2026 Annual Meeting

Preserve, Adapt, Endure: Building Resilient State and Territorial Archives

Columbia, South Carolina | September 23-25, 2026

Join your CoSA colleagues for an engaging time of conversation and collaboration! The 2026 Program Planning committee is meeting regularly and shaping the theme and content of our gathering. They'll be looking to hear from you - do you have a project to share, a question to ask, a problem to solve? The 2026 Call for Proposals are open now!

Call for Proposals Now Open!

View the Call for Proposals

Registration

Lodging

Schedule

Silent Auction

Registration

Registration fees below are from 2025 and will be updated for 2026 soon.

Email events@statearchivists.org for information about onsite registration.

CoSA is committed to hosting an affordable annual meeting that maximizes the value of in-person engagement with peers.

	Early Bird Through July 28	Advance July 29-Sept 15	Onsite (if available)
Full Conference (member)	$200	$260	$340
Single Day (member)	$75	$75	n/a
Full Conference (non-member)	$320	$415	$540
Single Day (non-member)	$100	$100	n/a
Guest Registration	$75	$75	n/a

All registrations are subject to the Refund and Cancellation policy below.

Lodging

Conference Attendee Hotel Options

Reservations opening soon

CoSA has negotiated the government rate for our members with two downtown Columbia hotels. Negotiated rates are available until September 8, 2026 or until the blocks are filled. These special rates are available several days prior and post the scheduled meeting (September 23-25) should you choose to extend your stay in Columbia.

Holiday Inn Columbia Downtown
1233 Washington St.
Columbia, SC 29201

Member Hotel rate Single $115/night (plus tax) or Double $125/night (plus tax) - all individuals who work in one of CoSA 56 member institutions are eligible to book their stay at this rate.

Aloft Columbia Downtown
823 Lady St.
Columbia, SC 29201

Member Hotel rate $115/night (plus tax) - all individuals who work in one of CoSA 56 member institutions are eligible to book their stay at this rate.
Non-member hotel rate $145/night (plus tax) - Vendors and non-members are asked to use the non-member booking link.

Schedule

Draft Schedule Overview

Schedule subject to change. All events will take place at the South Carolina State Archives unless otherwise noted.

Wednesday, September 23 (all attendees)

Morning - Pre-conference workshops and tours
Afternoon - Opening session and affinity group discussions
Evening - Opening Reception

Thursday, September 24 (all attendees)

All Day - Educational sessions
Evening - Reception and networking

Friday, September 25 (members only)

Saturday, September 26

Post-conference educational excursion

Silent Auction

CoSA Silent Auction

Previous silent auctions have been a key fundraiser for CoSA educational activities and this year we’re aiming for similar success in Columbia, but we need your help providing auction items!

To help make this year another success, here are some helpful tips for popular auction items:

Think small - items that are easy to pack in carry-on luggage or easily consumed in the course of the meeting
Share a taste of your state - what food items are unique and special to your state?
Share your state's unique stories, history, food, or drink with your colleagues!
Snacks and small bottles of alcohol are always popular items!

Please complete the 2026 CoSA Silent Auction Donation Form and include it when submitting your silent auction item(s).

We can’t wait to see all the fun, unique, and interesting items you all have to donate. And get ready to bid often and bid high on your favorite items!

Cancellation and Refund Policies

Annual Meeting Attendee Registration Refund Policy

Annual Meeting Fees

Cancellation of an Annual Meeting registration is subject to the following policy:

For a Full CoSA Annual Meeting Conference registration, cancellations thirty (30) days or more prior to the conference, refunds will be offset by a $50 cancellation fee.
For a Single-day CoSA Annual Meeting Conference registration, cancellations thirty (30) days or more prior to the conference, refunds will be offset by a $25 cancellation fee.
For a CoSA Annual Meeting Conference registration (Full and Single-day) cancellations between twenty-nine (29) and seven (7) days of the conference, refunds will be offset by a cancellation fee of 50% of the registration fee.
No refunds will be given for no shows or cancellations after 12:00 PM (Eastern) seven (7) days before the annual conference.
Requests for refunds of payment for Guest Registrations and Excursions will be considered and approved by the Executive Director on a case-by-case basis.
A substitute attendee may be designated provided that the payment has been made and the CoSA team has been notified in advance.
A written request for a refund must be emailed to CoSA at events@statearchivists.org prior to the event.

Annual Meeting Sponsorship Cancellation

Annual Meeting Corporate Sponsorship

Cancellation of an Annual Meeting sponsorship is subject to the following policy:

For cancellation of a CoSA Annual Meeting sponsorship thirty (30) days or more prior to the conference, refunds will be offset by a 50% cancellation fee.
For cancellation of an Annual Meeting sponsorship within thirty (30) days of the Annual Conference, a refund will not be given.
A written request for a refund must be emailed to CoSA at events@statearchivists.org prior to the event.

Meeting attendees and exhibitors are responsible for their own travel and lodging arrangements and should expect to abide by the policies of those external entities.

This policy was adopted by the CoSA Board of Directors in 2024. Revised March 6, 2025.