A good meeting city must have hotels, restaurants, and gathering spots close to the convention center so attendees can easily catch up with friends and colleagues. It should offer nearby attractions for families accompanying attendees, and it should allow attendees to travel easily between all of these places, as well as the airport.
By those standards, Phoenix checks all the boxes, according to CHEST 2026 Scientific Program Committee Chair Amy E. Morris, MD, FCCP, Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Washington.
“Nothing matches the energy of the CHEST Annual Meeting,” Dr. Morris said. “We’re looking forward to continuing the excitement that we have in Chicago and bringing that to Phoenix in 2026.”
One of Phoenix’s biggest attractions is the natural beauty of the Phoenix Mountains, which cut through the center of the city. This complex of mountains offers trails with magnificent views, including the popular Camelback Mountain trail, as well as the less strenuous Lookout and Shadow Mountain trails and the more arduous Piestewa Peak trail. For those choosing to stay a few extra days ahead of or following the conference, the nearby Sonoran Desert offers ample adventure and nature-immersive opportunities in safe and sustainable formats.
Family attractions near the convention center include the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, the Arizona Science Center, the OdySea Aquarium, and the unique Musical Instrument Museum—all with interactive learning stations for young minds. Other popular museums are the Phoenix Art Museum and the Heard Museum, both less than a 10-minute drive from the convention center.
Phoenix is also a well-established foodie town featuring a blend of southwest-inspired fare and international cuisine, with several James Beard Award-winning chefs running restaurants. There are several popular eateries within a few blocks of the convention center—from the Mexican-inspired Chico Malo and the Italian fine-dining Mancuso’s Restaurant to Cornish Pasty Co., home of authentic Cornish pasties.
An open and affirming city, Phoenix has a thriving LGBTQIA+ community with a major Pride Festival in mid-October and the welcoming Melrose District, home to a vibrant nightlife as well as unique boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops.
Numerous guides are available to plan your trip, including the city’s official tourism site, visitphoenix.com.
Next year, October 18 to 21, Phoenix will host thousands of professionals from various fields of chest medicine for CHEST 2026, and this type of gathering is becoming increasingly important, Dr. Morris said.
“These are uncertain times for medicine, science, and clinical practice. We want to help our patients as best as we can, and that requires staying on top of our practice, and keeping current with the literature,” she said.
“The CHEST Annual Meeting is a great way to do that while also recharging your community batteries by seeing old friends and colleagues in an environment of learning and collaboration.”
Call for Topics Is Open
Feeling inspired by all the great sessions in Chicago? Help shape the curriculum for CHEST 2026, October 18 to 21 in Phoenix, by submitting topic ideas from areas you’re passionate about, topics affecting your practice, or new technologies you’d like to learn more about. The submission deadline is Tuesday, December 2, at 2 pm CT.
