The VU Summit, Density and Identity: Shaping Skylines Elevating Culture, will be accepting abstracts shortly, for presentations to be given in-person, 21-25 September, in Riyadh and Dubai. Please find important information below to help prepare your submission.
Elements of the theme that will be discussed in the upcoming summit:
- Blending heritage with modern design
- Prioritizing local identity over global templates
- Reapplying traditional Middle Eastern principles
- Ensuring cultural authenticity
- Using density to reinforce community
- Balancing global and regional design
- Designing for sustainability and resilience
- Dubai and Riyadh as identity crossroads
What are key topics and themes that could be presented?
- Balancing Tradition and Modernity – Integrating heritage with contemporary architecture and urban planning.
- Moving Beyond Global Templates – Avoiding repetitive international prototypes in favor of distinctive local designs.
- Reviving Traditional Principles – Applying traditional Middle Eastern design philosophies and technologies in modern projects.
- Preserving Authenticity – Combating superficial interpretations of culture in large-scale developments.
- Density as Cultural Identity – Using high-density design to strengthen, not dilute, local character and community.
- Global vs. Local Design Philosophies – Exploring the differences between globalized norms and regional uniqueness.
- Sustainability and Resilience – Creating dense urban environments that are environmentally responsible and future-ready.
- Dubai and Riyadh as Design Crossroads – Understanding how global ambition and regional identity converge in Dubai’s and Riyadh’s skylines.
Submission Process
- Confirm your organization’s 2026 CVU membership is in good standing, see list of active member companies here. Or become a CVU organizational member, more information here
- Submit your abstract
- Submissions are peer reviewed & selection recommendations made
- Staff notify primary contact person for selected abstracts
- Speakers register for Summit at the subsidized speaker rate and cover their own travel/hotel accommodations
- Final confirmation of speaker details and presentation materials is done and included in Summit materials
- Present session in-person at the 2026 Summit in Riyadh and Dubai.
Note: Accepted speakers will be asked to share their PowerPoint in our post-summit materials as well as interact in our Engage community platform.
Key Dates
- Abstract submissions are due by Friday, 20 February 2026 11:59PM Chicago time (Late submissions will not be accepted, no exceptions.)
- Accepted abstracts will be notified by early-May 2026
- VU Summit: 21-25 September 2026 in Riyadh and Dubai
What to Prepare
The submission portal will open soon. In the meantime, see below for key requirements that you’ll need to prepare for your submission.
- Presentation title: 70 characters maximum
- Abstract summary: 250 words maximum, providing full overview of your intended presentation.
- Short description: 400 characters maximum, providing a succinct overview that could be used to market your presentation to encourage attendance.
- Learning objectives: Provide three learning objectives that are clear, measurable, and achievable.
- Key image: One color image that best represents your topic. Images must be minimum 400px wide by 400px high, with a maximum file size of 500kb. You must have copyright permission to publish this image in all conference materials related to your presentation.
Important Notes
- The call for abstracts is only open to CVU Members at the organizational level and in good standing for the 2026 membership year.
- Accepted abstracts will be offered a standard 20-minute speaking slot within the core program.
- A maximum of two speakers can be associated with a single abstract. If accepted, joint speakers must share a single presentation time slot. Only a limited number of dual-speaker abstracts will be accepted with an emphasis on those where a secondary speaker provides a multi-disciplinary perspective or supports below noted EDI objectives.
- At CVU, we are committed to collectively driving positive change in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across our industries. We encourage submitters to consider how their presentations might contribute to EDI through your topic, examples you might present, or in your speakers.
- Due to the limited number of speaking opportunities and to ensure a robust and diverse speaker line up, any one individual can only participate in a single presentation across the core program.
Additional Speaking Opportunities
Please consider submitting an eligible project to our awards program to maximize your company’s opportunity to present at the Summit. For more information, please refer to past awards programs here. If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]. Please note, if both your abstract and award submissions are accepted, an additional speaker will need to be provided.
Additional Questions?
For additional questions or more information contact [email protected].