Registration is open now until September 18 for our 2026 fall conference. Please note the following, including some new changes in our registration this year:

• Full conference registration options are currently available for members, nonmembers, their guests, and students.
• NEW! Participants who stay in our hotel block at the Courtyard Marriott Boston Downtown are eligible for the discounted registration rate—offer valid until Sept. 18 or hotel block is full.
• The preconference workshop includes a boxed lunch for all attendees. Please disclose any food allergies and/or dietary restrictions on your registration form.
  • Members and nonmembers: workshop registration is a separate (additional) option to conference registration.
  • Students: workshop is included with conference registration.
• If you need to pay for your registration via check (from an invoice) instead of online, please contact us for a custom registration link.
• Sponsors at the Silver Level and higher should use their sponsorship code (provided upon payment of sponsorship invoice) when registering to receive registration discount. Contact the business office for more information.
• Registration ends September 18.

Questions? Contact the AUBER Business Office at auber@bsu.edu or 765-285-3401.

Led by experts from Esri, this 3-hour workshop focuses on strengthening analytical workflows through the use of spatial tools. The training is designed for researchers and practitioners interested in improving the efficiency and impact of their data analysis and reporting.

The workshop will highlight the use of Business Analyst Online (BAO) to support more efficient data access, integration, and visualization. Participants will be introduced to practical approaches for incorporating spatial context into analysis, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of economic and demographic patterns.

An overview of the ArcGIS environment will also be provided, with particular attention to ArcGIS StoryMaps as a platform for presenting findings. The session will demonstrate how StoryMaps can be used to communicate complex information in a structured and accessible format.

Given that many institutions already maintain access to these tools, the session emphasizes practical application and integration into existing workflows. Spatial analysis represents an opportunity to extend traditional approaches and provide additional depth to applied research and reporting.

What you’ll take away:

• Faster workflows for data access, analysis, and reporting in BAO.
• Practical techniques for enhancing data visualization outputs.
• A working understanding of StoryMaps for communicating research findings.
• Immediately applicable methods that complement your existing analytical approach.

Workshop Registration

• Select “Workshop” when registering for the conference.
• Workshop fee includes a boxed lunch, available Noon – 1:00 p.m.
• Discount for undergraduate and graduate students (must show student ID at check-in).

The Association for University Business and Economic Research (AUBER) invites you to participate in our 79th annual fall conference, October 17-20, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts.

This year’s theme, “Evidence in an Age of Uncertainty: Data, Communication, and Public Trust,” considers our role as the providers and communicators of data and information and considers this pivotal moment in history where we experience notable shifts in technology, politics, and education.

The 2026 conference will feature engaging keynote speakers, cutting-edge research presentations, and collaborative discussions. Don’t miss your chance to participate in our exciting program!

Why Present at AUBER?

The AUBER conference is a great environment for students and junior researchers to present their work (finished or ongoing) and receive mentorship from experts. Likewise, established researchers and practitioners can “talk shop” with peers from across the nation and beyond.

Since 1947, the Association for University Business and Economic Research is the premier professional organization for economic research centers across the United States, with members from more than 65 universities and affiliate organizations.

Who Should Participate?

• Practitioners and students in the fields of regional economics, business forecasting, industry impact, financial markets, statistical modeling, output analysis, survey research, GIS mapping, data delivery, data visualization, and more.
• Developers of statistical modeling software, data analysis and visualization tools, primary data libraries, and relevant applied research technologies.
• Applied researchers employed by academia, government agencies, nonprofits, and private industry.
• Established and aspiring economists, from graduate students and junior professionals to senior experts.

Room Block Details

The Courtyard by Marriott Boston Downtown is a boutique hotel with modern rooms and historical touches. It sits across from Tufts Medical Center on Tremont Street and offers easy access to Boston Common, the theatre district, Fenway Park, TD Garden, and the Harvard University campus.

AUBER room rate: $269 per night plus applicable tax/fees. Rate available through Friday, September 18, or until rooms sell out.

New this year, participants who register online using our hotel reservation link—or by phone using the AUBER code—are eligible for the discounted conference registration rate.

When you use the conference hotel using one of these two methods, you help AUBER meet our contractual quotas and avoid penalties.

Hotel Amenities

• Free high-speed internet
• Post No. 10 (breakfast only, sit-down and to-go options)
• Fitness center
• Barber and beauty shop
• Laundry and valet dry cleaning
• Valet parking

Transportation and Parking

• Valet parking $75 per night
• Self-park garage available across the street
• Uber or taxi recommended
• City bus line SL4 (Tufts Medical Center)

Specific details for 2026 will be added soon.

AUBER conferences provide a unique opportunity for companies to network with university-based researchers and professionals who heavily use economic modeling, database, and document design software and services.

Our sponsorship options include the following:

Contact us to discuss additional opportunities not listed above.

Note: Conference sponsors at the Silver Level and higher will receive a discount code to redeem during the conference registration process. Please contact us before registering if you have not received a registration discount code.

• General Information, Registration & Sponsorship Opportunities
  Lisa Goodpaster, AUBER Business Office – auber@bsu.edu
• Program Content
  Rod Motamedi, 2026 Conference Host and Program Chair – rmotamedi@donahue.umass.edu
• Best Paper, Publications, & Individual Awards
  Jennifer Green, Awards Committee Chair – jennifer@parcalabama.org
  Michael Hicks, AUBER Secretary-Treasurer – mhicks@bsu.edu
• Website Updates
  Victoria Meldrum, AUBER Business Office – VRMELDRUM@bsu.edu

Boston 2026 Conference Planning Committee

• Rod Motamedi (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
• Vanessa Fry (Boise State University)
• Nicole Gislason (University of West Florida)
• Lisa Goodpaster (Ball State University)
• Jennifer Green (Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama)
• Monica Haynes (University of Minnesota Duluth)
• Michael Hicks (Ball State University)
• Benjamin McKay (Georgia Southern University)
• Victoria Meldrum (Ball State University)
• Sarah Quintanar (University of North Texas)
• Andrew Woods (University of Nevada Las Vegas)