Rural
Renaissance
Roadshow
November 10-12, 2025 | Opelika, Alabama
Join local leaders and energy innovators transforming rural communities.
Rural Renaissance
Roadshow 2025
Groundswell’s annual Rural Renaissance Roadshow brings together rural leaders from across the U.S. to share knowledge, forge partnerships, and bring resources back to hard-working communities. The Roadshow equips attendees to build strong, local, clean energy futures through inspiration, education, and hands-on sessions, including opportunities to learn more about funding and technical support. This year, we’re heading to Opelika, Alabama, where attendees will spend two and a half days connecting and seeing the work in action.
Rural Renaissance
Webinars
Stay connected with the Rural Renaissance community year-round through our live webinars! Tune in live to ask our expert panelists questions. Missed a live recording? Click below to watch past webinars where we discuss topics such as increasing community resilience to extreme weather events and building community wealth.
Register
Come join us for this years Roadshow!
Attendees
Program Tracks
Sessions
Keynotes
2025 PROGRAM TRACKS
Rural Energy Systems
Rural Food Systems
Rural Water Systems
Rural Housing and Health
Countdown to the Roadshow!
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LOCATIONS
Venue Spaces and Our Partner Hotel
The Bottling Plant Event Center
The Bottling Plant is an event center converted from a former Coca-Cola Bottling Factory. Owned by a local, this event center showcases Opelika’s history and charm, all while providing us with a unique space to gather in Downtown Opelika this November 11th. All meals are included with your registration, and breakfast and lunch will be made on site at the bottling factory, which specializes in Southern cooking! Grab a plate and enjoy the Alabama sunshine on the patio while networking with leaders championing energy efficiency, sustainable farming practices, accessibility to clean water, preserving rural housing, and beyond! After spending the day at The Bottling Plant Event Center, hearing from our keynotes and engaging in conversations with session leaders, attendees will have the opportunity to head into downtown Opelika for our signature “Taste of Opelika” dinner event! Attendees will receive vouchers to a variety of esteemed local restaurants to sample the local cuisine. Stay tuned for restaurant details.Our Partner Hotel
Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort and Spa at Grand National
Book your room at the official hotel for the 2025 Rural Renaissance Roadshow now to get our discounted rate! Join us on November 12 in the Grand National Ballroom as we gather before setting off on our field trips!
Bring the whole family to the Roadshow and make it a getaway!
Enjoy all the amenities this unique hotel has to offer. Hit the golf course, play a match on the tennis courts, unwind with spa services, explore scenic biking and walking trails, or simply relax by the pool.
Please note: Golf course access and spa services must be booked separately.
Opelika, Alabama
Opelika’s story is one of transformation. Once a historic railroad town, it’s now a thriving hub of industry, innovation, and Southern hospitality. Global companies are investing in Opelika’s future—drawn by strong infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and a bold commitment to sustainable growth. It’s no surprise Opelika was recently ranked one of the Top 25 Most Dynamic Metropolitan Areas in the U.S.
While you’re here for the Roadshow, we hope you’ll explore all that the Auburn-Opelika area has to offer. From hiking to Chewacla State Park’s waterfall to grabbing the best local coffee in town, there’s a trail, taste, or treasure waiting for you. Visit the Auburn-Opelika Tourism website to plan your downtime and make the most of your stay.
With its walkable historic downtown, warm community spirit, and a proven track record of reinvention, Opelika is the perfect place to discover what’s next for rural America. We’re so excited to welcome you!
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rural Renaissance Roadshow?
Groundswell’s annual Rural Renaissance Roadshow brings together rural leaders from across the U.S. to share knowledge, forge partnerships, and bring resources back to hard-working communities. The Roadshow equips attendees to build strong, local, clean energy futures through inspiration, education, and hands-on sessions, including opportunities to learn more about funding and technical support. This year, we’re heading to Opelika, Alabama, where attendees will spend two and a half days connecting and seeing the work in action.
How do I get to Opelika?
If you are flying in, the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama, are nearly equal-distance from Auburn/Opelika, Alabama. We reccomend either renting a car from the airport or booking a shuttle through Groome Transportation, which is an affordable alternative to renting a car! Groome will pick you up at the airport and drop off in Auburn/Opelika.
Does Groome Transportation go to Auburn/Opelika?
Groome Transportation is an affordable alternative to renting a car! Groome picks up and drop off in Auburn and Opelika. You can book with Groome for a ride from the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, or the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama. Unfortunately, Groome does not drop off directly at our partner hotel, The Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort and Spa at Grand National, so you will need to utilize a rideshare app to get to the hotel. We will provide buses to and from the Marriott for off-site activites. Book your shuttle here!
Become a Sponsor
Groundswell’s core values include respect, integrity, excellence, taking care of each other, driving transformative change, and serving people and communities with joy. We believe that service is a privilege, not a chore, and our team works with and for people in the communities we serve to create resilient systems and transformative change.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join the Conversation
Rural Renaissance Webinar: Celebrating 100 Home Upgrades
June 25, 12PM EST
Groundswell is celebrating our 100th home repair through the Save On Utilities Long-term (SOUL) program, and the first in Alabama. Join us for a special webinar highlighting how the SOUL program is cutting electricity bills by 30% or more for families in the rural South while preserving housing and strengthening communities.
This conversation will spotlight the community partnerships and local leadership that made this milestone possible, including the 100th repair in Lanett, Alabama. We’ll hear from Mayor Jamie Heard of Lanett, whose district is home to the latest SOUL repair; Will Scarborough of Carlisle Service Company, who works hands-on to bring homes up to efficiency standards; and Andrew Robison of Groundswell, who is helping lead the program’s regional expansion. The discussion will be moderated by Deitra Crawley, General Counsel at Groundswell.
To date, the SOUL program has delivered more than $1 million in energy efficiency improvements across Georgia and Alabama, completed by local contractors, serving local families. With hundreds more homes ready for repairs, this webinar is a chance to celebrate how energy efficiency is building a more resilient, affordable future for communities across the Southeast.
LATEST NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS
The Roadshow is Heading to Opelika, AL
Surrounded by the beauty of the forest and Lake Saugahatchee, the Marriott Resort and Spa at Grand National has something for the whole family! Come early or stay late to hit a few balls at the Grand National Golf Course or on the Marriott’s tennis and pickleball courts. Whether you’d rather relax by the pool or enjoy the walking trails, there’s something for everyone at the Marriott Resort & Spa at Grand National.
Register Now for the Rural Renaissance Webinar: Celebrating 100 Home Upgrades
Get a taste of the topics we’ll be covering at the 2025 Rural Renaissance Roadshow through our webinars leading up to the event! Next month, on June 25 at noon ET, we’re celebrating the life-changing impacts of energy efficiency upgrades in rural homes and celebrating the 100th home upgrade through Groundswell’s Save on Utilities Long Term program!
Together, We Build Energy Resilience Across the Rural South
On Wednesday, April 30, at noon ET, Groundswell kicks off its 2025 Rural Renaissance Webinar Series with a timely conversation you won’t want to miss: Resilience by Design.
Why Opelika? A Legacy of Industry, Innovation, and Charm
Opelika’s story is one of transformation. Once a vital railroad town known for early manufacturing, it’s grown into a hub for advanced industry and innovation. Today, global companies like Pharmavite, Hanwha Advanced Materials, Daewon America, and Golden State Foods are investing in Opelika’s future—supported by strong infrastructure, a skilled and forward-thinking workforce, and a deep commitment to sustainable growth.
Preregistration Now Open: 2025 Rural Renaissance Roadshow in Opelika, AL
I’m thrilled to share that preregistration is now open for the Rural Renaissance Roadshow in Opelika, Alabama, happening November 10–12! This two-and-a-half-day gathering will bring together rural leaders, project funders, and innovators working at the intersection of clean energy, resilience, and rural investment.
Join us for Rural Renaissance: Resilience by Design
On Wednesday, April 30, at noon ET, join Groundswell and experts leading groundbreaking efforts in the Southeast for a dynamic conversation on the community-strengthening power of community resilience hubs during the first part of our 2025 Rural Renaissance webinar series.