The 2021 ASHA Convention will be a hybrid event, pairing an in-person convention with an online library of pre-recorded digital sessions. You have the choice of either registering to attend the in-person ASHA Convention, or registering at a discounted rate to gain access just to the ASHA Convention Virtual Library.
The ASHA Convention in Washington, D.C., will take place November 18–20. It will be a return to the traditional (though likely smaller) convention experience that you’ve missed—featuring in-person learning and a vibrant exhibit hall—PLUS access to the Virtual Library.
Washington, D.C. is lifting formal capacity restrictions in mid-June, however, a variety of not-yet-defined safety measures may still be in place onsite. These may include a cap on the number of people allowed in rooms, mandatory face coverings, social distancing, proof of vaccination, and/or onsite COVID-19 testing (with allowances for ADA accommodations), app-based contact tracing, or other measures.
The ASHA Convention Virtual Library, open from November 15–22, is an online platform that will provide access to hundreds of pre-recorded sessions over an extended 8-day period that overlaps the in-person event, allowing you to learn on your own schedule. Posters will even feature live Q&A sessions, so you can interact with presenters and other attendees in real time. The Virtual Library will also feature interactive exhibitor profiles, so you can browse companies and organizations offering products and services for the professions.
We recognize that the 2021 ASHA Convention may be the first opportunity for many of you to meet in person, and you're looking forward to reunions with colleagues and lively discussions on the latest topics in the professions. Please bear with us as we continue to adapt to the latest event guidelines and create a comfortable experience for all attendees. We will share updates as they are available, and will communicate all rules, regulations, and requirements before registration opens.
Each year, our Convention Co-Chairs, in partnership with the ASHA President, develop a theme for the ASHA Convention. The theme provides a framework for the focus of the education program, our Opening General Session keynote speaker, and the entire look and feel of the event. Our 2021 theme, "Rising UNITED," is a celebration of the resilience and resourcefulness of communication sciences and disorders professionals in the face of adversity. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists, students and researchers encountered unprecedented challenges in 2020, but ultimately, through their ingenuity, found innovative solutions to service delivery, teaching and supervision, and made important advances in research. We have grown in strength and knowledge over the past year, supported by our colleagues and the professional community. The 2021 ASHA Convention will be our opportunity to celebrate our resilience—together.
We encourage you to tag your social media posts related to the ASHA Convention with the hashtags #ASHA2021 and #ASHAUNITED.
The 2021 ASHA Convention Call for Papers closed on April 6. Notifications of acceptance/non-acceptance will be e-mailed to all authors listed on proposals no later than July 20, 2021. Please e-mail papers@asha.org if you have any questions.
Our Exhibits team and Sales team are working through options for exhibiting, advertising, and sponsorship to provide relevant and effective opportunities to our commercial partners with our hybrid format. We expect to open sales in June.
With the anticipation of being able to hold in-person activities, registration and housing will open on Monday, August 2, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, since our traditional date for opening, August 1, falls on a Sunday this year. We’ve modified the registration fees for 2021, offering an extended early bird discount period for in-person registration, and discounted rates for virtual-only registration.