ACA Connects to Stop Annual D.C. Policy Summit after More Than Three Decades
The trade organization is replacing it with 3 ‘ACA Connects YOU’ events in D.C.
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2026 – After 33 years, ACA Connects is dropping its annual policy summit, transitioning to hosting three “ACA Connects YOU” events in Washington, D.C.
In a July 7 post, ACA Connects explained that the change is helping to maintain momentum from the Summit year-round and foster stronger relationships, strengthening advocacy. The first “ACA Connects YOU” event is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 23-25, 2027.
“We believe this evolution of our annual in-person gatherings will strengthen our advocacy and bolster our efforts to speak with one voice in Washington to the policymakers deciding the future of communications policy in America,” ACA Connects CEO Grant Spellmeyer said in the post. ACA Connects represents a few hundred small and mid-sized broadband ISPs, including Cable One, Mediacom, and Great Plains Communications.
Spellmeyer elaborated on this in a statement, explaining that the ACA Connects is working to invest in D.C. He stated, “[ACA Connects] isn’t just doubling down on D.C., we are tripling down! We believe reimagining our grassroots events away from a single annual gathering into a series of periodic visits will help keep the momentum of our advocacy front and center with policymakers as they debate the issues affecting the future of our industry.”
Through transitioning events, ACA Connects hopes to strengthen member involvement in D.C. Having three events will provide greater flexibility in travel to D.C. and create more opportunities for meetings with regulators and Members of Congress that shape the telecommunications industry.
“This evolution provides our members with more opportunities and greater flexibility to advocate on behalf of their companies and independent operators everywhere,” Spellmeyer said. “ACA Connects YOU is a strategic investment into delivering more value for our members and stronger relationships in the halls of power in Washington, D.C.”
The demise of the Summit reflects trends on Capitol Hill that were hard for the trade group to manage, according to one source familiar with the situation.
“Particularly this year with the advent of the Iran conflict, it was becoming more difficult for the Senators and Representatives to maintain their schedules. Too often, meetings were held just with staffers,” the source said on background.
The source noted that the Summit seemed to become a challenge for ACA Connects to hold. “This seemed to be [a] trend that had begun a few years earlier, and I think that had an effect on operators’ attendance. That, in turn, had an impact on vendor participation. And, on top of everything, the cost to hold such an event in D.C. was becoming prohibitively expensive,” the source said.
An indication of a transition ahead was the departure of ACA Connects Vice President of Member Services and Summit planner Stacey Leech, who departed ACA Connects in March. Her position has not been filled.
The ACA Connects Summit started in 1993 and continued for 33 years, interrupted only by the pandemic.
