AIA26 First-timers guide
Top 11 tips for first-timers
AIA26 is the event architects and design professionals plan their year around! It’s where you’ll discover what’s new, build connections that move your work forward, and leave with practical knowledge you can use right away.
Use our ultimate first-timers guide—11 essential tips—to make the most of your first AIA Conference on Architecture & Design.
1. Register early & save
Unlock the best pricing on registration by taking advantage of advance rates through June 9!
Maximize your budget with special discounts:
- New AIA members: $159
- Students: $35
- Associate & Emeritus members: Save an additional $200!
- California-based new members: See your special offer!
Save even more with exclusive travel discounts through select airlines.
What to do with the budget you’ll save?
- Add on a tour, event, bootcamp, or symposia to enhance your experience.
- Upgrade to the Ultimate Pass and get a FREE guest pass (a $329 value) plus a FREE ticket to the AIA26 Opening Night Party!
- Create an opportunity for someone else in your office to attend. (Here are 5 tips to convince your boss to send you to AIA26.)
2. Book with peace-of-mind in our hotel block
We’ve personally vetted the best hotels near the San Diego Convention Center to amplify your conference experience and make your stay enjoyable.
Book your room in AIA’s official hotel block to access guaranteed lowest rates at 20+ San Diego hotels—plus peace of mind knowing you’re staying close to the venue and among fellow attendees. The most popular hotels always sell out first, so don’t wait!
3. Take an AIA26-exclusive architect-led tour
There’s no better way to experience San Diego architecture than through an AIA26 tour!
80+ architect-led tours take you behind-the-scenes at the Salk Institute, San Diego Central Library, Hotel Del Coronado, Jacobs Music Center, San Diego International Airport, Balboa Park, and so much more.
Tours are already selling out, so register early.
Pro tip: An Ultimate Pass upgrade comes with a free tour credit! (Excludes premium and full-day tours.)
4. Maximize your required CE
With nearly 350 sessions earning HSW, GBCI, RIBA, and AIA LU credits, you can earn your CE for the year! Follow one of seven curated education tracks—including Innovation & Technology, Leadership & Growth, Business & Firm Success, Codes & Standards, Equity & Justice, Climate Resilience & Sustainability, and Design Solutions—to plan your experience around a topic of interest or customize your own schedule.
The Full Pass and Ultimate Pass include free workshops and Architalks—featuring award-winning architects. You can also add a symposium or bootcamp! Take your pick from five different options hosted on Wednesday and Saturday.
5. Network at events & parties
AIA26 hosts an unrivaled range of nearly 100 events and parties—offering unique opportunities to network, celebrate peers, and meet new collaborators. There’s no better place in the profession to build meaningful, in-person relationships in friendly, fun environments. But hurry—tickets sell out!
AIA Awards Gala: The can’t-miss event of conference! Don’t miss an incredible night of recognition with the best in architecture and design as AIA announces its award winners live at a red carpet-style celebration.
AIA26 Opening Night Party: Begin AIA26 with an evening that celebrates the power of design and the people shaping its future. Set along the San Diego waterfront, you’ll enjoy food and beverage, live music, and an evening of connection and celebration—a fun, inspiring way to kick off the week.
The Party!: Back by popular demand! Set in the heart of downtown San Diego at Parq Nightclub—a dynamic, design-forward space—this is your chance to connect and celebrate with peers and new friends while sipping drinks, dancing, and chatting.
Open Studios: San Diego’s leading architecture firms are opening their doors for exclusive, one-night-only access to staff, space, and projects! Many are in architecturally significant buildings with stunning views.
More exciting events & parties:
6. See the future at the expo
Get the full product experience from hundreds of leading AEC brands at the AIA26 Expo! Demo the products, materials, and technologies defining the next era of design and construction, take CE sessions and earn credits right on the expo floor, meet with experts one-on-one for technical advice, and enjoy playtime with puppies at the fan-favorite Puppy Park. The expo has everything you need to inform your design decisions and stay competitive.
Plus, you can learn about emerging trends, connect with peers who share common goals, and take part in fun interactive experiences in the expo’s four zones—Innovate, Design, Build, and Prosper.
7. Make smarter connections with Braindate
New this year, Braindate comes to the expo floor! Braindate lets you join or host small-group and one-on-one conversations around the topics you care about most, from firm management and sustainability strategies to emerging technologies and specification challenges.
Use Braindate to meet peers, exhibitors, and experts, exchange ideas, solve project problems, and build meaningful connections that last beyond conference. It’s one of the easiest ways to turn conversations into insights—and connections into collaborators.
Pro tip: Browse and book braindates via the AIA26 app before you arrive so your schedule fills up with the conversations most relevant to your interests.
8. Take advantage of streamlined session registration
When you register for AIA26, you only need to sign up for keynotes, Architalks, tours, Open Studios, symposia, and events. All other sessions (workshops, seminars, and expo CE) can be added to your schedule via the AIA26 app—now available on desktop—coming soon to mobile for Apple and Android!
Adding seminars, workshops, and expo CE sessions to your personal agenda in the app doesn’t register you for them; it simply bookmarks them to help you plan ahead and save time. We recommend selecting a first-, second-, and third-choice session for each time slot in case your first choice is full.
Then, when you’re on-site in San Diego, you can enjoy the flexibility to choose the sessions you’re most interested in!
9. Connect & engage on social
Each of the four expo zones (Innovate, Design, Build, and Prosper) will feature dynamic, topic-driven interactive experiences and/or activations designed to help attendees engage and be seen on social to build organic connections with fellow attendees and AEC professionals.
But why wait until conference? Start building connections today! Use the hashtag #AIA26 to connect before conference—then build relationships in real life at AIA26 through events, tours, CE sessions, and so much more.
10. Visit the AIA Design Shop
From conference essentials to one-of-a-kind finds, the AIA Design Shop is the place to shop unique, curated items available only at conference. The selection includes home decor, books, design items, office accessories, and AIA26 products and gear. Stop by and find something to remember your time at AIA26. AIA members save 10%!
11. Extend your stay in San Diego
Turn your trip to AIA26 into an extended vacation for you or your family. From beautiful beaches and modern cultural districts to inspiring architecture and lively entertainment, San Diego is the perfect place to blend business with pleasure.
AIA26 makes travel easy and affordable with the guaranteed lowest hotel rates—and the option to extend your stay at the same rate for up to three days before and after the event (subject to hotel availability).