The Best Part of the Annual Meeting Is YOU

Cecelia Damask, DO, Annual Meeting Program Coordinator

There are conferences you attend, and then there's the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. Some meetings are simply about checking off the CME box, but this one is where doors open. Others inform, but this one connects, challenges, and inspires. Although you simply attend some meetings, this one stays with you long after it ends, continuing to drive your practice forward. Every year, thousands of otolaryngologists gather for education, innovation, and inspiration. But what truly sets our meeting apart isn’t just the cutting-edge sessions or the expansive OTO EXPO floor, it’s the people. It is YOU.

You Can Only Experience the Annual Meeting in Person

There’s no substitute for being here. The energy. The spontaneous hallway conversations. The unexpected introductions. The moments between sessions that turn into collaborations, mentorships, and lifelong friendships.

This is not a meeting you can fully experience from a screen. The Annual Meeting is immersive, dynamic, and alive. This only happens when we are all together in the same place.

A Reunion Like No Other

Think back to when it all started for you. At the Annual Meeting, you’ll reconnect with the people who shaped your otolaryngology-head and neck journey: your co-residents, fellowship colleagues, mentors, and early collaborators. You’ll see familiar faces you haven’t seen in years and pick up right where you left off.

There’s something powerful about walking into a lecture room and realizing that the person seated across the aisle from you is the one who scrubbed cases with you in the middle of the night, studied for boards with you, or helped guide your first steps in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

These moments don’t happen on Zoom or on demand. They only happen here.

Expand Your Circle and Elevate Your Practice

Whether you’re in academic medicine or private practice, the Annual Meeting is where ideas move forward.

You’ll find:

• Colleagues who share your exact clinical interests
• Surgeons refining the same techniques you’re working to master
• Private practice peers optimizing workflows, coding strategies, and efficiency
• Innovators eager to exchange insights on emerging therapies and technologies

This is where you compare notes, challenge assumptions, and come away with practical changes you can implement immediately.

You Never Know Who You’ll Run Into

One of the most underrated and unforgettable parts of the meeting are those unexpected encounters.

• The author of the paper you just cited
• The leader whose work influenced your practice
• The speaker whose session changed how you approach a disease

At the Annual Meeting, these aren’t distant figures. They are right here; walking the same halls, attending the same sessions, and open to conversation.

All it takes is a moment of introduction.

The FOMO Is Real

Let’s be honest, this is one of those events you feel when you’re not there.

You’ll hear about:

• The newly added innovative experience everyone is still talking about
• The new technique that changed someone’s practice overnight
• The connection that led to a new opportunity
• The conversations that sparked the next big idea
• The fun, entertaining, and relaxing evening at the Presidents’ Reception

And that’s when the fear of missing out (FOMO) sets in, and you’ll wish you had been part of it.

Because the simple truth is that you can’t recreate these moments after the fact.

This Is Where IT Happens

From October 17–20, 2026, in Los Angeles, California, the otolaryngology-head and neck surgery community will come together once again; not just to learn, but to connect, collaborate, and celebrate what makes this specialty extraordinary.

And the best part of the Annual Meeting?

It’s YOU.

Don’t miss it. Register today.