The condition on the member rate
The Academy requires the member to be in good standing at the time of registration. That condition decides which rate the delegate pays.
Membership review takes 7-10 business days, on the Academy's own note. The same note asks applicants to allow adequate time before registration opens on 18 November 2026.
Three deadlines for a new applicant
Friday 30 October 2026 closes the window for new International, Affiliate and Adjunct applicants. The online application must be complete, with every required document in, on that date. Member rates follow the review.
Wednesday 10 February 2027 closes the same window for Fellows and Associate applicants. Dues must be paid in full and the membership approved by that date to reach the early-bird rate.
Wednesday 10 March 2027 carries the same conditions for Fellows and Associates and lands the applicant on the standard rate.
A category change after registration costs $100. Documents that arrive after a deadline may not be reviewed in time.
The rate step on 17 February
Early-bird registration ends Wednesday 17 February 2027 at 12 p.m. noon Central Time. Standard fees apply from that minute until the meeting closes on 23 March.
Session money moves with the rate. From 17 February at noon, session purchases become non-refundable apart from a full meeting cancellation. New sessions stay available, and the registrant collects an updated badge on site.
Badge postage follows the same deadline. A US registrant with a completed registration and payment by 17 February has materials mailed. Badges tied to an address outside the United States are not mailed at all.
The housing clock
Academy housing closes Wednesday 24 February 2027. Reservations move to the hotels between Thursday 25 February and Sunday 28 February, and no change and no cancellation is accepted in that window.
From Monday 1 March the hotel owns the changes. Arrival and departure edits depend on the hotel's availability and its own policy.
A guest who switches hotels after 25 February loses the one-night deposit.
What the booking file carries
Four dates set the rate and the reservation: 30 October, 10 February, 17 February and 24 February. Each one changes what the delegate pays or who can change the booking.
A desk that writes the reservation before the review clears holds a rate the delegate may not qualify for. Ask for the membership number and the approval date, and write both into the file.