The Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) Summit 26 is upon us.
The event, which is presented by the Appalachian Regional Commission and Appalachian Wireless, starts today and runs through Friday as more than 1,000 people will pour into Corbin bringing together a broad network of leaders, employers, educators, entrepreneurs, community advocates and others helping shape what’s next for Eastern Kentucky.
SOAR is a nonprofit serving 54 Appalachian Regional Commission counties in Kentucky. SOAR was born from the economic fallout of the coal industry’s decline. It’s mission today is to solve deep-seated issues of population retention and growth in Eastern Kentucky, according to the SOAR website.
The 2025 SOAR Summit drew more than 1,700 attendees representing 30 states and 56 Kentucky counties, including 32 of Kentucky’s 54 Appalachian counties.
The theme for this year’s event is Building Eastern Kentucky, Together. There is increased emphasis this year on participation, practical learning, networking, and the people and organizations doing the work throughout Eastern Kentucky.
“We listened to the feedback we received from attendees, sponsors, partners, and community leaders,” said Dr. Reed Adkins, executive director of SOAR. “People want to hear more from the individuals and organizations creating real impact across Eastern Kentucky. They want practical ideas they can take home and put into action. They want opportunities to connect and collaborate. The 2026 Summit is intentionally designed to do exactly that.”
Wednesday evening, the SOAR Inspires Awards will be handed out.
“That is essentially a night to celebrate. We are going to hand out a dozen plus awards from student of the year to teacher of the year, community of the year, tourism group of the year,” said SOAR Chief Operating Officer Joshua Ball. “The majority of the people we are going to recognize are the people I had no clue were doing great things in their community.”
On Thursday, the Eastern Kentucky Experience opens in the morning and there will be programming throughout the day. Among other things there will be an Artificial Intelligence workshop to inform people about what AI is and isn’t. In addition, there will be a workshop on nuclear ready communities.
During the evening, attendees will be encouraged to check out the local sites around Corbin.
During the morning of Oct. 9, Fifth District Congressman Hal Rogers and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, are scheduled to be speak. Both are co-principal officers of SOAR.
“Eastern Kentucky has a rich legacy of innovators, mountain engineers, and creative minds, with an unmatched resiliency. That’s why I remain confident that our best days are ahead of us, as new technology and resources emerge,” said Rogers, who was one of the driving forces behind the creation and continued growth of SOAR.
“The SOAR Summit is the premier opportunity to bring together our best and brightest leaders to drive innovative solutions, celebrate successes and reimagine the future of our region.”
Geopolitical strategist and international security expert John Sitilides will deliver the keynote address Friday.
His keynote will bring a global perspective and explore issues with growing relevance to Eastern Kentucky’s businesses, industries, institutions, and communities.
“Eastern Kentucky doesn’t exist in isolation from what is happening across the country or around the world,” said Adkins. “Decisions involving trade, energy, national security, technology, manufacturing, and supply chains can ultimately influence investment and opportunity right here in our region. John brings an incredible ability to connect those global forces to the decisions leaders are making every day. We believe this will be a timely and thought-provoking conversation for our Summit audience.”
This year’s Summit marks the third one hosted in Corbin. The Summit was previously hosted at The Arena in 2021 and 2025.
