APhA has always rotated the annual conference and expo around the nation to create more accessible and inclusive opportunities for practitioners and students to participate in our profession’s premier education and networking event.
Orlando was selected as the host city for APhA’s 2024 conference in 2015. Our return to Orlando since our last conference there in 2014 creates the opportunity for practitioners to gather and extend their stay in the most-visited destination in the United States.
There are currently 32 convention facilities in 20 states that are large enough to accommodate a conference the size of APhA’s Annual Meeting & Exposition. APhA evaluates potential sites based on its accessibility, venue quality, affordability, and other factors. Some large convention facilities are prohibitively expensive or have contractual requirements that APhA and our attendees cannot meet, which reduces the number of viable sites. APhA must reserve convention facilities of this size 7 years in advance.
Pharmacy practitioners provide client-centered care every day in all 50 states and territories amid evolving federal and state laws that are sometimes in stark contrast with the values and beliefs of the profession.
APhA will not limit any topics in relation to Florida laws. APhA has the right to select the programming offered at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) during our conference, as reinforced by Visit Orlando, the official tourism association for Orlando. We remain committed to carrying out our mission to advance pharmacy practice and education.
APhA is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive conference in person in Orlando and on-demand experience online. In 2021, the APhA House of Delegates adopted association policy that denounces all forms of racism and urges the entire pharmacy community to actively work to dismantle racism. APhA is committed to this policy and recognizes that some attendees may have concerns about their safety while on-site in Orlando. Please know that the city of Orlando has received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index for 9 consecutive years based on how inclusive their municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ residents and visitors.
Even with this rating, APhA will be working closely with our industry partners—including the OCCC, all APhA-contracted hotels, and the shuttle provider—to ensure our attendees experience a welcoming and safe environment. The OCCC security team’s mission is to provide a safe and friendly environment for everyone. Center security detail maintains 24-hour security overseeing all public areas, concourses, back of house areas, parking lots, and related exterior grounds.
Additionally, they maintain an extensive relationship with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office as well as many federal law enforcement agencies. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office assigns deputies to the facility on a regular basis.
Furthermore, everyone in the OCCC must have an APhA registration badge or an OCCC staff badge.
All event participants are expected to treat others with respect and follow the code of conduct.
No, APhA will not relocate APhA2024. There are limited venues in the nation that are large enough to accommodate our conference, and those are booked years in advance. Additionally, Orlando would penalize APhA and its members with a cancellation fee, and a cancellation would impact workers in the service industry who are employed for large-scale conferences.
APhA will partner with a local charity partner to provide an opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to give back to an organization working with marginalized groups.
The 2025 event will be held in Nashville, TN, and the 2026 event will be held in Los Angeles, CA.
APhA and the OCCC will be a gun-free zone. No guns will be allowed at the conference, and signage at the convention center will reiterate this policy.