CHALLENGES AMS’s planning team had to devise a clever workaround to make sure members who are employed by the government can take advantage of early-bird discounts they otherwise would miss out on. “We have a large contingency of federal employees,” said Marjorie Maloney, AMS’s meetings and exhibits manager, “and because travel approval has been delayed until anywhere from one to four weeks out from the meeting these last few years, we have extended our preregistration rate for this group. This has helped to limit the number of cancellations and has kept our program strong.”

INITIATIVES At its 2015 meeting, AMS debuted 23|5 Talks — named for Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt on its axis — which were a series of TED-inspired presentations. The hit program will return in 2016, and feature speakers from the Global Weather Corporation, the National Hurricane Center, AccuWeather, and Harvard University. AMS is also expanding its show floor. “The floor will include 100 more booths,” Maloney said, “as well as two vehicles and a live television broadcast.”

American Meteorological Society 96th Annual Meeting
Jan. 10–14, 2016
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center