Conference Policies

Registration Policies

AAPA 2026 Registration and Ticketed Item Cancellation Policy

  • Cancellations received on or before Tuesday, March 31, 2026, will receive a full refund, minus a $100 processing fee.
  • Cancellations received Wednesday, April 1 – Thursday, April 30, 2026, will receive a 50% refund.
  • No refunds will be made for cancellations on or after May 1, 2026.
  • You may cancel ticketed items and receive a full refund if cancellation is received in writing by Thursday, April 30, 2026. No refunds will be given after this time.
  • There will be no refunds for T-shirt purchases after March 1, 2026.  All t-shirts must be picked up on site at the registration desk prior to noon on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 or it will be returned with no refund.
  • Cancellation requests must be emailed to [email protected].
  • Cancellation refunds requested via check can take up to 2 months to process.

 
Membership Policy

Membership must be current through May 31, 2026, to qualify for member registration rates. Should your membership expire prior to May 31, 2026, and you choose not to renew your membership, AAPA Customer Care will contact you for the payment for the difference between member and nonmember registration rates.
 
No Shows

If you do not cancel in writing by April 30, 2026, and do not attend, no refund will be granted.
 
Fellow Premium Membership Terms

NEW! As of Oct. 1, 2025, Fellow Premium membership no longer includes complimentary access to the Annual Conference. However, members who purchased Fellow Premium membership prior to Oct. 1, 2025 and have a Fellow Premium membership active during the month of May 2026, expiring May 31, 2026 or later, will still receive complimentary access to AAPA 2026.  The conference registration system will automatically offer you the proper registration fee based on this criteria.  If you have questions, please contact [email protected].

  • Subject to the following conditions, the Fellow Premium members described above WILL receive complimentary registration to the AAPA 2026.  The following restrictions still apply:
    • Registration Fee. Fellow Premium members (who are eligible as described above) will receive their complimentary full conference rate during registration and before checkout. Additional ticketed CME, workshops, events, hotel reservations, and donations will be an extra and separate charge(s). No additional discounts, promotions or substitutions are valid.
    • Hotel Stay Requirement. Fellow Premium members attending the conference must book a hotel room for a minimum two-night stay during registration to receive the complimentary conference rate. Fellow Premium members that do not book a hotel room within the official AAPA hotel block during registration will be charged a $200 registration fee. Exceptions for local residents (within a 50-mile radius of New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA) will be given.
    • Fellow Premium members are not required to attend the meeting and may cancel their registration at any time. Your registration has no cash value, is nontransferable, and there are no refunds for cancellations. Should you not book a hotel in the AAPA hotel block and pay the applicable registration fee, this fee will be refunded upon cancellation up to (currently) $200 (or other such amount as designated by AAPA).
  • Conference Changes. Please watch the AAPA Annual Conference webpage (aapa.org/conference) for the latest news and updates. To protect the health of our members, staff, and the public, or for other reasons, AAPA may cancel the event or change the AAPA Annual Conference format, CME credit availability, safety or admissions requirements, or other conference features.

 

Hotel Room Policies

The discounted registration rate for staying in the official AAPA Hotel Block is available until Friday, May 1, 2026, per availability.

AAPA’s hotel room and registration policy was enacted so that we can provide our attendees with discounted hotel room rates, low conference registration costs, a large and varied selection of properties, the best networking opportunities – and an extra $200 off registration!

When you book your room in the official AAPA hotel block, we’ll take $200 off your registration cost. We’ve done the work of scouting out great properties in our host city – this year in New Orleans, you can choose from 17 options, all convenient to the convention center. Plus, you’ll be surrounded by your colleagues, meaning you’ll make great networking and social connections.

In order to keep providing discounted hotel rates, we have to fill these rooms. The use of hotel booking websites and Airbnb has made filling rooms in our blocks more difficult recently, and an unfortunate alternative would be to increase registration rates to compensate for this loss.

We do NOT want to do this! That’s why we’re giving this $200 discount to attendees who book their reservation for the conference within any of the official AAPA hotels (minimum 2-night stay). Attendees will be prompted to book their hotel and register at the same time in order to apply the $200 discount.

If you live within a 50-mile radius of New Orleans, LA, you are automatically eligible for $200 discount on your registration rate.

If you are sharing a room with other attendees, you may still be eligible for the $200 registration discount, even if you’re already registered. Please contact us for more information.
 

Conference Policies

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

AAPA, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and all official Meeting hotels comply with the requirements specified by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you have any questions or require special accommodations or auxiliary aid relating to a disability for your conference attendance, please notify AAPA at [email protected] no later than April 12, 2026.

 

Animals

Live animals are prohibited within New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center other than animals that serve a guide or service function as defined by ADA or as part of a pre-approved exhibit.

 

Children

Children, including infants, under the age of 18 are welcome in the public spaces of the Convention Center as well as the Expo on Sunday and Monday during show hours. Please be aware that the Expo is crowded, and that small children and infants should be in strollers or carriers.

Children, including infants, under the age of 18 are not allowed in conference sessions, the Main Stage events, the Opening Reception, Challenge Bowl, or in the Expo during move-in and set-up or move-out hours due to the safety concerns, audio recording and maintaining an appropriate learning environment.

PA Night Out is a strict 21 years of age or older event.

For specific questions, please contact [email protected].

 

Conference Attire

Conference attire is business casual. Dressing in layers is recommended since the temperature in meeting rooms can vary.

 

Guests

Guest passes are available for purchase on site at the conference for $50. Guests must be accompanied by a registered attendee. Please keep in mind guests are only allowed access to the Expo, Main Stage Events, and Opening Reception. Guests must be 18 years of age or older, except for PA Night Out, which is 21 years of age or older.

 

Name Badges

Registered attendees must always wear their official conference name badge to access conference events. There will be a $50 fee to reprint a lost badge. The badge is nontransferable.

 

Smoking Restrictions

Smoking (including vapor cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco) is prohibited in all indoor areas and no closer than 25 ft. from any entrance at designated smoking areas only.

 

Code of Conduct

The AAPA 2026 national conference is intended for education, networking, and collaboration among PAs. AAPA is committed to providing a safe, supportive, and respectful conference experience regardless of a person’s race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, age, religion, disability status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical appearance, or other characteristics. AAPA expects conference participants to communicate professionally and constructively and to uphold the professional and educational purposes of the conference.

We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everyone.

 

Unacceptable Behavior

Harassment of conference participants or AAPA staff in any form is prohibited. Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to offensive verbal comments, expressed or implied threat of physical or professional harm, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

 

Reporting Unacceptable Behavior

Unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated. If you experience or notice others experiencing any of the above unacceptable behavior or have any other concerns, please contact AAPA conference staff at [email protected].

 

AAPA’s Commitment

AAPA will investigate all incidents reported with discretion and confidentiality. AAPA reserves the right to bar any attendee who violates this Code of Conduct from attending future conferences and/or cancel membership without refund.

 

Health Safety Measures

By submitting an attendee registration for AAPA 2026, attendees must acknowledge and agree that they are fully responsible for their own safety and actions while participating in the national conference and recognize that they may be at risk of contracting airborne viruses or other illnesses, through no fault of AAPA.

Be sure to practice everyday preventive actions, including but not limited to washing hands often, and monitoring your health daily.
 
Security Measures
AAPA provides roaming security personnel at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center during conference hours, and at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Thursday through Sunday. Additionally, both the Convention Center and Hilton New Orleans Riverside have internal security personnel to handle any situations that arise.

Admittance to AAPA’s House of Delegates Meeting in the Hilton New Orleans Riverside will be only by AAPA 2026 Conference Badge. There will be only one entrance to the meeting room and security personnel will be positioned to check badges for delegate and member access. In addition, a plain clothes officer will be present during the HOD proceedings.

As in any city, we remind conference attendees to be aware of your surroundings. If you see something, say something. We also recommend when you are walking around the city, to ensure you remove your conference badge and have a buddy. We encourage all attendees to program the following security phone numbers in their cell phones before heading to Houston to ensure they are easily accessible should you need to reach security. Security at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center can be reached at 504-582-3040. Security at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside can be reached at 504-584-3887.

The following specific measures are being taken for our AAPA 2026 attendees:

  • Firearms are not allowed on any premises during AAPA 2026, regardless of state laws.
  • There is security onsite at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
  • PA Night Out will remain a private event, only open to conference registrants.
  • There will be ample signage at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Hilton New Orleans Riverside on what to do if there is a problem.
  • Safety & security information will be provided in the app about what to do if there is a problem.
  • Badges are required for all AAPA conference events.

 

Session Policies

  • As a courtesy to our faculty and to the other attendees, please turn all devices on silent.
  • You may not sit on the floor or stand along the walls due to safety and fire codes.
  • As a reminder all attendees agreed to adhere to the Code of Conduct, as listed above.
  • In the event of an emergency, the necessary information is printed on the back of your conference badge.
  • Please remember that there should be NO photographs or videos taken of the session.
  • Educational sessions may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Therefore, before prescribing any medication, please review the complete prescribing information including indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse effects.
  • The information presented is that of the contributing faculty and does not necessarily represent the views of the AAPA and/or any named commercial entity providing financial support.