How does the CAS select in-person conference locations?

The decision on where to host CAS conferences considers a variety of factors. We strive to hold our four largest events (RPM, Spring, CLRS and Annual) in the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, and West regions of the United States. Our goal is to enable those members who may only attend one event in a calendar year to have one of our four major events held in their region. For members who annually attend the same large CAS event, that event will be located in their region every four years. We also aim to host one of our conferences in Canada every four to six years.

We remain focused on locations that are both convenient for travel, for example, cities that can be reached via a direct flight from the majority of North America, and that are appealing to potential attendees.

What do you do to ensure members feel welcomed, included, and safe during in-person conferences?

The CAS represents members and candidates of all races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic classes, and creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for them is our foremost concern when planning in-person events. The CAS requires anyone in our conference spaces to be a registered attendee of the event, and we post signage and have staff monitor badges to keep non-registered people from accessing our area. We also ask attendees to abide by the Code of Conduct for CAS Events.

The CAS prioritizes conference vendors that are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all of our attendees.

What options exist for those who are not able or do not feel safe attending an in-person conference in a certain location?

CAS members have the ability to select from several different conferences and conference locations each year. All of our large events also include a livestream virtual option so attendees can participate in high-quality and interactive continuing education opportunities and networking from anywhere in the world.