Updated Terms, Conditions, and Specifications for Meeting Sponsors for the 2026 Annual Meeting.
Reserving space in the American Folklore Society (AFS) 2026 Annual Meeting constitutes an acceptance of the conditions enumerated here, and an agreement to comply with and be bound by the Society’s exhibitors’ regulations.
An online program, built by AFS, will serve as the primary platform for all in-person and virtual programming. All virtual sessions will run on Zoom virtual meetings. Exhibit pages will be viewable by any visitor, not just registered attendees.
New Exhibitors, Advertisers, or Sponsors
All first-time exhibitors/advertisers/sponsors are required to send information to annualmeeting@afsnet.org about their company/organization and any material they plan to display.
AFS reserves the right to refuse any reservation or curtail or cancel any exhibit, ad or event that in the sole judgment of the executive director is not consistent with the teaching, research, and professional ends of the field and Society. This policy also applies to the nature of displays, advertisements, sales of products (including novelties and souvenirs), and the decorum of exhibitors or their employees. AFS meeting materials or space cannot be used for politically or ideologically partisan purposes. Items for display or publication are subject to the approval of the AFS executive director or designee.
Reservations
Space reservations will open soon in the AFS online store. Placement will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis by the date of payment. Reservations and payments must be received by August 1, 2026 to be listed in print materials, later reservations may be made based on availability
Credit card payments are processed immediately. If you prefer to pay by check or defer payment, contact AFS staff at annualmeeting@afsnet.org to be invoiced. Payments must be received by August 1.
Conference Registration
All exhibits or ad reservations include up to two meeting registrations; your registration will allow you to fully access all in-person and virtual program information and registrant directories. Contact annualmeeting@afsnet.org for a promo code to use for your complimentary registration.
To attend the annual meeting in person, you must register for the meeting which will prompt you to review and agree to our current annual meeting policies, including our terms for managing Covid-19 risks.
By reserving exhibit space at the AFS in-person annual meeting, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to Covid-19 exists in any public place where people are present. If you choose to attend the meeting in person, you assume all risks related to exposure to Covid-19 and agree not to hold the American Folklore Society, including its directors, officers, employees, contractors, or volunteers, liable for any illness, injury or expense. While attending any event related to the AFS annual meeting, you will be expected to follow all current local and US recommendations for attending a large gathering.
Exhibit Hall Information
The in-person programs of the Society’s 138th Annual Meeting will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The exhibit room is a gathering space where tables may be reserved for informational or promotional displays, or as a place to meet with attendees.
For those with an exhibit hall reservation, you will find your assigned space when you arrive at the exhibit room; contact us if you need more information prior to your arrival. For those requiring shipping, please alert us when your package is inbound. All 2026 AFS Annual meeting shipping will be addressed as follows:
Renaissance Asheville Hotel
Attention: American Folklore Society
31 Woodfin St.
Asheville, NC 28801
Additional labeling details will be provided at the time we send out the load-in/load-out information.
All spaces will be limited to draped tables with two chairs per table, unless other arrangements have been approved with AFS. Basic wireless internet will be available throughout the meeting space. Access to premium wifi or wired internet and electrical outlets is not included, but may be purchased directly from the conference center. You may show videos in the exhibit room, but the sound must not interfere with other exhibitors. You may not play music in the exhibit room. If you plan events or activities, even if they take place at your exhibit table or page, let us know as soon as possible so that we can help promote it to our meeting attendees. AFS reserves the right to prohibit, limit or discontinue the distribution of gifts, giveaways or similar promotions.
Exhibitors will be located on the main floor of the Renaissance in a space adjacent to several of our session rooms, and most of the additional meeting rooms are nearby, on the second floor. AFS will select placement of exhibitors based on load-in and access needs. With a full meeting program in 2026, foot traffic through exhibit areas will extend into early evening hours. The space will be secured at the end of the conference program each evening. Depending on scheduling, author book talks may take place in the exhibit room or in a dedicated book talk area.
Exhibitors will receive an email notifying them of the load-in and load-out days between 60 and 90 days prior to the meeting. We will distribute a Load-in/Load-Out Schedule approx. 60 days prior to the meeting’s opening, following the close of the Reservation Payment deadline (August 1). If you cannot load-in/load-out during the times and days offered, we can arrange with you for suitable arrival and/or departure times.
For 2026, most conference events will take place at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel.
Exhibit Hall Days
Wednesday, October 28
Thursday, October 29
Friday, October 30
Advertising in Programming Material
This year, we are offering three unique opportunities to advertise, in print and/or digitally: a printed program, inserts that you bring yourself, and *NEW* Digital Advertising opportunities.
Print Program
Deadline: August 1, 2026
The print program will be available for participants (for a fee) and includes the full program schedule, event abstracts, and other meeting essentials.
Black and White Ad Rates by Size
- Half Page $600: 5.5″ x 8.5 (horizontal)
- Full Page $750: 11″ x 8.5″
- Additional pages $500/ea
Inserts
- $300
Provide your own materials – fliers, brochures, etc. – to be handed out to every attendee at registration along with their program book and name tag.
*New this year!* Digital Advertising
Deadline: October 1, 2026
- Fourwaves (conference platform): logo placement on sponsorship page and space for an image, 100-word blurb, and link to your webpage.
- Annual Meeting landing page: logo placement on sponsorship page and space for an image, 100-word caption/description, and link to your webpage.
- Social media: placement of log along with other sponsors in Annual Meeting promotions
- $500 flat rate
Sponsored Events
You may opt to sponsor plenary events or sessions that are already scheduled. Event sponsors will be listed alphabetically in the list of sponsors and attached to the event itself.
Contact us at annualmeeting@afsnet.org with any questions.
Liability
AFS is not liable for any loss sustained by the participant as a result of the participant’s or any third party’s failure to access the conference website, or as a result of any breakdowns, software errors, incomplete or inaccurate transfer of information. The parties agree that this agreement (and any other agreement referred to herein) contains the complete agreement between the parties and supersedes any prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or between the parties, written or oral, which may have related to the subject matter hereof in any way. The person signing the application on the exhibitor’s behalf shall be deemed to have full authority to do so and shall have no right to claim against AFS that such person or persons did not have such authority. The exhibitor is responsible for creating and providing exhibit content to AFS. If the exhibitor fails to respond in a timely manner for content or otherwise fails to deliver content, AFS shall be under no obligation to change the dates of the event or provide a refund.
The exhibitor hereby agrees to indemnify and hold forever harmless AFS, its officers, agents, and employees against all costs, claims, demands, proceedings, liability, losses and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) whatsoever made against or incurred by AFS as a result of, related to or arising in connection with (i) a breach of these terms by exhibitor, and/or (ii) any acts or defaults of exhibitor, exhibitor’s employees or agents in connection with the event and/or (iii) any claim brought against AFS that the content or any services or software supplied by exhibitor infringe, violate, or trespass or constitute the unauthorized use or misappropriation of any intellectual property of any third party. Exhibitors will only promote products and services regularly sold by them. No products and/or services will be directly sold from within the conference platform. Failure to comply is deemed cause for cancellation of the space.
If AFS should be prevented from holding the exhibition for any reason beyond AFS’s control (such as, but not limited to damage to building, riots, acts of government or acts of God), then AFS has the right to cancel the exhibition or any part thereof, with no further liability to the exhibitor other than a refund of exhibit fees.
Read Zoom’s privacy statement.
Read AFS’s general privacy statement and annual meeting policies.
Contact
Jessica Turner, Executive Director
800 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 USA
812-856-2346 | annualmeeting@afsnet.org