A Roster Decision That Has Already Closed
IDWeek 2026 runs Oct. 21-24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The organizers expect more than 12,000 attendees across four days of scientific sessions, premeeting workshops and an exhibit hall. The meeting’s cancellation policy carries one sentence a team lead should read before the roster leaves the desk: substitutes from one individual to another are not allowed.
Every other term sits on the same FAQ page. Each applies to a clinical team the same way it applies to one attending physician.
Three Rules From One Paragraph
Refunds exist for one group. Members of IDSA, HIVMA, SHEA and PIDS are eligible for a refund of registration fees only. The request must be in writing and received at Maritz, the meeting’s registration contractor, by September 18. A $75 processing fee comes off the refund. Requests that arrive after September 18 are not accepted.
Nonmember registration fees are nonrefundable. Guest fees are nonrefundable. Substitutions are refused in every category.
A clinical team built from a mix of members and nonmembers therefore holds two kinds of seat. The member seat can be cancelled for $75 until September 18. The nonmember seat has no cancellation route, and the person who cannot attend leaves it paid and unused.
What a Seat Costs at Each Tier
IDWeek published three price windows. Advance rates closed Aug. 1. Regular rates ran Aug. 1 through Sept. 18. On-site rates apply from Sept. 19 through Nov. 30.
A member pays $900, $1,050 or $1,310 across those windows. A nonmember pays $1,455, $1,610 or $1,920. A member trainee pays $455, $480 or $610, and a nonmember trainee pays $670, $700 or $830. Attendees from developing countries pay a separate, lower schedule.
Six nonmember seats booked at the regular rate cost $9,660. The same six bought on site cost $11,520. The gap is $1,860, or $310 a seat. Six member seats at the regular rate cost $6,300. A replacement for a nonmember who drops out buys a fresh seat at the on-site rate while the first seat stays paid.
Housing Moved to the Hotels on October 10
Maritz handled room changes, cancellations and additions through Oct. 6. Reservations were processed at the hotels on Oct. 8. From Oct. 10 the properties take the calls directly, and each one sets its own cancellation policy.
One registration discount depends on the block. Member, Nonmember, Member Trainee and Nonmember Trainee registrants qualify for $50 off when they book inside the official hotel block. The discount applies automatically once a room reservation is completed through the registration and housing site, and it appears on the review and checkout page.
The FAQ also states that no shuttle will run between the official hotels and the convention center. That line decides which property works for a team that splits between morning sessions and afternoon posters.
What the Desk Can Still Fix This Week
On-site registration is open in the BugHub near the Grand Lobby of the convention center. Main registration hours run 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, then 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Metro Scan & Go registration opens 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday.
A guest badge covers admission to the exhibit hall. It carries no access to live or streamed sessions and no CE credits, and guests follow the same vaccination policies as attendees. Put that limit in writing before the badge is bought for a colleague who expects the programme.
Every registrant keeps on-demand access to the scientific sessions through March 31, 2027. A clinician who cannot travel can register for on-demand access by Nov. 30. The premeeting workshops ran Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 and included the Vincent T. Andriole ID Board Review Course, the antibiotic stewardship course and the clinical diagnostics workshop.
What Goes in the Rate Request
Three questions settle the room side. Ask the property which cancellation terms now apply to rooms inside the block, given that reservations sit with the hotel. Ask the registration desk which category each person qualifies for, and send proof of trainee status with the request. Ask for one invoice that carries registration and rooms together, so the $50 discount per eligible registrant lands on a single line.
bookMyTeam takes group room requests at bookmyteam.org/rfp/submit. The group rate calculator at bookmyteam.org/group-rate-calculator prices a block before the request goes out, and the city directory at bookmyteam.org/directory/cities lists properties market by market.
