aptappsannualconference2026.eventscribe.net) — full schedule, keynote, capstone, exhibit hall hours and sponsor list. Checked October 2026.
- Colorado Springs Airport (flycos.com) and Denver International Airport (flydenver.com) — airport information.
- The Broadmoor (broadmoor.com) — venue information.
- Physitrack, "Best Physical Therapy Conferences in the US" (August 2026) — AAOMPT 2026 dates.
Disclaimer: Independent planning guide written by Practice Pro, a Silver sponsor and exhibitor at PPS 2026. It is not published by APTA Private Practice, APTA or The Broadmoor. Session times, rooms and travel details can change; always confirm with the official sources above before booking.