Present at the Annual Meeting

The student competition remains one of the most dynamic and valued parts of the Annual Meeting. Participation has grown significantly over the past decade—we have nearly doubled the number of student competition sessions, increasing from 52 to 96. That growth reflects the strong interest and high-quality work students bring each year. Because of this continued demand, we want to be transparent about capacity for Entomology 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.

Presentation Capacity for 2026

• The conference can accommodate up to 616 submissions to the Student 10-Minute Oral Presentation Competition.
• We expect the number of Student 10‑Minute Oral Presentation Competition submissions to exceed the number of available slots. Therefore, not all students who select this option may be able to participate.
• Student 10-Minute Competition submissions will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, based on date and time of submission completion.
• Student Poster Display Competition submissions are not limited. Every student who selects the poster display competition will be able to participate.
• The Student Competition Co-Chairs will honor student preferences wherever possible. If the Student 10-Minute Presentation Oral Competition slots are filled, submissions will be assigned to the student’s second-choice format.
• All student competition sessions—10-Minute Oral Presentations and Poster Displays—will include 10–12 presentations. Each session will award 1st- and 2nd-place prizes.
• All session assignments are determined by the Student Competition Co‑Chairs and are considered final. Requests for changes to presentation type or session assignment will not be accommodated.

Student presentations submitted after the May 31 deadline will not be eligible for inclusion in the student competition but will be placed in a non-competition session.

Student Submission Guidelines

• Students should select the “Student Presentation” submission category.
• Submissions to the regular (non-student) 10-Minute Presentation and Poster Display categories will not be considered for the student competition.
• Submit your first- and second-choice presentation formats. Options include:
  • Student Competition 10-Minute Presentation 
  • Student Competition Poster Display
  • Student Non-Competition 10-Minute Presentation 
  • Student Non-Competition Poster Display 
• First- and second-choices may not be the same. Students who submit the same preference for first- and second-choice may be excluded from the competition.
• While students are welcome to submit one oral and one poster display presentation to the program,  student competition participation is limited to one presentation or one poster.
• Abstracts are required at the time of submission, but may be edited through the May 31 submission deadline. After the submission deadline, presenters will have the ability to edit abstract text mid-August to mid-October.

Deadline: May 31

View FAQs

Contributed (non-invited) oral presentation. Speakers are given a total of 12 minutes; 10 for the presentation and 2 for Q&A.

Deadline: May 31

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Contributed (non-invited) poster display presentation. 

Deadline: May 31

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These one-hour sessions should be interactive and highly engaging. Submissions open in early April.

Deadline: May 31

Working groups, committee meetings, business meetings, mixers, receptions, or invitation-only events or events/sessions hosted by a specialty group (i.e., Overseas Chinese Entomologist Association, Taiwanese Entomologist Association, etc.) should submit to this category. Submissions for this category open in early April.

*A late fee of $175 will be charged for any Meetings & Events submitted after May 31.

Deadline: May 31

Program Symposia

ESA’s top tier symposia category. Submissions should be broad in scope, reflect the meeting theme, and feature speakers from a variety of backgrounds reflecting the diversity of ESA’s membership. The 2026 Annual Meeting theme is "Connect Your Science. Expand Your Net." Read the President's Corner: Community Sprit to learn more. Historically, approximately 10% of all symposia submissions are accepted as Program Symposia. Submissions not accepted as Program Symposia will automatically be considered for Section and/or Member Symposia.

Section Symposia

Submissions to this category should serve the interest of one of ESA’s Sections and fit the criteria set forth by that Section. Historically, approximately 50% of submissions considered for Section Symposia are accepted. Submissions not accepted as Section Symposia will automatically be considered for Member Symposia.

Member Symposia

These submissions welcome a wide range of topics and subject areas. Proposals may take a more focused approach than those in other categories, as long as they are thoughtfully developed and reflect the subjects of interest to the ESA community. Historically, approximately 67% of submissions considered for Member Symposia are accepted. 

View Submission Criteria  View FAQs 

Deadline: March 1

Not sure which presentation category to choose? Use this flowchart infographic to help decide. 

Don't know where to get started? Check out these tips from a fellow entomologist and past ESA Annual Meeting symposium organizer. 

Workshops are designed as interactive educational sessions for attendees. While submissions on a wide range of topics are welcome, the Program Committee particularly encourages proposals on innovative technologies (e.g., machine learning, AI), grantsmanship, manuscript review, strategies for writing peer-reviewed papers, and community building, mentorship, and sharing back. All workshops should be structured to actively engage participants.

View Submission Criteria  View FAQs  

Deadline: March 1