APCDA Conference: Fees to Join & What You Need to Prepare
By Tuan Anh
If you are planning to attend the upcoming conference of the Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA), this guide explains how the conference dates and formats work, what fees to expect, and what to prepare before traveling to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
All costs are shown in USD for easy planning.
Understanding the Conference Dates & Format (Important)
The APCDA Conference is hybrid, and the format depends on the dates, not on different types of participants.
20–24 April 2026
Virtual-only
All sessions during this period are delivered online only.
Participants from any country can join virtually.
27–30 April 2026
Hybrid (In-person + Virtual)
During these dates, sessions are delivered both on-site in Kuala Lumpur and online.
You can choose to:
- Attend in person in Malaysia, or
- Continue to join virtually if you are unable to travel
In short:
Either a Virtual or an In-person Registration include the same 5 days between April 20 and April 30.
The first week, we are all virtual. The second week, some people continue to participate virtually and others go to Kuala Lumpur to participate in-person.
1. Conference Registration Fees
Estimated registration range:
$280 – $380
Fees vary depending on:
- Membership status (member will be charged different amounts for regular, student, or retired membership)
- Early-bird vs. regular registration
- Participation type (in-person or virtual)
Optional add-ons:
- Pre-conference or professional development workshops and tours: $80 – $150
2. What to Budget (In-person Participants)
If you plan to attend in person from 27–30 April 2026, typical costs include:
- Conference registration: $280 – $380
- Round-trip airfare: $180 – $900
- Accommodation (4–5 nights): $120 – $450
- Meals: $40 – $150
- Local transportation: $30 – $80
Estimated Total Budget
| Travel Style | Estimated Total (USD) |
|---|---|
| Budget-focused | $650 – $800 |
| Moderate comfort | $850 – $1,050 |
| More flexible | $1,100 – $1,400 |
These figures are indicative and depend on travel choices and booking timing.
3. Travel & Logistics
To keep this article concise, detailed guidance on:
- Getting to Kuala Lumpur
- Accommodation options
- Local transportation
- Visa considerations
- Practical travel advice
is available on the Travel Tips page on the APCDA website.
Participants are encouraged to review this page when planning their trip.
4. What to Prepare Beyond Fees
Professional Preparation
- A short introduction about your role and organization
- Business cards or digital contact details
- Key questions or challenges you want to explore
- Presentation materials (if you are a speaker)
Conference Planning
- Review the program in advance
- Decide which sessions you will attend virtually and which in person
- Leave space for informal conversations and networking, which are a core part of the APCDA experience
Whether you join virtually from 20–26 April or attend in person in Kuala Lumpur from 27–30 April 2026, the APCDA Conference offers meaningful learning, connection, and global perspectives in career development. We look forward to welcoming you.
Professional Development Institute
By Dr. Roberta Borgen and Dr. William Borgen
This session focuses on working more effectively with diverse clients by reflecting on how your identity, biases, and assumptions shape trust, connection, and everyday professional practice across varied contexts.
Learn to assess cases in culturally responsive ways, balance immediate needs with long term career goals, collaborate with key influencers, and tailor interventions while advocating for meaningful, ethical, and lasting systemic change when needed.
We are inviting applications for APCDA’s 2026 Scholarships and nominations for the 2026 Awards, reaffirming our commitment to supporting professional growth and celebrating excellence in career development across the Asia-Pacific region.
Both scholarship applications and award nominations are open to members and non-members, reflecting APCDA’s mission to elevate promising professionals and recognize impactful contributions across the wider community.
APCDA’s Scholarships are designed to uplift emerging practitioners and leaders who may face financial, geographic, or professional barriers in accessing global opportunities. By welcoming applications from non-members as well, we hope to encourage diverse voices and talent from every corner of the region.
Applicants are encouraged to review the criteria and complete their submissions before February 15, 2026.
Our Awards acknowledge distinguished individuals whose work has significantly advanced career development practice, research, and leadership. Award categories include the Lifetime Achievement Award, Outstanding Career Practitioner Award, and Outstanding Educator of Career Professionals Award. These Awards celebrate professionals who demonstrate exceptional dedication, innovation, and measurable impact in their institutions, communities, or areas of specialization. By opening nominations to non-members, APCDA seeks to honour excellence wherever it is found and inspire continued advancement across the field. Last date to receive nominations is March 15, 2026.
For complete details, please visit the Scholarships and Awards section on the APCDA website.
Keynote 1
By William E. Donald
What if we stopped adjusting to broken systems and started building ones that work for everyone? This keynote challenges career development professionals to rethink their role through the lens of equity and sustainability.
Positioned between individual aspirations and systemic influence, we have both responsibility and opportunity to lead. Real change, however, requires collaboration with employers, policymakers, and regulators. Together, we will examine how representation shapes access and outline practical steps to create lasting, inclusive impact.
What Does Hybrid Mean?
The conference has been designed to provide you the flexibility and convenience of attending either in-person or virtually. Truly the best of both worlds! Week one is virtual for all (April 20, 22, and 24). Live-streamed presentations and discussions allow all presenters and attendees to participate without leaving home. In the second week, choose to join us in-person or continue attending sessions virtually. The live content sessions will be streamed to those who are remote.
Registration includes conference presentations from both the first and second week. Virtual attendees will join all sessions remotely, while In-person attendees will be attending the first week remotely and the second week physically in Univerisity Malaya, Malaysia. Aside from conference presentations, there are Professional Development Institutes on April 30, which is an optional extra for both virtual and in-person attendees.
All content sessions offered at our conference will be recorded and available for 3 months post-conference. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity of “Expanding Horizons: Inclusive Career Development in Global Transitions”. You can learn so much with such a small investment.
The conference platform, Whova, will be accessible to all attendees beginning in mid March, 2026.
Of course, there is so much more to an in-person conference than content sessions. Registering for the In-Person conference includes all of the Content Sessions offered virtually, plus the Meetup Dinner, Reception Roundtables , In-person breakout sessions and Cultural Performance. Many people from Malaysia are attending, eager to talk with you about career development practices in other parts of the Asia Pacific region.
Optional Extras
One Professional Development Institutes (PDIs) is offered which is not included in the basic registration. It is available both virtually and in-person. We also offer group tours as Optional Extras. The tours included a visit the Autism Café for lunch, followed by a city tour, and a day long tour to Melaka, a city built by the Portuguese with a stop at the SOCSO Rehabilitation Centre.
Keynote 4
by Dr. Roberta Borgen
What is the “diversity disconnect,” and why does it matter? In many workplaces, people are unsure when it is safe to share their identities or accommodation needs, limiting their ability to thrive.
Through research, real cases, and global experience, Dr. Borgen highlights the barriers that keep talented individuals from meaningful work. Reflect on your role in “the village” and how to foster safer, more inclusive career development in your own context.
Again this year, APCDA has contracted with Whova to provide the software for our conference. Because this conference is Hybrid, we need a really good Mobile App so that in-person attendees can participate equally with virtual attendees. ALL questions for presenters, whether you are in the room or remote, should be submitted by typing them into Whova. Whova provides both a Web App and a Mobile App to make this easy. We expect In-person Attendees to use the Mobile App and Virtual Attendees to use the Web App, although they may want to use both so they can easily submit questions to the presenter while watching the session in full screen mode.
Here are the instructions for using this new software:
We’re thrilled to announce two exciting contests happening during this year’s conference: the Fun Fact Contest and Excellent Attendance Contest. Each contest will recognize three winners who will receive their choice of valuable prizes from the list below:
- One Free APCDA Webinar — Choose any webinar that sparks your interest.
- One Year Free APCDA Membership — Stay connected with APCDA throughout the year.
Each winner may select one prize from the list. You can start participating in the contests as soon as Whova becomes accessible to you. The winners will be announced and recognized on April 29, 2026 during the conference closing.
About Fun Fact Contest
The Fun Fact contest is called a Photo Contest in Whova. The purpose of this contest is to give you an opportunity to think of and share with us something interesting about yourself that make others remember you even after the conference is over. Your Fun Fact could be related to your life, career experience, local career services, APCDA, or about your country – photos are encouraged.
All of the fun facts posted in Whova will be immediately visible to other attendees, some might give a like or add comments to your post. Fun Fact with the most likes or comments engagements wins the contest. Please act ethically and use your likes or comments to engage with other attendees rather than make your friend a winner.
Here are a few examples on Fun Fact:
- I joined APCDA on November 11, 2013 but then somehow, I forgot about it until I truly became an active member on January 13, 2020.
- Hindi is the national language of India but almost each state of the country has its own language.
- A career counselor in me evolved unintentionally while I engaged in lifelong learning.
About Conference Mastery Award
As a token of appreciation for attendees who have actively attend conference sessions in Whova, we are pleased to introduce Excellent Attendance Contest. Attendees who demonstrate active attendance in sessions by staying in a session for at least 10 minutes will receive a digital badge. This only applies to the virtual sessions (April 20 through April 24) because Whova does not know when you attend a session in-person.
The 30 attendees with the largest number of minutes will automatically be entered into this contest and three will be randomly selected to receive the Excellent Attendance Award. The winners will be announced during the conference’s closing ceremony.