Here’s the August edition of What’s New at the 2026 Joint Annual Conference? to help attendees with their planning.

Expanded Viewing for General Sessions
To ensure every attendee has a comfortable viewing experience during the three General Sessions at the Joint Annual Conference, attendees can be on the lookout for the new, closed-circuit video feed, which will be presented in a Grand Hall meeting room at the Hyatt Regency, near the Grand Ballrooms where the live and in-person General Sessions will take place as usual. Look for more information in the Grand Hall at the Conference.

Shuttle Bus Service Between Hyatt Regency and Sheraton Grand
A new and complimentary shuttle service will run between the Hyatt Regency Chicago and the Sheraton Grand Chicago on Friday and Saturday of the 2026 Joint Annual Conference. This shuttle will take attendees to and from the wide array of programming hosted at the Sheraton Grand, including Friday Focus Workshops, Student Musicians, the Student Art Show, and the Saturday Exhibit Trade Show; connecting to the Hyatt Regency, which is home to the General Sessions, partner organization meetings, Exhibit Trade Show, Panel Sessions, Bookstore, Delegate Assembly, and more. Look for details onsite in November!

So, What Else is New?
As previously announced, the 2026 Conference will have a new badge system. Registered attendees will now pick up their Joint Annual Conference badges onsite, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Sheraton Grand, or Swissôtel. Also new are Delegate Assembly logistics, the one-day Exhibit Trade Show at the Sheraton, and a new day and location for Equity.

The Joint Annual Conference will take place November 20-22, 2026. Registration is open, and early-bird rates continue until October 15. Visit the Joint Annual Conference webpage for all the latest information on the 2026 event.