We hope this message finds you well and that you're enjoying the summer. Following our announcement in May that Congress 2026 would not proceed and as outlined at our June Town Hall update, we’ve been working diligently to ensure a productive 2026 conference season. Here’s where things stand:
Big Thinking Summit: Edmonton, June 9–11, 2026
Next year, we’ll bring together the HSS community for a new kind of national gathering focused on amplifying the value and excellence of HSS in building and uncovering knowledge to respond to emerging social, cultural, and technological challenges. The 2026 Summit will take place at the Edmonton Convention Centre from Tuesday, June 9 to Thursday, June 11. The event is open to all, with 500–700 attendees expected.
It will feature:
- Research presentations and workshops showcasing impactful and interdisciplinary HSS research, selected through a Federation-led call for proposals (details coming in September)
- Keynote talks and featured conversations with leading scholars, thinkers, and policymakers
- Opportunities to celebrate our community's achievements
- Opportunities to connect across disciplines and sectors
We will share more information in the coming weeks. Until then, please save the date and let your members know!
Support for association conferences
If the cancellation of Congress 2026 raised questions about how to move forward, rest assured: we’re here to support you. Following the June Town Hall, we’ve been developing new, customizable conference packages to support associations’ 2026 conferences, whether in-person, hybrid, or virtual. These packages will include:
- A bilingual abstract management system
- A registration and payment system
- Optional access to a virtual platform
- Tiered support levels at different price points, based on your planning needs
These services will be available exclusively to Federation members. Full details will be launched in August.
Work is ongoing to reimagine Congress as part of the Federation’s broader strategic development, including the continued meeting of the Reimagining Congress Task Force through August. We look forward to sharing more once this initiative has been completed.
Thank you for your continued collaboration and commitment to building a stronger future for our community. If you have any questions, please email us at membership@federationhss.ca.
Sincerely,
The Federation Team