Registration

Vaccination Recommendation

SPSP expects attendees to take responsibility for protecting themselves and other participants by following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to reduce infection from COVID-19. SPSP strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination and boosters as well as the annual flu shot to reduce the threat of illness.

Masks Recommendation

Mask-wearing policy: SPSP no longer requires mask-wearing during the convention. However, attendees are encouraged to wear a mask given the number of convention participants, transportation to and from the event, and vendors/staff you will encounter.

1. Please return to your hotel room - CDC guidelines experiencing symptoms or testing positive to isolate or quarantine.
2. Please alert SPSP by emailing [email protected] as soon as possible.
3. Please contact the operator at your hotel by dialing 0 on the phone in your hotel room.
4. SPSP will have a limited number of rapid COVID-19 tests and can deliver one to your hotel door for self-testing.
5. If you are able to depart, please do so as soon as possible.
6. Please contact your hotel directly if you need to extend your stay.

• The closest pharmacy is CVS located at 400 Fifth Avenue. Phone number (619) 744-9967.
• The closest urgent care is Gaslamp Medical Center located at 250 Market Street. Phone number (619) 239-9675.
• There will be a First Aid clinic open during the conference hours. Located in the San Diego Convention Center. Mezzanine level room 12.

By registering for the SPSP Annual Convention, you are agreeing to the following:

I acknowledge that I understand the highly contagious nature of COVID-19.  Currently, there exists no cure for the virus, and certain medical conditions may be at high risk for the disease.  I also understand that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as many other public health authorities, continue to recommend practicing social distancing, frequent hand washing, and the wearing of masks under certain circumstances, even for persons who may have been vaccinated for the virus. 

I acknowledge and understand that SPSP cannot guarantee that I will not become infected with COVID-19 while attending the Annual Convention.  Nor, given the state of current knowledge regarding the virus, is it possible to eliminate all risk of transmission and the potential health consequences of such exposure.  I also understand that the risk of becoming exposed to and/or infected by COVID-19 may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of myself and others, including, but not limited to on-site contractors, venue staff, and guests, other meeting attendees, and their families, as well as members of the general public who I may come in contact with while traveling to and from, and while attending the Annual Convention.

I have read and understand the above risks and warnings concerning COVID-19 and I nevertheless expressly assume all of the aforementioned risks including the risk of being exposed to, contracting, and/or spreading COVID-19, in order to be able to attend and participate in person at the SPSP Annual Convention.  I also understand that while alternative attendance arrangements such as virtual participation may be available, I expressly choose to participate in person with a full understanding of the risks of doing so.  I understand that I have the responsibility to protect others. Therefore, I agree to not attend the SPSP Convention or Convention-related activities if I feel ill (for any reason, including COVID-19) or had recent exposure to a COVID-19 case. Moreover, I will immediately stop participating in the event(s) if, once at the Convention, I have a temperature, am experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms, or have been exposed to an individual with COVID-19. Furthermore, I understand that SPSP may immediately remove or prohibit me from in-person activities at the SPSP Annual Convention if I exhibit symptoms associated with COVID-19, or if I fail to comply with any safety procedures stipulated by SPSP or the hotels.

By agreeing to this Notice and Release, I voluntarily assume all of the aforementioned risks including, without limitation, any exposure to, or infection by, COVID-19, and hereby release and agree to hold SPSP harmless from, and waive on behalf of myself, my heirs, and any personal representatives, any and all causes of action, claims, demands, damages, costs, expenses and compensation for damage or loss to myself and/or property that may be caused by any act, or failure to act of SPSP.  Furthermore, by this Notice and Release, I intend to discharge SPSP, its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, representatives, and contractors, from any liability or claim that I, my heirs, or any personal representatives may have against any of them with respect to any bodily injury, illness, death, medical treatment, or property damage that may arise from, or in connection to my participation in the SPSP Annual Convention. 

• Attendees are permitted to switch attendance experiences (in-person to virtual OR virtual to in-person) by emailing [email protected] prior to January 5, 2024.
• There is a $25 processing fee associated with switching between attendance experiences.
• Attendees who switch from in-person to virtual after January 5, 2024, will NOT be refunded the difference in registration rates.
• Attendees who switch from virtual to in-person will be required to pay the difference in rates.
• The January 5 deadline is in place to ensure adequate time to provide access to attendees to the content included for the format they selected. There are also several hotel deadlines that staff must plan for based on the number of in-person attendees (e.g. food and beverage guarantees, meeting space layouts, access to group sleeping room rates).

For changes after January 5, 2024, please see the Cancellation Policy section below.

All registration cancellations, format switches, and refund requests must be made in writing to [email protected] by January 5, 2024. Prior to January 5, all cancellations are subject to a 30% cancellation fee which does not apply to those who are switching experiences. No refunds will be granted for requests made after January 5, 2024. Please note that any requests for a refund or format switch that are submitted before January 5 will be honored.

Exceptions to this policy include those who are sick, receive a positive COVID-19 test after January 5, 2024, have a serious family emergency (e.g. accident, illness), or other serious unavoidable circumstance (eg. issues obtaining a travel visa, travel restrictions mandated by country or organization). If you meet one of these exceptions and have an in-person registration, it can be transferred to a virtual registration. You will be refunded the difference in registration rates. These exceptions will be processed on a case-by-case basis by contacting [email protected].

Refunds will not be given for no-shows.

Note: If the entire convention switches to a virtual format, those who registered to attend in person will be able to participate virtually and be reimbursed for the difference in registration costs.

Substitutions are accepted and must be submitted by January 26, 2024, 5 PM ET. During business hours, it will take up to 4 hours to provide access to the system. After business hours, you will not receive access until the next business day. Business hours are 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET.

The individual submitting the substitution request is responsible for all financial obligations (any balance due) associated with that substitution. Submit the substitution request to SPSP Registration via email at [email protected].

Hosting an Annual Convention for 4,000 attendees in any city comes with logistical and financial challenges. When determining locations for the meeting, SPSP must agree to provide a designated number of hotel room nights proportionate to the meeting space required to hold our convention. In some cities, for each night that our guests stay in contracted SPSP Hotels, the hotels pay SPSP a small rebate. These rebates offset meeting space rental fees and/or other venue costs. Removing this rebate would increase prices to hold the convention, translating to steep registration price increases for attendees.

Convention attendees who book outside the Official SPSP Hotel Block hinder our ability to meet the minimums required by our contracts, putting us in jeopardy of strict fines while depriving SPSP of hotel rebates needed to offset convention expenses to keep registration costs low. Choosing not to stay within the block has long-term repercussions for the future of the Annual Convention. Failing to meet room block commitments will drive up registration prices for attendees in the future and could mean that cities will be unwilling to work with us to host our convention in years to come.

A $75 housing fee will be applied to your registration fee if you purchase housing accommodations outside of the official SPSP housing block. Exceptions will be made for anyone living locally and commuting to the convention, staying with friends/family who live locally, or registering for the convention after the official housing block has filled.

The sharing of login information (email and/or password) to the conference platform is strictly prohibited. Likewise, sharing any Zoom links, login information, or other access information to any conference-related content (sessions, networking events, mentoring opportunities, etc.) is not allowed. Any sharing of content outside of our secure platform opens all attendees up to serious security risks (e.g. Zoom bombing, spamming). Please help to keep our conference safe by not sharing any conference content.

See https://spsp.org/code-of-conduct

It is the responsibility of the registrant to confirm system requirements and test their computers prior to the start of each virtual session. If a technical failure is the fault of the attendee, they will receive a recording of the session after the conclusion of the event (refunds will not be provided). If a technical failure is the fault of the service provider and the session is not able to be broadcast as planned after two hours, SPSP reserves the right to reschedule the session. If the registrant cannot attend the rescheduled session live, they will be provided with the recording after the session's conclusion, or they may request a prorated refund.

The online registration system allows individuals to register themselves and others. This option may be particularly helpful for professors who wish to register several of their students to limit the financial burden on the student. When you choose to register another person, you will not have access to their personal member data. You will be able to pay for their registration along with your own in one transaction.

To do this, log in to the online registration system. In the first step, when asked who you'd like to register, select "search for another person to register" and search the database for the person you are registering. Do not select "add new contact" unless you are sure the person you are trying to register has no SPSP account at all (ex. "Mike" does not appear for "Michael").

SPSP offers limited support in the form of compensated convention registration for both U.S. and international students attending its Annual Convention. 

Registration stipend winners will receive a virtual or in-person compensation code to register for the Annual Convention. The Annual Convention Registration Stipend Portal opens August 10, 2023, and closes September 14, 2023. 

learn more about registration stipends

Registration rates are available to individuals based in a country found on the World Bank Low & Middle Income countries list.

LMIC registration rates will automatically populate in the registration portal for any registrants whose primary address is in a low-and middle-income country. For questions, please email [email protected].

All Access

Early Bird (Before January 5)

• Main Convention: $100
• Preconference (each): $50
• Half-day Preconference (each): $25

Regular Rate (After January 5)

• Main Convention: $100
• Preconference (each): $50
• Half-day Preconference: $25

Virtual Only

Early Bird (Before January 5)

• Main Convention: $50
• Preconference (each): $25

Regular Rate (After January 5)

• Main Convention: $50
• Preconference (each)*: $25

In an effort to support SPSP Annual Convention attendees who have family care responsibilities that may deter them from attending, SPSP is continuing a program to offer a limited number of family care grants (up to $250 per family). These funds may be used to offset the cost of at-home care or care at the convention.

Applications are open from November 1 - November 30. Grant notifications will be sent in late December 2023.

Applications Closed

In-person attendees will have access to all the sessions presented in San Diego and all virtual programming, available on-demand after the meeting. SPSP's featured sessions will be held in San Diego and we anticipate approximately 100 sessions to run in person. In-person attendees can meet with exhibitors, participate in unique networking opportunities, and interact with presenters and other attendees in an informal setting.

• Meal & Drink Ticket Options
  • Reduced cost boxed lunch on Friday and/or Saturday (students $10, non-students $25 per lunch)
    OR
  • 2 Drink Tickets
• Welcome and closing reception
• Morning and afternoon beverage breaks on Friday and Saturday

Virtual offerings include two simultaneous channels of programs live-streamed from San Diego (approximately 20 sessions) and on-demand content that is uploaded by presenters. There will be several virtual preconferences as well. For presenters unable to travel to San Diego, they should submit their presentation for the virtual program (research spotlights) which will be available for on-demand viewing.

For a full rundown of the virtual programming available during the Annual Convention, visit our Virtual/On-Demand Agenda page.

Registration costs are determined by a wide variety of factors as we balance environmental sustainability, affordability, and the convention experience. The cost of hosting a convention rises every year (e.g., space, online conference software, staffing, internet access, video editing, tech support, food, and beverages) and the convention is not a source of revenue for SPSP. In fact, prioritizing manageable costs for members often leads the Society to lose money each year. Rates have remained the same as our 2022 and 2023 rates. When determining this year's registration pricing, we prioritized several unique elements of the event: 

1. Access: We are committed to reducing registration rates for our student and early career members as well as making the event more accessible for members from LMIC (low and middle-income) countries. 
2. Creating two meeting experiences: Planning an in-person convention experience as well as a separate virtual convention experience doubles expenses for certain requirements. SPSP must support virtual meeting platforms, streaming spaces, and in-person spaces.
3. Hosting in a popular location: Expenses for hosting meetings in accessible cities are high. San Diego is an expensive city that relies on union labor for many services, expenses have continued to increase amid challenges from rising costs of inflation. For example, we pay $6.45 per soda and $52 per box lunch. 
4. Fiscal responsibility to SPSP: To maintain the fiscal sustainability of SPSP, registration prices must be set at a level where only minor deficits are anticipated.

We hope this information demonstrates the thoughtful and deliberate processes used to develop registration rates. Whether you join our virtual convention or attend in person, you'll have access to a rich array of programming and the opportunity to connect with your fellow social and personality psychologists.