Frequently asked questions
Here are some common questions we receive from attendees. Have a question not on the list? Contact Ellen Snipes at ellen.snipes@aocs.org.
The main meeting venue is the Hilton Chicago located at 720 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, USA 60605.
The Hilton Chicago is also the official hotel partner of the 2027 meeting. Learn more and reserve your room here.
The official meeting dates are Sunday, May 2–Wednesday, May 5, 2027. The first official event will begin the afternoon of Sunday, May 2.
Short courses will be held on Saturday and Sunday, before the official start of the meeting.
You can view the meeting agenda here as details are available. Information about education sessions/technical program is available here.
The Hilton Chicago is the exclusive hotel partner and host for the 2027 meeting, offering convenient access to sessions and networking events.
Chicago offers convenient transit options for event attendees. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates an extensive network of trains ("L" lines) and buses throughout the city, making it easy to reach downtown venues, hotels, and neighborhoods. The CTA's Blue Line and Orange Line both provide direct service to and from O'Hare and Midway International Airports, respectively.
Metra commuter rail also connects Chicago to surrounding suburbs, which may be useful for attendees staying outside the city center.
Online registration will open in January 2027.
Early career members are younger than 36 years of age and/or earned their highest degree within the last 10 years.
The full technical program – including oral and poster abstracts as submitted – will be available in February 2027.
Interested in sharing your research this year? Learn more about submitting an abstract here.
No. All AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo presentations will be in person.
While presentations are not recorded, meeting attendees can access materials provided by presenters in the app.
Presentations will not be recorded. Oral presenters are encouraged to upload slides and supplementary materials to include in our mobile app.
Poster presenters will also be encouraged to upload a PDF of their physical poster to the annual meeting app. However, it is up to the individual poster presenter whether they choose to make their presentation available on demand.
Only registered attendees can access these on-demand materials.
It is up to the individual presenters whether they choose to make their presentation slide decks available on the annual meeting website. If available, you can view it on the attendee meeting site beginning April 21.
We recommend flying into O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago, Illinois, USA, as it offers the widest selection of direct international flights and is a major hub for United Airlines and American Airlines. O'Hare is connected to downtown Chicago via the CTA Blue Line, with a ride-share or taxi typically taking 30–45 minutes depending on traffic.
Midway International Airport (MDW) is a convenient alternative for domestic travelers, particularly those flying Southwest Airlines. Midway is generally closer to downtown and is served by the CTA Orange Line.
If you're unsure which airport works best for your itinerary, we recommend comparing flight options to both before booking, as fares and direct-flight availability can vary based on your departure city
We encourage you to arrive either Saturday, May 1 or Sunday, May 2 The Newcomer Meet & Greet: Reception for First-Time Attendees and New Members kicks off meeting events the afternoon of Sunday afternoon, followed by the President's Welcome and Awards Celebration and the Welcome Reception.
Attire is business casual, and we encourage you to wear comfortable shoes. We also recommend you dress in layers, as temperatures in meeting rooms can vary.
No. Fraudulent companies may reach out to you under the guise of working with AOCS. These companies are not affiliated with AOCS in any way and are attempting to obtain personal information and credit card numbers in exchange for an excel document. We are not sure what contact list they are attempting to sell, but we guarantee it is not the actual AOCS annual meeting attendee list.
AOCS accepts abstract submissions for the annual meeting September through early-January preceding the meeting. We notify authors of abstracts selected for the technical program by early February.