Welcome from the Conference Chair
05/07/2026
Dear AAPOR Community,
Our Annual Conference is finally here, and I can hardly believe how quickly the time has flown. I am incredibly excited for this year’s program and for the opportunity to return to the sunny state of California. Some of my favorite AAPOR memories were made during our conference in Anaheim. As someone who grew up in Colorado and lived in Washington, DC, for more than 16 years, I always appreciate when we have the chance to gather out west.
Over the past few months, I have been reflecting on the importance of AAPOR and the role that conferences play in our professional lives. They give us the chance to step away from our desks and our screens and to come together in person. They offer what I think of as small, but meaningful, upgrades. We share ideas, we learn from one another, and we gain inspiration from the collective work of our community.
Many times, I have returned home from AAPOR with a single note or conversation that helped me reframe a challenge that had felt impossible to solve. In fact, the paper I am presenting this year began as an emerging idea that I discussed with a colleague during our annual smoothie field trip at the 2022 Annual Conference in Chicago.
As I have shared previously, I am planning to return to school this Fall. I am excited for the new tools that experience will provide, but it is not the same as attending AAPOR. AAPOR sharpens my tools. It refines my style. It helps me make new connections, and it encourages me to innovate.
This year’s program is filled with opportunities to do exactly that. I am especially excited about our short courses, our idea groups, our plenary session, and our new Director’s Cuts. Each of these offerings provides a different way to deepen our knowledge, expand our thinking, and engage with the most important issues facing our field.
As I developed the theme for this year’s conference, I wanted to embrace the spirit of Hollywood—both in the visual branding and in the title itself. As a lifelong fan of The Lord of the Rings, I often think about Frodo and Sam on their long and difficult journey to Mount Doom. When I face personal or professional challenges, whether I am on a difficult hike in the Himalayas while recovering from COVID or navigating a complex situation at work, I think about their persistence and their commitment to protecting what mattered most.
Right now, I think often about the integrity of our data, the importance of creativity and innovation, and our ongoing quest for truth. My hope is that this year’s conference—through its idea groups, short courses, plenary session, Director’s Cuts, skill-up sessions, and the incredible sessions that all of you have built—will inspire us to continue this work with renewed energy.
Frodo and Sam faced moments when their journey felt impossible, but they understood that they could not give up. In the same way, our field faces challenges that can feel overwhelming, but we carry this work together, and we support one another along the way.
As we gather in Los Angeles, I encourage you to take full advantage of everything this conference has to offer: engage in conversations, introduce yourself to someone new, and make space for the unexpected moments that often turn out to be the most impactful.
I am very grateful for this community, and I look forward to everything in store at this year’s conference. And a HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers, members, attendees, and of course our sponsors! You all made this conference possible!
Morgan Earp
Conference Chair