Conference

Join us for the WSC’s
Annual Conference
in Long Beach, California

 General Information:

Dates: Thursday, February 8, 2024 through Saturday, February 10, 2024
Hotel: Hilton Long Beach
701 West Ocean Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90831 

The conference rate is $249 per night for single/double occupancy or $274 per night for triple/quad occupancy. The conference rate is available from Wednesday, February 7th, through Saturday February 10th. Here is the reservation link.

Health Protocols: Based on current guidelines, vaccinations will not be required to attend the conference; however, if regional/local guidelines change before then, we will be required to follow those.
Register: Registration for the 2024 conference is open. Please note that conference registrations are non-refundable.

Please keep in mind that all presenters are required to register and prepay the nonrefundable conference fees no later than January 8, 2024.  Those who do not register and pay their conference fees by that deadline will have their papers/presentations/posters removed from the conference program.

Present: The abstract submission portal is now open. The deadline for submissions is October 8, 2023.

For those who submit abstracts, please be sure not to make travel plans based on the times during which you are preliminarily scheduled to present because all assignments are subject to change. All presenters should plan to arrive by Thursday, February 8th and plan to remain at the conference until the late afternoon on Saturday, February 10th.

Posters should be between 3-feet by 4-feet (36″ x 48″) and 4-feet by 5-feet (48″ x 60″).

Please be advised that submission of an abstract indicates the submitter’s availability to present the paper at the conference.  Absent medical or religious necessity, requests for particular time slots on particular days cannot be honored. Please direct all inquiries about the conference and the program to the program chairs at ConferenceChair@westerncriminology.org.

Conference Participants, please note the following:

1. Panel chairs are responsible for bringing laptops for other panelists to use during their presentations. People who use Apple computers (Macs) should bring dongles that allow them to connect to projectors via an HDMI cable.

2. Complimentary basic internet will be available to presenters during conference breakout sessions, but given bandwidth constraints, attendees should not prepare presentations using Prezi or similar internet-based presentation software.  Rather, presenters are encouraged to store all of the files they may need on a laptop or portable hard drive.

3. If you have any questions concerning payments, please email Secretary-Treasurer@westerncriminology.org. All other questions concerning the conference should be directed to the conference program chairs at ConferenceChair@westerncriminology.org.

If you plan on submitting an abstract and need an early decision in order to apply for a visa or entry permit, please email the conference program chairs.

Conference Fees:

Conference registration entitles one to attend all conference sessions, receive one copy of the program, and participate in various hosted food events (typically an opening event with heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, a light breakfast on Friday morning, a plated lunch at our Award luncheon Friday afternoon, light snacks at Friday evening’s poster session, and a closing brunch late on Saturday morning). Because we order all of this food based on conference registration fees we receive, such payments are nonrefundable. If you are concerned that you might not be attend, we recommend that you purchase travel insurance.

The cost of participating in the annual WSC conference varies depending on membership status:

  • Regular Members — Faculty and justice professionals who are members of the WSC pay $215 to participate in the annual conference (a $210 base-rate, plus a $5 Pay Pal processing fee).

     

  • Student Members — Students who wish to participate in the annual WSC conference pay $165 (a $160 base-rate, plus a $5 Pay Pal processing fee). Please note that this fee includes a one-year student membership in the WSC. Thus, students attending the conference should not pay the $35 student membership fee.

     

  • Non-Members — People who are not members of the WSC but who wish to participate in the society’s annual conference pay $320 (a $315 base-rate, plus a $5 Pay Pal processing fee).

     

  • Late Fees — The prices listed above apply to advance conference registrations. An additional $25 will be added to the cost for anyone registering within 30 days of the start if the conference (including those who register on-site, which is strongly discouraged since we cannot guarantee late registrants food, printed programs, and other amenities). Thus, late registration for regular members costs $235; late registration for students costs $185; and late registration for non-members costs $345.

Since catering costs account for more than 90% of the the annual conference fees, and last-minute changes to catering counts can dramatically alter the society’s costs to host meals, on-site registration is strongly discouraged. We therefore ask all conference presenters to register roughly one month in advance of the conference to help keep costs to a minimum.

Future Conferences

  • 2025 Conference: February 6 to February 8 at the Westin Seattle (WA)
  • 2026 Conference: February 5 to February 7 at the Grand Hyatt Denver (CO)
  • 2027 Conference: TBD

Our Sister Organization,
the American Society of Criminology

The WSC was originally established a regional subdivision of the American Society of Criminology (ASC).  Although we are now fully independent, the ASC remains our close working partner.  The ASC is an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific, and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency.  If you are not already a member, we encourage you to join!

Consent to be Photographed

By signing up to attend and participate in the WSC’s annual conference, you consent to having your photo taken by WSC personnel and guests.  Such images may be posted on our Facebook page or Twitter feed.  However, no one may make audio or video recordings during panel sessions without the explicit written consent of the presenters.