Last year’s Symposium set a new standard—100% of attendees said they were happy they came. As we build toward October 1-3, 2026 in Nashville, here’s what makes this the most valuable three days you’ll invest in your leadership development this year.
Get Solutions to Real Problems, Not Theoretical Frameworks
You’re wrestling with APP optimization, faculty compensation pressures, DME margin management, aligning innovation with system mandates and so much more. Your AOC peers have cracked these challenges and they’re sharing exactly how they did it.
This isn’t another conference of polished case studies. It’s chairs, CAOs, and clinical operations leaders walking you through what worked, what failed, and what they’d do differently. You’ll leave with frameworks you can implement as soon as this conference ends.
Access the Only Network That Spans Every Academic Orthopaedic Subspecialty
AOC connects 180+ university departments and 3,000+ leaders across every subspecialty. The Symposium is where this network becomes tangible—three days of structured networking with peers who understand exactly what you’re facing.
Last year’s attendees consistently cited peer connections as the most valuable outcome. These relationships extend well beyond Nashville, creating a national support system you can tap throughout the year.
Learn From Leaders Who Share the Messy Truth
Our speakers don’t hide the difficulties. They balance clinical expertise and operational excellence with genuine transparency about what’s hard. This authenticity, vulnerability paired with proven success, drives the kind of learning you can’t get from sanitized presentations.
The 2026 agenda continues this tradition, featuring distinguished presenters who’ve navigated major challenges and are willing to share both their wins and their lessons learned.
Stay Ahead of What’s Coming
As AOC celebrates its 20th anniversary, we’re launching initiatives that will reshape how academic departments evaluate new technologies, collaborate with industry, and position themselves nationally. The Symposium gives you early access to these frameworks before they become industry standard.
You’ll also gain insights from national benchmarking data and emerging best practices that simply don’t exist in other venues.
Bring Your Team and Multiply the Impact
When entire leadership teams attend together—chairs, CAOs, clinical operations directors, division chiefs—they return with aligned vision and coordinated plans. Several departments brought full teams in 2025 and saw exponential value.
The three-day format gives you time to strategize as a team, discussing how insights apply to your specific context and what you’ll prioritize when you return.
Register Now and Don’t Miss Early Bird Rates
The 2026 AOC Business & Leadership Symposium takes place October 1-3, 2026 at the Loews Nashville Hotel at Vanderbilt Plaza. Early bird registration is now open with special rates that won’t last long. Given last year’s record attendance, spots will fill quickly. Mark your calendar. Rally your team. Three days this October will drive impact across your entire year.
Learn More About the 2026 Symposium
Not an AOC member yet? Join for free to access member pricing and early bird rates.