2026 AABB Annual Meeting: Three Days That Move the Field Forward

Registration is now open for the 2026 AABB Annual Meeting, to be held Oct. 17-19 in Atlanta. Those who register by July 21 can save up to $325 on full-meeting registration. The meeting will bring professionals from throughout the blood and biotherapies community together to share research, exchange ideas, and explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the field.

The AABB education program will feature more than 125 sessions on key topics in blood banking, transfusion medicine and biotherapies. Key topic areas at this year’s meeting include blood system resilience, donor recruitment and retention, patient blood management, accreditation and quality systems, emerging technologies and advances in biotherapies.

Cord Blood Connect will again be featured as part of the 2026 AABB Annual Meeting. This year’s Cord Blood Connect sessions will span three days and cover the breadth of the cord blood field, with sessions exploring clinical outcomes of cord blood transplantation, emerging cord blood-derived therapies, and the evolving landscape of cord blood banking. The track will also feature best abstract and lightning talk presentations, as well as forward-looking conversations on the future of the field.

The AABB meeting will also feature oral abstract presentations, poster sessions, spotlight sessions, awards and lectureships, and networking opportunities.

The 2026 Annual Meeting General Session will feature a keynote address from Frederick Appelbaum, MD, executive vice president at Fred Hutch and a pioneer in bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapies. Appelbaum will trace the evolution of bone marrow transplantation, from its earliest days to the frontier of in vivo gene therapy, while highlighting the critical role blood banking and transfusion medicine have played in advancing patient care.

The Exhibit Hall hosts refreshments and will showcase products, technologies and services relevant to the field.

Attendees are encouraged to register early. Those who register by July 21 can save up to $325 on full-meeting registration. The AABB Annual Meeting website includes registration details, additional meeting information and travel resources, including hotel information and airline discounts for attendees.