About the Annual Meeting

Next year, it will have been 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed. For this year’s Annual Meeting, the Oral History Association will convene people around the question: What is America?

We will reflect on the ways in which American identity is documented, framed, and perceived by its citizens and the world.

Just as Americans have proven their resilience and capacity for change, oral history, as a field, has been undergoing a paradigm shift towards radical inclusivity. The Annual Meeting serves as a gathering space to amplify practitioners finding new possibilities, generating new approaches, reassessing best practices, and recalling and refurbishing the fundamentally democratic impulse of oral history practice.

The Preliminary Program includes important information, including:
> A full schedule of sessions and events
> Details on tours and special programming
> Hotel booking information
> Opportunities to sponsor, advertise, or exhibit at the meeting

Registration Rates

• OHA Member with Institutional Support — $200 ($175 if you register by August 15!)
• OHA Independent Practitioner / Emerging Professional Member — $170 ($145 if you register by August 15!)
• OHA Community Practitioner / Student / Retired Member — $50
• OHA Partner Member — One free registration per partner organization; otherwise, use the other member or non-member rate that applies
• General* — $250
• General Student* — $125
• Family member of an attendee — $35
• K-12 educator / local community (ONE-DAY) — $25
• K-12 educator / local community (FULL CONFERENCE) — $50
• K-12 student — $5

*These options give you a complementary one-year membership with the OHA.

In 2025, we have the special opportunity to partner with the American Folklore Society for annual meeting attendance. The 2025 American Folklore Society meeting will be October 18-21 in the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Midtown venue. OHA has designated a special rate for  AFS member registration at the OHA 2025 Conference. We hope members from both associations will find ways to cross over during this opportune timing.

• AFS member (ONE-DAY) — $75
• AFS member (FULL CONFERENCE) — $175

Hotel Booking Information

The OHA group rate for a room at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta – Midtown is 152 USD per night. The last day to request a room at this rate is Wednesday, September 24.

• To book online, use this link, select the correct dates (i.e. within October 15-18) and number of guests.
• To book by phone, call 404-877-9000 and ask to speak with a reservation agent to book your stay dates with the group code, “OHA.”

Check-in is at 3 pm and check-out is at 11 am.

Frequently Asked Questions

An FAQ pertaining to conference planning is posted below. For any other questions, please contact annualmeeting@oralhistory.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the OHA Annual Meeting?
  • The Annual Meeting encapsulates both the typical conference sessions and events we host in a different city every year as well as the business and committee meetings that are typically only held in-person at that same time. If you have more questions about what a typical annual meeting is like, this FAQ is for you: Conference Basics for First Timers.

• What is the local arrangements committee?
  • The local arrangements committee are folks living and working in and around the host city, who can help orchestrate the optional activities, tours, and other opportunities for attendees to participate in before and after the annual meeting. They also help to promote the annual meeting within their local communities and sometimes involve their organizations and institutions. They typically begin meeting in earnest 6-7 months before the conference.

• What is the work of the planning committee?
  • The planning committee reviews all the proposals and works to select the best ones for inclusion in the program. They also work to construct the program itself, scheduling all the panels and events.

• What are the benefits of joining a committee?
  • You get to share ideas that help shape the annual meeting, to make it more inclusive and welcoming.

• What is the time commitment of serving on the committee?
  • The time needed to serve on  the committee varies throughout the year based on the various deadlines and division of labor though meetings tend to be more frequent the closer the annual meeting is.

• Do I have to attend the annual meeting if I’m on the committee?
  • No, however all program committee members will receive comped registration.

• Do I have to be a member of the OHA to help?
  • While you do not have to be a member of the OHA to attend the conference or lend a helping hand, only OHA members can serve on the actual committee. Find out more about OHA membership: https://oralhistory.org/membership/

• How else can I participate if I’m not on the committee?
  • Attend the conference as a general participant (come for 1 day or all 3-4 days)
  • Propose an individual or panel presentation through the open “call for proposals” (deadline early 2025)
  • Propose a poster presentation
  • Propose a mini-workshop or pre-conference workshop
  • Volunteer to lead a “dine-around” group one evening of the conference
  • Volunteer to chair a panel
  • Propose to lead or coordinate a local tour

• What is the theme for the 2025 Annual Meeting?
  • As we approach the semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary of the start of this nation, how do we define America today? What is America? And what are American stories? etc.

• When will the call for proposals go out?
  • The call for proposals is now live! You can find it HERE

• Can I submit more than one application?
  • Yes, however only one proposal of each kind by a single applicant may be presented. I.E. you may submit a workshop, one poster, one panel and/or individual paper, but proposals for multiple papers, posters, or workshops will not be accepted. 

• Can I make a suggestion for someone else who might be involved?
  • Yes, please send interested folks to our form to sign up for more information: https://forms.gle/e2uPcqnVbxA2RUtS6

• Do you need suggestions for possible event sponsors or organizational partners?
  • Yes! Please share any ideas for local sponsors or partners to our email: annualmeeting@oralhistory.org