2020 Annual Session in Atlanta to Feature New Friday-Monday Schedule

Join us in Atlanta May 1-4, 2020 and enjoy southern hospitality in this beautiful and vibrant city while experiencing world-class continuing education. As you make plans to attend, be aware that there will be changes from the standard Annual Session program schedule:*

• Doctors Scientific Program:  Lectures will begin at 1 pm Friday, May 1 and extend through late afternoon Monday, May 4 (rather than the usual Saturday morning – mid-day Tuesday format).
• Opening Ceremonies:  This high-energy kick-off event for our meeting will take place on Friday evening, May 1 (rather than Saturday evening). The venue will be Mercedes Benz Stadium – site of the 2019 Super Bowl!

“The Annual Session Planning Committee surveyed AAO members, who expressed a preference for a Friday thru Monday format instead of the traditional Saturday – Tuesday schedule,” said Dr. Gary Inman, AAO president. “The Atlanta 2020 meeting is a pilot opportunity to see if this will be the schedule from the 2026 Annual Session forward.”

Atlanta Has Something for Everyone

Known for its large amount of tree coverage in comparison with other large U.S. cities, the vegetation in the “city in a forest”** helped earn Atlanta designation as a National Geographic “Place of a Lifetime.” The Atlanta Botanical Garden boasts the Kendeda Canopy Walk, a 40-foot-high canopy path through an urban forest.

Attracting 53 million visitors per year, Atlanta offers diverse attractions spanning the natural world, sports, culture and history. Popular attractions include The Centennial Olympic Park, Stone Mountain; the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site; the College Football Hall of Fame; and two venues where Annual Session events will take place:

• The 2020 International Reception will be on Saturday evening, May 2 at the World of Coca Cola, where multi-media exhibits highlight the beverage as a cultural icon;
• The AAO Celebration will be on Sunday evening, May 3 at the Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest indoor aquarium.

Jon Meacham Headlines the Excellence in Orthodontics Awards Ceremony

Plan to attend the Excellence in Orthodontics Awards Ceremony on May 3, featuring
Pulitzer prize-winning and best-selling author, presidential historian Jon Meacham. Confirmed Featured Speakers include Dr. Robert Rohm, host of the PBS special, The Model of Human Behavior.

“The Planning Committee is hard at work developing outstanding lecture programs,” said Dr. Inman. “Atlanta is a beautiful venue with lots of opportunities for the entire family. We will have world-class scientific, practice management and staff lectures in a world-class city. I hope to see everyone in Atlanta next May.”

Learn more at aaoinfo.org and watch for the Annual Session registration announcement in the fall.

* The 2021 Annual Session, April 23-27 in Boston, will return to the standard schedule.

** Wikipedia