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Lights, Camera, #OTOMTG26: Welcome to Los Angeles

Picture of AAO-HNS   AAO-HNS  ·  3 minute read

The global otolaryngology community has arrived in Los Angeles for the AAO-HNSF 2026 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. Whether you're here to present new research, trade ideas with colleagues, reconnect with mentors, or explore the latest innovations in the OTO EXPO, your presence is what makes this meeting, and our specialty, stronger.

 "Serving as your President this year has been the high-water mark of my life, and there's no place I'd rather close it than here with all of you. My message all year has been simple: we are one specialty. This week, seek out someone whose practice looks nothing like yours. That's where our strength is, and that's how we protect this specialty for the next generation."

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Gene Brown, MD, RPh
AAO-HNS/F President


Day One Begins Saturday Morning

The meeting kicks off Saturday morning at 8:00 am with the Dr. K.J. Lee Opening Ceremony in West Hall A of the Los Angeles Convention Center, featuring Academy leadership, the Hall of Distinction class of 2026 induction, and Bobby Mukkamala, MD, practicing otolaryngologist from Flint, Michigan, and Past President of the American Medical Association giving the 2026 John Conley, MD Lecture on Medical Ethics. From there, the education, networking, and inspiration keep coming.

"Every year, this meeting becomes the center of the otolaryngology world. More than 6,000 colleagues from over 75 countries have come to Los Angeles, and the ideas exchanged here will find their way into offices and operating rooms around the globe."

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Rahul K. Shah, MD, MBA
AAO-HNS/F Executive Vice President and CEO

A Program Built Around You

This year's program reflects the vision and dedication of Cecelia Damask, DO, Annual Meeting Program Coordinator, and the Annual Meeting Program Committee. It blends the rigorous education you expect with new formats designed to spark conversation and connection.

"People often ask me what the best part of the Annual Meeting is. My answer is always the same: it's you. It's the co-resident you haven't seen in ten years, the author whose paper you just cited sitting across the aisle, the conversation between sessions that turns into a collaboration. None of that happens on a screen. It only happens when we're together. So say hello, introduce yourself, and don't miss a thing."

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Cecelia Damask, DO
Annual Meeting Program Coordinator


The program features innovative formats, including:

New for 2026
  • ENT Pulse: Dynamic 30-minute sessions on rapidly evolving topics, new discoveries, and areas of ongoing debate. Your fast track to what's next in otolaryngology. (0.5 CME available)
  • Digital Posters: No more printed posters! Explore more than 500 scientific posters on interactive kiosks throughout the Los Angeles Convention Center and OTO EXPO, or from your mobile device. Browse by topic, author, or keyword, and listen to recorded audio presentations from authors. (CME credit is not available for this activity.)
  • OTO Improv: Sharpen your active listening, quick thinking, and communication skills in this laughter-filled, interactive session hosted by facilitators from Improv-LA. Monday, October 19, 7:30–8:30 pm (PT), JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live.
  • OTO Games: PEER Pressure: A live, game-show-style competition testing your knowledge of the Academy's Clinical Practice Guidelines. Answer wrong and you're out; the last player standing claims the prize. Warning: May cause uncontrollable excitement about Clinical Practice Guidelines!
  • Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Networking Reception: Now hosted by the Academy as part of the Annual Meeting program. Monday, October 19, 5:30–7:00 pm (PT), JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live.
  • Young Physicians Section (YPS) Networking Reception: An exclusive pre-reception gathering for YPS attendees before the Presidents' Reception. Wristbands and drink tickets are distributed at the YPS General Assembly and are required for entry. Saturday, October 17, 5:30–7:00 pm (PT), The Novo.
  • Baggage Check: Back by popular demand, available Saturday, October 17, through Tuesday, October 20 in the Business Center, Concourse Walkway

Returning and Enhanced

  • Wellness Zone: We are proud to offer an expanded Wellness Zone, sponsored by sanofi | Regeneron, which provides a dedicated space to recharge, reflect, and focus on your well-being with chair massages, red light therapy, sound relaxation area, "green space" with swings, and so much more!
  • Academy Central and The Talking Point: Visit the AAO-HNS/F booths for new, interactive activities. Located in the South Lobby of the Los Angeles Convention Center, you will find Advocacy and Health Policy, Member Services and Global Affairs, OTO Logic and Education, and the return of the highly popular Talking Point.
  • OTO Games: The Ultimate ENT Memory Showdown: Match case descriptions to imaging, histology, symptoms, and treatments in this fast-paced memory challenge. Play solo or with a colleague. Bragging rights included! Sunday, October 18, 2:05–2:20 pm (PT), LACC, Room 514
  • AAO-HNSF Traveling Museum: History has traveled once again from Alexandria, Virgina to LA! See what is on exhibit this year—it may even be a Digital Scavenger Hunt location, which is in the Petree Corridor past West Lobby.
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Everything You've Always Valued
  • Presidents' Reception: Saturday, October 17, at the GRAMMY Museum and The Novo, 7:00 – 10:00 pm. 
  • Expert-Led Sessions with top minds advancing our specialty, including Panel Presentations, Expert Lectures, Great Debates, Ask the Experts, and more.
  • Cutting-Edge Research with hundreds of Scientific Oral and digital Poster Presentations. (CME credit is not available for these activities.) 
  • Hands-On Simulation Workshops for immediate skill application.
  • OTO EXPO featuring the latest technologies and industry partners, plus lunch (Saturday–Monday).
  • General Assemblies of the Board of Governors, Sections, and International Advisory Board (check the app for dates and times).
  • Premium CME credits during the meeting and long after, with access to the 2026 Annual Meeting Webcasts for three years for full registrants.

 

Making the Most of Your Experience – Download the App

To connect with fellow attendees, browse every offering, and build your personal schedule, download the mobile app. Join the conversation all week using #OTOMTG26.