Chart Notes
What to Know Before You Go
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Download the AORN Expo App Before You Arrive
Build your schedule, map out which exhibitors to visit, claim your CH, find resources, and connect with other attendees – all in one place. Download it for free on Apple and Android devices.
Tip: If you have the old app, delete it and reinstall the latest version.
Don’t Miss: Expo Quest (in the App)
Get ready for a conference-wide scavenger hunt—with chances to win daily prizes and a grand prize trip to AORN Expo 2027.
Look for Expo Quest clues marked with a magnifying glass throughout the conference and Expo Hall. Scan each QR code and answer questions correctly to earn points.
Maximize your points by scanning QR codes in participating exhibit booths during Expo Hall hours. Bonus alert: On Monday from 1–3 pm, track down six special guests in the Expo Hall aisles—each clue is worth 150 points.
Turn Your Opinions Into Travel Money
AORN and our Industry Partners are looking for participants for focus groups. Complete the screener and if you qualify, you'll be asked to share your opinions in a one-on-one or small group setting and receive cash for your time. Take the Screener.
Save Your Seat for Special Breakfast & Lunch Events
Join us for hosted meal events designed to bring valuable insights — and great food — to your conference experience. Space is limited and filling fast so don’t wait to RSVP.
- Make Your ASC an Efficient Machine: Solving Problems with Meaningful Innovation
Ambulatory Hub Lunch
Saturday, Apr. 11| 12:15pm - 1:15pm
Sponsored by Zimmer Biomet
This event is now full. - Beyond Closure: Improving Outcomes and Operation
Sunrise Breakfast Symposium
Monday, Apr. 13 | 6:30am–7:30am
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson
This event is now full.
Getting Around
Driving directions and parking information is available on the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center website. Lots B & F are closest to AORN's space in the Convention Center. Get details
Dining Options In & Around New Orleans
Lunch Made Easy
On Monday and Tuesday, plan to grab lunch right in the Expo Hall—look for $20 concession vouchers with your badge panels.
Explore Local Favorites
Looking for options outside the conference? Check out nearby restaurants and grocery stores for quick bites, group dinners, or grab-and-go options between sessions.
View Dining Options
Featured Exhibitors
Sustainability Sponsor Aesculap - Booth #701Aesculap’s rigid sterile containers cut CO2e by over half and are a cost-effective option for processing sterile equipment. Learn how you can help reduce waste and cost at booth #701.
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SurgiSmoke Solutions™ (Better OR - Kiosk OR1)ESU pens ruffling feathers in your OR?Step up to the hands-free Flamingo FunnelTM for your surgical smoke capture. Clean the air and clear the view with up to 2x more smoke capture1 and an unobstructed view, all with increased dexterity. 1Schultz L. An Analysis of Surgical Smoke Plume Components, Capture and Evacuation. AORN Journal. Feb 2014, Vol 99; No 2.
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LiveData (Booth 1044)Award-Winning Display Boards and ReportsTry our AI-enhanced reports that help clinical leaders show progress. Visit our booth to see real-time digital displays, including customizable Time Outs, that keep the whole surgical floor in sync.
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AORN Syntegrity (Booth 1024)3 Strikes – Do You Have What It Takes?Take on our three-strikes trivia game and compete for a spot in the top three on the leaderboard—prizes included. Swing by booth #1024 to test your trivia chops and chat with the AORN Syntegrity team about how standardized clinical documentation and procedure list library can level up your OR from volume-based management to evidence-based perioperative performance.
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Invite a Colleague to Experience the Expo Hall
Share a complimentary 3-day Expo Hall pass with a colleague. They’ll get access to the Expo Hall Opening Reception, the latest perioperative products and innovations, and a floor full of colleagues doing the same work they do.
Plan Ahead: Add These to Your Schedule
Kick Things Off on Friday
Stop by the Lobby E registration area starting at 2:00 pm to take part in a hands-on volunteer activity—and connect with fellow attendees right away. Help paint plant pots that will be gifted to local seniors aging in place. Drop in anytime (or until all 500 pots are completed). Corporate support provided by Aesculap
Try a “HOT” New Way to Learn (Saturday and Sunday)
Step into Escape Room: A "HOT" New Way to Engage Learners—a 30-minute interactive experience designed to strengthen clinical recognition, response, and communication through hands-on scenarios and guided debriefing.
Multiple sessions available April 11 and 12. RSVP Now
Connect with Educator & Outpatient Peers (Saturday)
Looking to meet colleagues who share your role and challenges? Join us for quick-connection networking sessions in the Ambulatory Hub and Educator Hub on Saturday, 1:30–2:00 pm. These informal gatherings are designed to spark conversations, exchange ideas, and build new professional connections.
New Meet-Ups
Head to the Rivergate Room for a series of new, casual meet-ups designed to help you connect, share ideas, and build your community throughout the week:
- Get to Know Your Colleagues S’More (Saturday)
Meet the voice behind the AORN Journal advice column and connect with peers.
April 11 | 12:45 pm - Early Career Meet Up with the Masked Maven (Sun)
Meet the voice behind the AORN Journal advice column and connect with peers.
April 12 | 12:15 pm - A Palette of Personalities (Tuesday)
Reflect, share insights, and connect over beignets in this light, interactive session.
April 14 | 7:45 am
Expo Hall Power Hour (Monday)
We’ve created a dedicated early-access experience on Monday morning for Leadership Summit participants and manager-level & above attendees. This focused hour on Monday, 8 – 9 am, offers time to explore exhibits before the Expo opens to all attendees at 9 am. Enjoy coffee, breakfast, and meaningful conversations – plus a chance to win one of 10 $500 American Express gift cards when your badge is scanned at entry. The Expo Hall opens to all attendees immediately following Power Hour.
Visit the Learning Lab in the Expo Hall (Monday and Tuesday)
On Monday and Tuesday, stop by the Learning Lab for short sessions to spark new ideas and explore innovations designed for the OR.
Poster Presentations (Monday)
Hundreds of perioperative professionals will be sharing their research and practical improvements. Posters go up Saturday, but plan to attend the Poster Meet & Greet on Monday from 9:30am–12:00pm.
- One highlight: Poster #183, showcasing how one health system’s perioperative RNs and informaticists partnered with the AORN Syntegrity team and Epic to redesign the Intra‑operative Care Plan Tool—driving patient‑focused care plans and measurable improvements. Stop by booth #1024 to learn how the AORN Syntegrity Solution helps perioperative RNs work more efficiently, improve patient safety, and demonstrate nursing value.
Hands-On Learning at the Skills Studios (Monday and Tuesday)
Discover two dynamic Skills Studios on Monday & Tuesday in the Expo Hall where you’ll elevate your clinical confidence and learn new strategies through exciting hands-on activities.
- Mastering Suture Selection and Hemostasis: A Practical Skills Lab
Supported by Johnson & Johnson - SPD Live! Making SPD Operations Smarter & Easier
Supported by STERIS
Don’t Miss Out: Renew at Expo and You Could Win $500
If your AORN membership has lapsed since you registered, or it’s about to expire, now’s a great time to renew or rejoin. Doing so any time before the conference ends automatically enters you into a $500 drawing (no extra steps needed). You’ll also unlock full member benefits while you’re here, which can really enhance your Expo experience. Win-win!
Visit the AORN Community in Lobby A or renew online.
Test Drive eGuidelines+ While at Expo
Get a sneak peek of eGuidelines+ Expo. Connect to the AORN2026 wi-fi network (password: AORN2026) and visit aornguidelines.org.
Share Your Experience
Follow AORN’s social channels for conference happenings and share your pics using #AORN2026.
