It's time to register for the 2026 WSA International Convention! Before you get started, please take a few minutes to review these important tips! These tips will make your registration process smooth, reduce the number of calls and emails the WSA staff will receive, and allow us to keep working through the hotel wait list (and all the other thing we're working on!)

If you'd rather listen or watch a video about these tips - scroll to the bottom of the page and Sarah will walk you through them!

GENERAL TIPS

  • #1 TIP - TAKE YOUR TIME AND READ ALL THE TIPS BEFORE YOU GET STARTED!

  • #2 TIP - THERE IS NO RUSH TO REGISTER! There is no registration cap. Events will not sell out. This venue is MUCH larger than our Phoenix space - EVERYONE can participate in everything they want! Our registration system will slow down if too many people are in it at once - so don't worry!

  • Early bird pricing (which is $25 off each parent/caregiver registration) goes through April. There’s plenty of time!

  • Review the Registration Info page, which includes the registration types, costs, and optional items. You'll need to be familiar with this information before you get started. We'll continue to update this page with additional information if there are more questions. You can also visit the Convention FAQs page to get answers to the questions we’re hearing the most.

  • If this your first convention, the registration process can feel overwhelming. Read the convention information thoroughly - learn about the structure before you get started. And reach out to us if you have questions!

  • If you mess up, ANYTHING can be fixed. Email convention@williams-syndrome.org or call us at 248-244-2229. Have patience with us - we WILL get back to you. We have a fantastic team - but a number of them are new to the team and it’s their first convention - so they're learning too!

  • You will NOT need to select your sessions now. Parents/caregivers will select their sessions when the app is released in June. The full agenda and list of sessions will be published before early bird pricing ends. 

  • If you're on the hotel waitlist, and aren't comfortable registering until you get your room confirmation - that's ok! But please know - there ARE enough rooms in Buffalo for all of us. We're working hard to secure as many discounted rooms as possible. We'll be back to working through the wait list as soon as registration is running.

  • We will have Facebook groups for registered convention attendees. Links to the groups will be provided on your convention registration confirmation.

CVENT REGISTRATION PLATFORM TIPS

If you've registered for convention before, you know the process is fairly complex. Gathering all the information we need for each type of attendee is complicated. Cvent has also made some changes to their platform this year, which will make the process feel different. Please read these tips carefully BEFORE beginning registration.

  • The first person you register will be the Primary Attendee. (This will generally be a parent/caregiver.) The primary attendee will complete all of their personal information, select all of the Optional Items for their ENTIRE GROUP, then add the names/information for the additional attendees. 
    • For example - Amy is the primary attendee. Amy will select her registration type first and complete her personal information. Amy will then answer questions about herself. On the next page, BEFORE she adds information about her family members, she will select ALL of the optional items for her family. The following page will show her a summary of her primary attendee registration, and will have a button that allows her to Add Guests. Clicking that button will begin the process again for the rest of her group. Continue this process until your entire family has been added.
    • The primary attendee will receive email confirmation for the entire group. They will also be the person that can return to Cvent to access their group's registration. 
  • It is important for the Primary Attendee to add all of the optional items for their group - this will make it easier to see the final totals at check out.
    • The exceptions to this are the Wrightslaw training and extra program t-shirts. Those MUST be added during the corresponding individual's portion of registration. 
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: Because Cvent assumes every registrant will want to use the event app, EVERY registrant must have a unique email address. If you have an attendee in your group who will not use the app, create a fake email address for those attendees. You will NOT be able to continue through registration if you attempt to use the same email address for multiple people. The primary attendee will receive email confirmation for the entire group.

  • When you click Submit on a page, your browser may have you positioned at the bottom of the next page. No worries - just scroll up to the top!

  • When you're adding tickets to the baseball game, notice that there is an option for a hamburger or hot dog meal. Be sure to register for the correct number of each type of meal for your entire party. 

Join Sarah as she walks you through these registration tips!