Frequently Asked Questions

Unless otherwise noted in the program or on the schedule, all AIHA Connect 2025 events will be held at the:

Kansas City Convention Center
301 W. 13th Street, #100
Kansas City, MO 64105
816-513-5000 / 800-513-7060

Evening events, committee meetings, and other social activities will be held at the:

Loews Kansas City Hotel
1515 Wyandotte Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-897-7070

The 2025 schedule features myriad educational and networking opportunities to empower you as an OEHS leader.

• The conference itself will be Monday, May 19 through Wednesday, May 21.
  
• Professional Development Courses (PDCs) will be held Saturday, May 17; Sunday, May 18; and Thursday, May 22.
  
• Education sessions will be held Monday through Wednesday in one (1) hour-long time blocks with time in between for continued conversation, networking, and transition time to the next activity.
  
• Education Pop-Ups will be held Monday through Wednesday in twenty-five (25) minute-long time blocks.
• The Expo is open Monday through Wednesday throughout the day, and each day the schedule offers dedicated Expo time allowing you time to visit exhibitors, attend Innovation Station and other sessions held on the show floor, or catch up on other content opportunities.
• Additional activities available Monday through Wednesday include health and wellness sessions and events, technical tours, the Career Advantage Fair, and posters.
• Students and Early Career Professionals have added learning and networking opportunities available in The Nexus Lounge.
• Committee and volunteer group meetings will be held in-person and virtually (as noted on the conference schedule) during the week of conference and in the weeks immediately before and after.

Unless otherwise noted in the program or on the schedule, all AIHA Connect 2025 events will be held at the:

Kansas City Convention Center
301 W. 13th Street, #100
Kansas City, MO 64105
816-513-5000 / 800-513-7060

There will be two general sessions: Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon, both scheduled in Central Time. These energizing sessions offer insights into high-level issues faced daily by leaders.

That depends on whether or not you’re participating in PDCs. There are half-day, full-day, and two-day PDCs on Saturday, May 17; Sunday, May 18; and Thursday, May 22. The conference itself begins bright and early Monday morning, May 19, with the opening general session at 8:00 a.m. Central Time.

When registering, you have the option to select the experience you are most comfortable with:

• In-Person: Meaning you'll join us on-site at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, MO, to attend in-person the education sessions, education pop-ups, expo hall, and networking events. You’ll also have access to the sessions being offered virtually via your device of choice AND receive the OnDemand package after the conference included at no extra charge (*One-day participants receive OnDemand recordings for the sessions held on the day of their participation). In-person participants may be required to adhere to COVID health and safety protocols required of AIHA by local, state, or federal regulations (currently, none). In-person participants also have the option to register for virtual PDCs.

• Virtually: Meaning you'll participate online in the sessions and networking activities being offered virtually. We've also included multiple contact opportunities for you to engage with speakers, exhibitors, and attendees throughout the conference. You’ll also have access to the OnDemand package after the conference included at no extra charge (*One-day participants receive OnDemand recordings for the sessions held on the day of their participation).
  

Certain Professional Development Courses (PDCs) will also be offered as both in-person and virtual, while others will be on-site only. This gives you the option to extend your learning in the way that works best for you.

We’ve taken all the things you love about the conference and elevated them to meet your needs, whether you’re headed to Kansas City or staying at home. We can't wait to see you... in whatever experience you choose!

In the Call for Proposals, we encourage professionals to submit session proposals that create engaging learning environments and actively involve the participants. With so many experienced attendees at AIHA Connect, the learning environment is enriched when sessions tap into the collective knowledge in the room.

AIHA Connect 2025 is being designed as a hybrid event, combining activities held on-site in Kansas City with a substantial virtual program. During registration, you will decide whether to attend in person (with virtual access included) OR entirely online.

NOTE: All presenters are expected to deliver their sessions/courses in person. AIHA Connect 2025 will not feature a prerecorded or presenter live-streamed option. Presenters accepted to the program must register for the conference as full conference or one-day only attendees.

The Call for Proposals for PDCs, Education Sessions, Education Pop-Ups, Professional Posters, Student Presentations, and Student Posters opens June 10, 2024. Proposal deadlines vary based on submission type.

Proposals received after the stated deadline dates will not be considered in the review process.

All proposal types require the submitter to select a primary topic and up to two additional topics. By choosing a topic, the submitter agrees that, if selected, the proposal can be grouped with other sessions in that same topic. If the proposal cannot fit into the primary topic track, the Conference Program Committee (CPC) will use the secondary and tertiary topic choices for potential groupings. This is particularly important for case studies and scientific research presentations, which are 30-minutes-long and grouped into one-hour session blocks. You should choose a topic ONLY if you are okay with your presentation being included in that topic area track. You are not required to choose a secondary or tertiary topic.

The AIHA Connect education sessions are organized into one-hour time blocks. However, it is possible to submit a proposal for a two-hour presentation. To do so, you should submit two Education Session proposals with the same title but identified as Part 1 or Part 2. Each part can have up to 3 speakers each (maximum session total of 6 speakers combined). The two parts should have different content, presenters, and be able to stand on their own should the Conference Program Committee decide to accept only one of them.

The sessions at AIHA Connect are arranged according to topic, and every effort is made to avoid overlap of similar topics within a time block. We also try to avoid having the same speaker in two sessions occurring at the same time. Given these constraints and the number of sessions and speakers at AIHA Connect, we are unable to accommodate individual requests to rearrange the schedule.

Scientific research and case study presentations are each 30-minutes-long, and as such, will be organized into groups of two to make 60-minute sessions. The Conference Program Committee (CPC) will arrange the sessions for the 2025 conference. Many of the CPC members are also Volunteer Group members, and collectively, they have expertise in a wide variety of topic areas. Committee members will group the case study and scientific research presentations into sessions based on topic. Each combined session will be given a new title. Volunteer Groups will provide names of moderators who will work with the presenters to ensure cohesion between the individual presentations.

In November, all presenters and any co-presenters will receive an email from AIHA regarding the status of their proposal and a link back to the Attendee Interactive portal. Speakers should log in to the Attendee Interactive portal where they will find the decision, as well as comments/feedback from reviewers, if any.

There is no formal funding process for main conference session speakers. Speakers are required to pay for their own registration, travel, housing, and other incidental costs.

Professional Development Course (PDC) instructors receive complimentary registration to the course(s) they are facilitating and an honorarium (paid post-conference). If PDC instructors participate in the main three days of the conference, they must register and pay for their registration, travel, housing, and other incidental costs.

During registration, you will decide whether to attend primarily in person (with virtual access included) OR entirely online. Because the registration systems are combined, we can easily change you from one type to the other (*fee differences may be required).

NOTE: If you select to attend in-person, you may be required to adhere to COVID protocols required of AIHA by local, state, or federal regulations (currently none). Details are included in the consent clauses you are asked to sign as part of your registration.

AIHA negotiates rates at nearby hotels as a courtesy to our attendees. The hotels agree to the rates and reserve a block of rooms for us, with the expectation that those rooms will be sold. If they’re not, AIHA pays a penalty. As an incentive to encourage you to stay within the block, we offer the STAY AND SAVE discount on your registration fee for the conference.

The registration system will open in early December 2024. To receive the advance rate discount, registrations must be submitted with payment in full by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 16, 2025. Effective midnight on Monday, March 17, 2025, rates switch to standard prices.

Yes, U.S. government employees must select "Yes" to the profile question, "Are you a U.S. government employee" during the registration process. When you reach the housing section of registration, per diem rated rooms will appear as options for you. We have government rooms reserved at every contracted AIHA Connect hotel.

We want you to be comfortable at AIHA Connect, so we suggest business casual attire. However, meeting rooms are often cold, so we recommend you bring a sweater or layers for your comfort. Typical Kansas City temperatures for late May are daytime highs in the low to mid-80s with nighttime lows in the high 50s/low-60s. ​

We also strongly recommend investing in comfortable, supportive shoes that are well broken in before you arrive in Kansas City.

Your feedback provides session leaders with the critiques they need to improve their presentation skills, and it enables the AIHA team to know what worked well and what could be done better.

We will provide links to session evaluations on the conference schedule and in the mobile app. At the end of the conference, you'll receive an overall conference evaluation. And we encourage you to reach out to the conference team at any time!