San Francisco 2026 Webpage

Online Program

 

Mobile App & PDF Link

View the more than 400 program sessions from the palm of your hand, as the conference app is available for download. When you create a personal schedule in the online program, it will also be available on your mobile app. In addition, we have created a PDF of the program. Please note that while the conference app will update with last-minute program changes and notices, the PDF will not reflect any revisions.

First Stop: Registration

Our 2026 Annual Meeting is being held at at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square located at 333 O'Farrell Street. Regardless of whether you are staying at the conference hotel or have other accommodations, your first port of call should be Registration to pick up your name badge. Registration is located in Tower 3, Lobby Level of the hotel. We look forward to greeting you, providing you with a name badge, and answering any questions you may have. At Registration, you can also find:


  • Certificates of Attendance
  • Keys to the parents room/prayer room for privacy
  • Complimentary bag of dates to break the fast for those observing Ramadan


There will be water coolers available throughout our meeting spaces. Here are our Registration Help Desk hours.


Please use this map to navigate the hotel:

Around Town

You can download the Citymapper mobile app, available for iPhone and Android, to navigate your way around San Francisco, whether on foot or by public transportation.


Shops and restaurants in the vicinity of the Hilton San Francisco Union Square can be accessed by exiting the main entrance of the hotel, turning right on O’Farrell Street, then continuing on O’Farrell or turning left or right on Powell Street, depending on where you are going.


We generally advise against turning left from the main hotel entrance and walking in that area of the city, especially at night. One notable exception would be walking to the Asian Art Museum, which is well worth a visit and can be accessed by walking on main roads such as Market Street.


View our list of special pre-conference activities and things to do in San Francisco.

Food & Dining

Inside the Hilton San Francisco Union Square


The Herb ‘N Kitchen is open 24 hours a day/seven days a week. It offers food for take-out and also in-room delivery.


Poached is a breakfast-only restaurant. It offers a large breakfast buffet for approximately $45.00 including tax and gratuity.


The Cityscape Sky Bar serves drinks and small plates. Perched on the 46th floor, this restaurant has panoramic views of the city and is a popular spot for both locals and tourists. Cityscape Sky Bar accepts reservations for parties of 14 guests or more and does not take reservations for smaller groups, including tables for two. For parties under 14, seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.


Please note that the hotel's Urban Tavern restaurant is permanently closed.


Outside the Hilton San Francisco Union Square


There are less expensive breakfast options, like Starbucks, in the area around Union Square, a five-minute walk from the hotel (see Google maps or the Citymapper app).


Cable55 is open all day. This restaurant is located inside the nearby Parc 55 hotel, also a Hilton property. Cable55 is reciprocal with our conference hotel, so you can charge your Parc55 meal to your Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel room.


Kin Khao is a Michelin-rated Thai restaurant located on the corner of Mason and Ellis Street. It is very popular and reservations are recommended.


Old Siam is an inexpensive, well-respected Thai restaurant on Ellis Street. You can dine in or it offers take-out.

Sign Up Before It’s Too Late

Paint with modern acrylics in Renaissance Pigments II: Native Alaskan Formline Painting. This hands-on workshop is being led by artist and artisan Tim Flanery who will guide participants painting using a Formline illustration specially designed for this conference and highlight the color palette specific to his region’s Totem poles. Pre-registration via email is required. The session will be held Saturday, February 21, 2:30–4:00 p.m.


Join us for a special highlights tour of Cunning Folk: Witchcraft, Magic, and Occult Knowledge at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. Cunning Folk considers magical practice, practitioners, and their persecution in early modern European artwork and material culture (c. 1500–1750). The first tour will be held Wednesday, February 18, 11:00 a.m.–noon. Register here for Wednesday's tour and please note that the museum will be closed to the public on this day. The second tour will be held Saturday, February 21, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Register here for Saturday's tour and please note that the museum will be open to the public on this day. One RSVP per person, please.


Two pre-conference tours at the Legion of Honor Museum are still available. Please reserve your spot by clicking here. Attendance is limited to 15 people per tour, so reservations are required. We kindly ask members to sign up for no more than one tour per person. The museum is also open for visiting on your own, Tuesdays through Sundays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Tickets may be booked online, in advance, or purchased at the door.

Special Events

The Josephine Waters Bennett Lecture

Thursday, February 19, 6:30–7:45 p.m.


Renaissance Trivia Night with Horacio Sierra

Friday, February 20, 7:00–8:30 p.m.


RSA Awards Ceremony

Saturday, February 21, 5:00–6:00 p.m.


RSA Closing Reception

Saturday, February 21, 6:00–7:30


Business Meetings & Special Sessions

Thursday, February 20–Saturday, February 21

Graduate Student Events & Activities

The Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC) invites students to join their RSA San Francisco WhatsApp Group.  


Graduate Student Dinner/Drinks

Saturday, February 21, 7:30 p.m. 

The GSAC is planning an evening meetup for the graduate community to celebrate and relax after a busy few days of conferencing. Please let us know if you plan to attend.


Graduate Student Lunchtime Chats

Thursday- Saturday, 12:45–2:15 p.m.

Join the GSAC during your lunch break. Come to the GSAC table in the Golden Gate Ballroom, introduce yourself, and mingle with other graduate students. Feel free to bring your lunch! 


Renaissance Trivia Night with Horacio Sierra

Friday, February 20, 7:00–8:30 p.m.



Professional Development Workshops for Graduate Students


Folger Fellowships: Beyond Shakespeare

Friday, February 20, 4:30–6:00 p.m.


Publish with Renissance Quarterly!

Saturday, February 21, 9:00–10:30 a.m.


Publishing Questions? A Workshop for Early Career Scholars with the Viator and Cursor Mundi Editors

Saturday, February 21, 2:30–4:00 p.m.


Policies and Procedures


Guidelines for Annual Meeting Participants


Policies and procedures

A/V Information

Best plan: A laptop with HDMI output + your presentation on a USB drive.

usb laptop info.jpg
 

All session rooms at RSA San Francisco 2026 will be set up with a digital projector. Panelists must supply their own laptop computers if intending to display slides during their session.


We recommend bringing a laptop with an HDMI output and also saving your presentation on a USB drive. Mac laptop users should bring an adapter that allows them to connect to HDMI. Every year the RSA staff buy more adapters than the year before. Every year we run out. Please come prepared!


There will be tech support on-site to assist with any A/V issues that unexpectedly arise.


To reduce noise between meeting rooms, most session rooms will not include a microphone and PA system.

 

Change of Plans?

If you need to cancel your conference participation, please email us.

In Case You Missed It

Our first conference newsletter was emailed to attendees on January 21. Here’s the link if you haven’t had a chance to view it yet. We can't wait to see you in San Francisco!

Instagram