Our Commitment to Our Mission, Vision, and Strategic Goals Travels with Us

Douglas D. Backous, MD, AAO-HNS/F President and James C. Denneny III, MD, AAO-HNS/F Executive Vice President and CEO

The AAO-HNSF 2024 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO^SM will be held in Miami Beach, Florida, September 28 – October 1. As otolaryngologists from across the nation and around the world come together this fall, united in our mission to improve patient care, we also acknowledge the widening and concerning political divide that exists across state and national borders. However, we cannot let this schism derail our efforts to achieve our mission and vision. As we have come to see more frequently than ever, state and local laws vary widely across the United States and specifically among cities capable of holding meetings of our size—meetings that we contract years prior. Depending on the city and state hosting our Annual Meeting, specific groups are affected more than others.

The utmost concern for all our Annual Meetings, regardless of location and designation or policies and politics of the local and state governments, is for the safety and experience of all our attendees. As such, the AAO-HNSF has an expectation of inclusivity with a commitment to adherence to our Diversity Statement for all attendees of our Annual Meeting. It is also an expectation that we hold of every member of our organization.

The Academy unequivocally supports the inclusivity of our entire membership and guests and is privileged to have members and attendees of the Annual Meeting representing all possible demographics contributing to our specialty and patient care around the world. Our programming is intentionally designed to contain evidence-based, scientifically generated information presented by a diverse faculty that will advance patient care across the entire spectrum of our specialty. We welcome all presenters and attendees and pledge an environment of inclusivity that is demonstrated through fair and equal treatment for all at this meeting. We will continue to work with the Miami Beach Convention Center to address these concerns as an equal partner in this effort.