Registration and Housing
All persons wishing to participate in or attend meetings (in person or online) or use convention services must register for the MLA convention.
Convention Registration
MLA registration for members opens in September; nonmember registration opens in October. Visit www.mla.org/Events/2026-MLA-Convention for registration rates and details.
Membership in the MLA
Individuals who join the association while registering for the convention are entitled to register at members’ rates. Join the MLA or renew your membership online or at the membership desk at the convention, which will be located in the MLA registration and welcome center.
On-Site Registration
Attendees who have not registered for the MLA convention may register during the convention at the MLA registration and welcome center in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (Level 600). Refer to the online Information for Attendees for the hours of operation.
Hotels
Convention registrants may make hotel reservations at the special MLA rates through the MLA’s official housing service, CMR. Convention registration is required to access MLA housing. Refer to your registration confirmation email for your dedicated link to make your hotel reservation.
All MLA members listed on a hotel reservation should be registered for the convention by early September to avoid any delay in the processing of the housing request. Nonmember guests who wish to attend the convention can register in October. Convention registrants with housing questions during the convention may go to the housing desk in the MLA registration and welcome center, where a representative of CMR will be able to help attendees with any hotel issues they may have.
Identification
You may need to have a government-issued photo ID when you check into your hotel. Security personnel may ask to see your hotel room key or may ask that you be accompanied by a hotel guest with a room key.
Transportation to and in Toronto
MLA convention hotels are located in downtown Toronto and can be reached by the city’s mass transit system or by rideshare or taxi.
Travel to Canada
MLA’s Visiting Canada page (www.mla.org/Events/2026-MLA-Convention/Visiting-Canada) provides links to information on visas, passports, invitation letters, and other travel resources.
Airport Transportation
Toronto is served by Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) for most international flights and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) for most regional flights. The Union Pearson Express (www.upexpress.com/en) connects Toronto Pearson Airport to Union Station in downtown Toronto with a one-way fare of $12.35 CAD. One-way fare for taxi service from Toronto Pearson Airport to downtown is approximately $65–$69 CAD, and rideshare trips are about $40–$45 for the lowest fare category (prices do not include tolls, surcharges, and tips). Billy Bishop Airport is located in Toronto Islands and offers a free ferry to the mainland in downtown Toronto, where you can find a taxi or rideshare for a short ride to the hotels.
PATH
The PATH is a mostly underground pedestrian walkway network in downtown Toronto. View the PATH map PDF or download the Toronto PATH app for iPhone.
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Toronto’s transportation system includes buses, subways, and streetcars. TTC tickets may be purchased with a PRESTO card, a debit or credit card, or exact cash.
Bike Share
Bike Share Toronto (bikesharetoronto.com/how-it-works/) is an app-based bike-sharing option in Toronto.
Policies
Appropriate Conduct at the MLA Annual Convention
The MLA is committed to providing an inclusive and harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, ethnicity, religion, or other group identity.
MLA guidelines on appropriate conduct at the convention and MLA policies on discrimination and harassment and on professional ethics are included on the website and in the Convention Guide.
Photography and Recording of Sessions
The MLA will be photographing and recording a number of sessions taking place at the convention; attendees’ audio, video, or written participation in the convention may be recorded, and attendees may be photographed as part of this event. Session recordings will be available to convention registrants through the online convention platform. The MLA’s recordings and photographs from the convention will also be used to share the work of members and the atmosphere of the convention with a broader public. It is a violation of MLA policy for individuals to record either audio or video of presentations or sessions. Occasional exceptions may be made for members of the media taping short segments designed to convey the convention atmosphere. Such arrangements must be made in advance through the director of outreach and require the consent of all speakers at a session. When taping is approved, a representative of the MLA’s media staff must be present during the session. The session organizer will announce to the audience that audio or video recording will take place during a part of the session. Only background taping is allowed, not the taping of an entire session. Requests to use brief recorded elements of the convention as part of a creative or documentary project should be sent to press@mla.org.
Badges
Badges are required for admission to convention sessions, the exhibit hall, and the MLA Professional Development Hub. Badge holders are available at the MLA registration and welcome center, where attendees can also replace lost badges for $25.
Fragrance
The Committee on Disability Issues in the Profession reminds attendees that refraining from using scented products will help ensure the comfort of everyone at the convention.
Reading in Absentia
Sessions at the 2026 convention will take place either in person or online. To encourage discussion and dialogue among panelists and attendees at convention sessions, reading in absentia (whether by videoconferencing, audio delivery, or presentation by surrogates) is not normally permitted at sessions taking place in person. Presenters who are unable to attend the convention because of unforeseen emergencies may circulate their papers in advance through private or public groups on MLA Commons or upload them to the MLA’s open-access repository.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited inside most public places in Toronto.
Attendee Resources
Convention sessions will take place primarily in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC); the exhibit hall will also be located in the MTCC. Preconvention workshops, social events, and the MLA Awards Ceremony will take place at the Fairmont Royal York. For specific room locations and other details, visit mla26.com closer to the convention.
Accessibility
The MLA is committed to making arrangements that allow all members of the association to participate in the convention. Write to Stacey Courtney (scourtney@mla.org) with questions and specific requests.
Accessibility Desk
There will be a desk in the MLA registration and welcome center staffed with personnel who can provide assistance to convention attendees.
ASL and CART
American Sign Language interpretation (ASL) and real-time captioning (CART) at the convention are scheduled based on requests received by 14 November. If resources are available, the convention office will make every effort to accommodate late requests.
Convention sessions that take place online will be set for automated captioning (viewable at the bottom of your screen) or automated transcription (viewable at the side of your screen). You may adjust these settings as desired on your own screen (click the CC box at the bottom of your screen for your options).
Sessions
The MLA requests that all session organizers and presenters take the necessary steps to make their sessions accessible to attendees with permanent or temporary disabilities. See the complete list of guidelines on the Access Guidelines for MLA Convention Session Organizers and Presenters page (www.mla.org/access-guidelines).
Speakers are asked to bring five copies of their papers, even in draft form, for the use of members who wish to follow a written text. We recommend uploading those presentations to MLA Commons before the convention for easy and secure sharing. Speakers who use handouts should prepare some copies in a large-print format (14- to 16-point type size) and should indicate whether they want their papers and handouts returned.
Meeting Rooms
Meeting rooms at the convention are accessible by elevator, and the doors are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. Each meeting room is set up with empty spaces for individuals using wheelchairs or scooters. Please do not move chairs into these spaces.
Hotel Rooms
To reserve hotel rooms that are specifically equipped for persons with permanent or temporary disabilities, participants must check the appropriate boxes on the convention registration and housing reservation forms or contact Stacey Courtney (scourtney@mla.org) by 14 November.
Transportation
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) provides information about their accessible transportation services (ttc.ca/accessibility). In addition, convention registrants who need accessible transportation during the convention are eligible to be reimbursed up to $150 for rides taken between official MLA locations during convention hours (8–11 January 2026). Reserve a ride through Uber or Lyft to request wheelchair-accessible rides (WAV). Receipts must include the travel date, time, and cost as well as the pickup and drop-off locations. Send your reimbursement request and receipts by 22 January to Stacey Courtney (scourtney@mla.org).
Scooter Rentals
To navigate the convention more easily, attendees can rent scooters in advance from Scootaround (888 441-7575).
Childcare
MLA members who are registered for the convention and use childcare services are eligible for reimbursement. The MLA has funds available for reimbursement of up to $400 each to registered members who use childcare during convention hours. If more requests are received than can be reimbursed with available funds, preference will be given to graduate students and members in lower-income categories.
Members should submit a request for reimbursement, along with supporting documentation such as a receipt from a childcare service, no later than 28 January to Karin Bagnall (kbagnall@mla.org).
Lactation Space
A Mamava pod (MTCC, Level 600) will be available during meeting hours for those who require it.
Convention App and Online Program
The MLA 2026 online program and convention app provide easy access to session information, maps, the list of exhibitors, and other convention details. Log in to mla26.com or download the MLA 2026 app in December to create a personal convention schedule and to communicate with fellow attendees, learn about session and schedule changes, and discover exhibit hall events and other late-breaking news.
Convention Guide
The Convention Guide, containing city and hotel maps and providing general information pertinent throughout the convention, will be available as a PDF on the MLA website and as a handout at the convention.
Friends of Bill W.
A meeting room is set aside for the Friends of Bill W. throughout convention hours.
Graduate Student Lounge
A meeting room is set aside for graduate students as a space to relax, recharge, and connect with other graduate students.
Headquarters Office
Members of the MLA convention staff will be available in the headquarters office to handle problems that might arise with meeting rooms or meeting facilities. Program organizers are asked to refer questions on such matters to the headquarters office, not to the venue management. More general questions will be answered by staff members at the MLA registration and welcome center.
MLA Registration and Welcome Center
Visit the MLA registration and welcome center (MTCC, Level 600) for information about the convention and the association, registration and badges, and free copies of the Convention Guide.
Press Office
Members of the press who wish to cover the convention should contact the director of outreach (press@mla.org) by 2 January to obtain credentials and get assistance.
Quiet Room
We invite convention attendees to drop in to this dedicated quiet space, removed from traffic and noise. We ask that visitors to the room arrive fragrance-free and keep any discussion to a minimum and at a low volume.
Speaker Ready Room
Space for speakers to run through their audiovisual presentations before their sessions will be available; the location will be listed online later this fall. Those who have computer presentations are strongly encouraged to test their presentations in the speaker ready room during convention hours. Please write to Deirdre Henry (dhenry@mla.org) with audiovisual questions. Requests for audiovisual equipment were due 1 April; we regret that we are unable to accommodate late requests.
Wi-Fi Access
The MLA is providing free wireless Internet access in the convention meeting rooms and public areas.
MLA Professional Development Hub
The MLA Professional Development Hub provides support to members at all stages in their careers. Offerings include one-on-one mentoring for academic and nonacademic careers, a wide range of professional-issues discussion groups, and networking events. Visit the Information for Attendees page on the MLA website and the MLA Professional Development Hub section in the online program for up-to-date information on the hub’s location, hours of operation, services, and events.
Exhibits
Visit the exhibit hall (MTCC, Hall E, Level 800) on 9 and 10 January, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on 11 January, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and online at any time at mla26.com. Admission to the exhibit hall is restricted to persons wearing badges or carrying appropriate passes. See page 595 for a list of the 2026 exhibitors.
Check the MLA website (www.mla.org/Events/2026-MLA-Convention), online program (mla26.com), MLA 2026 convention app, and the MLA feed on Bluesky (@modernlanguage.bsky.social) for up-to-date information, including exhibit hall events and online access to exhibitors.
MLA PubCentral
Visit MLA PubCentral in the exhibit hall for everything related to MLA publications.
Take advantage of discounts on our new titles, learn how MLA Handbook Plus can help your students with MLA style, and chat with staff members about the MLA International Bibliography’s tutorials, online course, or how to become a field bibliographer.
Future Conventions
The 142nd convention will take place in Los Angeles from 7 to 10 January 2027.
Go to the Calls for Papers page on the MLA website to submit (Nov. 2025–28 Feb. 2026) or review (Nov. 2025–31 Mar. 2026) calls for papers for the 2027 MLA convention.
Forms and instructions for organizing sessions for the 2027 convention in Los Angeles will be available on the MLA website in March 2026 (see www.mla.org/organizing-meetings).
