National Trust for Historic Preservation: Return to home page

Celebrate the power of place, at PastForward. Join thousands of preservationists and preservation lovers at the nation’s premier conference for those who work to save, sustain, and interpret historic places.

Lead the Change

Historic preservationists are change-makers dedicated to strengthening communities, yet we are all grappling with significant, overlapping challenges, from pandemic shutdowns and economic shock to racial injustice and a changing climate. Today, the preservation movement’s work has never been more important and more vital. However, meaningful changes are needed in many aspects of our practices and policies, from how it is determined which historic places are preserved and interpreted, to how we can evolve our practices to ensure the full American story is being told.

The complexity and scale of these challenges require all preservationists to become even more innovative, nimble, and collaborative, bringing together our diverse perspectives and values to create positive change. We must embrace our own role in leading the change. Read more about the focus at this year’s conference.

National Impact Agenda

The National Impact Agenda will articulate our shared values and describe actions we can take—individually and collectively—to deepen the impacts of the work of historic preservation. The completed National Impact Agenda will be shared at PastForward Online 2021. This summer, we want to hear from you! What actions can organizations, institutions, governments, and people prioritize to achieve shared goals across the preservation movement over the next 3-5 years? Learn more and share your ideas.

Sponsors

Thank you to our 2021 sponsors who have made a commitment to supporting the conference, to ensure we can provide attendees the best experience possible.

• Richard H. Driehaus Foundation — National Preservation Awards Sponsor
• American Express — Aspire Award Sponsor