RecSys 2026 is committed to reducing barriers to participation and contribution. We aim to foster a conference environment that is accessible, equitable, inclusive, safe, respectful, and welcoming to all participants.
We recognize that accessibility, equity, and inclusion are interconnected but distinct responsibilities, each requiring deliberate actions:
Accessibility ensures that participants can physically, digitally, and cognitively engage with the conference. This includes accessible venue spaces and navigation, accessible digital content and website, inclusive presentation practices, and clear procedures for submitting accommodation needs. See the Accessibility FAQ and the following information for more details.
Equity addresses structural barriers that may limit who is realistically able to participate, including financial, geographic, temporal, and caregiving. To reduce these barriers, RecSys 2026 offers attendance/registration grants. See Attendance Grants for details and eligibility.
Inclusion focuses on creating a community culture in which participants feel respected, supported, and able to contribute fully, not just whether they can get through the door. This year’s planned inclusion activities include, among others, explicit kindness-in-reviewing guidance distributed to all reviewers, session chair training on inclusive and balanced question-taking, student volunteer training on disability etiquette and accessibility assistance, and dedicated accessibility and inclusion guidelines distributed to all organizing chairs. RecSys also continues its tradition of a dedicated Women’s event, bringing together junior and senior researchers, organized by dedicated chairs.
The Accessibility, Equity, and Inclusion team coordinates across all organizing chairs and volunteers throughout every phase of conference preparation, from planning, venue, and registration to sessions, events, and proceedings, so that these considerations are integrated from the start and not treated as an afterthought.
You can submit accessibility-related requests during registration. Your email address will be shared with the Accessibility and Inclusion Chairs so we can follow up with you directly to confirm arrangements. If you have an urgent need or want to get in touch sooner, you are also welcome to contact us at . To help us plan effectively, we kindly ask that requests be submitted by 21 August 2026 (23:59 AOE) whenever possible.
We will make every reasonable effort and give high priority to supporting participant needs. Some accommodations may depend on the timing of the submitted request, venue limitations, local availability, or budget constraints. We are committed to communicating clearly about what can be guaranteed and what may be handled on a best-effort basis. We believe transparent communication is an important part of accessibility and equity practice, as it enables participants to plan their attendance with greater confidence.
If you have related questions or concerns, please contact the Accessibility, Equity, and Inclusion Chairs at: .
We welcome feedback before, during, and after the conference as part of our ongoing effort to improve participation and inclusion within the RecSys community.
FAQ
Our goal is to make RecSys 2026 as welcoming and inclusive as possible, and we’re here to assist with any special requirements you may have. If you cannot find an answer to your questions here, please contact the Inclusion & Accessibility chairs at: . We kindly ask that you submit your accessibility requests by our planning deadline, 21 August 2026 (23:59 AOE), to ensure we can effectively meet your needs. Requests submitted after this date will be handled on a best-effort basis — please still get in touch, as we will always try to help.
During the registration process, you will find a question regarding any disabilities or special needs that might affect your access to the conference’s facilities and resources. If you respond affirmatively, you may be contacted by the Inclusion & Accessibility Chairs. Additionally, you can proactively reach out to the DEI Chairs at for any specific concerns or to submit requests.
We kindly ask that you submit your accessibility requests by our planning deadline, 21 August 2026 (23:59 AOE), to ensure we can effectively meet your needs. While we strive to accommodate all requests, please note that late requests, especially those made after the aforementioned date, may be challenging to fulfill.
Regarding dietary needs, there is a section on the registration form where you can provide this information. We appreciate your understanding that some dietary accommodations might be difficult to arrange without sufficient notice.
If you have specific accessibility needs or suggestions for improvements, we encourage you to reach out to our dedicated Inclusion & Accessibility Chairs via email at .
Rest assured, your queries will be addressed promptly as we strive to ensure a comfortable and inclusive experience for every attendee.
The conference is committed to accessibility and is considering providing captioning for attendees who request these services by our planning deadline, 21 August 2026 (23:59 AOE). Requests should be made as early as possible by contacting the Inclusion & Accessibility Chairs at . While efforts will be made to accommodate requests made after this date, the availability of interpreters or captioners cannot be guaranteed after our planning deadline, 21 August 2026 (23:59 AOE).
The conference is held in the Marriott City Center hotel and the social event Wednesday night is held at the Mill City Museum. Transportation from MSP airport includes accessible Light Rail (from the airport terminal to two blocks from the hotel); accessible taxis are also available at the airport.
The social event venue is accessible, but is approximately one mile from the conference venue. Taxis and rideshare vehicles are inexpensive and readily available for those who need them.
Downtown Minneapolis is a modern city with a downtown that is highly-connected (buildings are connected by second-story skyways that provide direct access to restaurants, pharmacies, and other stores).
At the conference venue, we will have student volunteers ready to help all participants. They can guide you around, assist with meals, and meet other general needs, for example, with conference-related navigation, guiding you to accessible entrances and session rooms, and helping locate reserved seating in the venue, among other things.
If you need this kind of support, please let us know when you register for the conference. Please note that our volunteers are not trained or insured to provide personal care support (such as assistance with eating, medication, or restroom use). For those who need personal care support, we encourage you to bring your own assistant. Personal care assistants must register for the conference, but they can use a special code for this. Please reach out to the Inclusion & Accessibility Chairs to get this code for your personal assistant.
For the overall layout of the venue, please refer to the venue information page. The conference venue includes accessible meeting spaces and accessible routes from the public entrance to key areas, including the main entrance, restaurants, and meeting rooms. The property has elevators, accessible on-site and van-accessible parking, and valet parking for vehicles outfitted for drivers in wheelchairs.
Service animals are welcome without a fee or documentation. For more information about the physical features of our accessible rooms, common areas or special services relating to a specific disability please call +1 612-349-4000 . Click here to see accessible rooms types at this hotel.
Licensed Guide dogs are welcome at RecSys 2026; however, no other service animals are allowed. Please write an email to the Inclusion & Accessibility Chairs if you anticipate bringing a guide dog to the conference by our planning deadline, 21 August 2026 (23:59 AOE).
Guide dogs are allowed to accompany you to “all areas of any facility where the public is normally allowed to go. An individual with a service animal may not be segregated from other people. Limitations are rare and only for those areas where health and safety may be compromised or where doing so would result in a fundamental alteration of the nature of the program, activity, or service.”
The conference venue does not offer assistive listening systems. If you are interested in an assistive listening device, please contact the Inclusion & Accessibility Chairs by our planning deadline, 21 August 2026 (23:59 AOE). Please make your request as early as possible.
Yes, microphones will be used for all speakers. Attendees with questions will be requested to use a microphone so that their question is more easily heard. There are wireless Q&A microphones for the session rooms.
If there is an emergency evacuation during the conference, this will be indicated by fire alarms triggering with an audio tone.
In case of an emergency, it is recommended to follow the evacuation plan shown in the conference venue and instructions of venue staff.
In case of emergency, call 911 for an ambulance. The nearest hospital is Hennepin County Medical Center. The closest pharmacy is across the street (Walgreen’s in Gavidae Common).
The entire indoor portion of the conference venue is a non-smoking area. There are smoking areas outside the building. Please only smoke in the dedicated areas.
Yes. RecSys 2026 offers need-based registration discounts. RecSys Registration Grants are available to cover some or all of registration costs. You do not need an accepted paper to apply. For full details on eligibility and how to apply, see the Attendance Grants page. We encourage eligible participants to explore all available options.
Non-participant registration codes can be provided upon request for accessibility support staff, caregivers, personal assistants, interpreters, and other individuals who are accompanying registered participants to support their access needs. For further information, please contact the accessibility and inclusion chairs.
RecSys Registration Grant
RecSys 2026 offers financial support to help reduce barriers to participation. Grants are intended for those who would otherwise be unable to attend, and priority is given accordingly, not to those for whom attendance is already feasible.
What is available
A registration grant fund is available for need-based registration discounts. Grants may cover a share registration fees (typically 50%; full registration waiver is possible in exceptional cases). The level of waiver depends on the funds available and the volume of applications received.
You do not need an accepted paper to apply. We are committed to reaching participants who are most in need of support, including those who may not yet have a strong publication record.
Who is encouraged to apply
Participants from lower-income and economically developing countries with no or limited institutional support
Early-career researchers, including master’s and PhD students, whose institutions cannot cover the cost of participation
Participants who incur caregiving or childcare costs in order to attend and would not be able to cover those costs without the support of this grant, and attend for that reason
Participants from underrepresented communities in the recommender systems field, who face financial barriers to participation
Independent researchers and practitioners without institutional affiliation
Accessibility-related requests:
Participants with disabilities who face additional costs to attend, accessible accommodation, adapted travel, or a personal care assistant who must travel with them may also fill this form or contact us directly for waiver requests as well as for non-participants registration codes for accessibility support staff, caregivers, personal assistants, interpreters, and other individuals who are accompanying registered participants to support their access needs. For any questions, please contact the accessibility chairs.
This list is not exhaustive. If your situation is not described here but you face genuine financial barriers to participation, we encourage you to apply.
How to apply
Applications close on August 10th, 2026 (AOE). You will be asked to provide a short statement explaining your situation and the costs you are requesting support for in the application form. Applications are reviewed by the organizing committee and decisions communicated by August 15, 2026. If you apply earlier, we may be able to provide an earlier decision.
Please note: if you are applying for a registration discount grant, you must apply and wait for a response before registering for the conference. We cannot apply registration discounts retroactively to existing registrations.
ACM supports women undergraduate and graduate students in computer science.
SIGCHI students and early-career researchers travel grants.
Note: Students accepted to the Doctoral Symposium and/or the Student Volunteers program will receive information about associated conference registration and/or travel support separately.
ACM-W Computer Science Research Conference Scholarships
ACM-W provides support for women undergraduate and graduate students in computer science and related programs to attend computer science research conferences. The student does not have to present a paper at the conference to be eligible for a scholarship. Scholarship applications are evaluated in 6 groups each year, in order to distribute awards across a range of conferences.
Gary Marsden Travel Awards (GMTA) for SIGCHI Conferences
GMTA supports undergraduate and graduate students, as well as early-career researchers (i.e., those who are ≤ 5 years post-graduation) in attending SIGCHI supported conferences, events, and (for early-career researchers) mentorship meetings. First-time presenters, researchers/ presenters suffering from financial hardship or lacking institutional support are prioritized for these awards.
