Walker College of Business

You are invited to submit your research to the 2026 Appalachian Research in Business Symposium (ARBS) to be held on April 16-17, 2026, at the Appalachian State University Plemmons Student Union located in Boone, NC.  Participants will find opportunities for presenting new research, discovering contemporary ideas, and building connections. A welcome reception will be held on the evening of Thursday, April 16^th, and the presentations will be held on Friday, April 17^th. The registration fee for the conference is $125 and this is open to external attendees as well as internal Appalachian State Faculty, Staff and Students. 

 Submissions are encouraged from scholars who use different theoretical and empirical approaches to deliver the latest researchresults in different business fields (e.g., Accounting, Data Analytics, Business Education, Computer Information Systems, Communication, Supply Chain Management, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism, Management, Marketing, Risk Management, Insurance, International Business, Technology/Information Systems, Business Law, Sports Management, Project Management, Healthcare Management and similar disciplines).

Guidelines for Submitting Your Research:

Submissions will be peer-reviewed for acceptance at ARBS 2026, and at least one author from each accepted submission is required to register for the conference and present the research. There are two options for submission:

• Short Paper Submission: Submissions should have approximately 750-2000 words. Accepted short papers will be published in the ARBS 2026 proceedings, unless the author requests otherwise. All submissions are required to be formatted to the specifications of the template found HERE. Please submit your short paper as a Microsoft Word document to mohrtm1@appstate.edu.
• Abstract Submission: Submissions should have approximately 300-500 words. Abstracts will not be included in the proceedings. All submissions are required to be formatted to the specifications of the template found HERE. Please submit your research proposal as a Microsoft Word document to mohrtm1@appstate.edu.

 Important Dates:

• Submission deadline: February 1^st, 2026
• Author notification of accepted manuscripts/presentations: February 15^th, 2026 

Conference Committee:

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Cost for the symposium is $125 per person and includes Thursday’s beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres reception; light breakfast, lunch and two breaks on Friday; parking; keynote address; and materials.

Link to register coming soon!

For questions about registering, contact: Kim Kirby at kirbyko@appstate.edu. 

Thursday, April 16
5:30pm -8:00 p.m. – Welcome Beer and Wine Reception at the Grandview Ballroom, Kidd Brewer Stadium, 135 Jack Branch Drive,  Boone NC 28607

Friday, April 17 - Plemmons Student Union, 263 Locust Street, Boone NC 28607. Parking details are forthcoming.
7:45-8:45 a.m. – Registration and light breakfast, Conference Agenda, Welcome Address & Keynote Lecturer, Three Top Mountain, Room 169
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Concurrent Sessions, Plemmons Student Union
12:00-1:15 p.m. – Lunch, River Street Cafe Central Dining Hall, pre-paid lunch card provided.
1:30-4:45 p.m. – Concurrent Sessions, Plemmons Student Union
5:00 p.m. – Dismiss, Thank you for attending!