V38 N2 / 2023 ©2023 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved. ISSN 2163-5315 AMWAJournal.org 74 The AMWA 2023 Medical Writing & Communication Conference will take place October 25th through the 28th in Baltimore, within an hour’s drive of AMWA’s home offices in Rockville, MD. The Annual Conference Planning Committee, AMWA staff, and many, many contributors have been working hard to deliver a great conference. SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS AND POSTERS — OH, MY! The Annual Conference Planning Committee read, evalu- ated, and discussed more than 70 thoughtful and well-writ- ten proposals for educational sessions. With a packed schedule this year, we could accept only 40 of them, and we’re thrilled with the ones we selected. We think attendees will be, too! The program will have something for everyone, includ- ing sessions for beginners, midcareer, and experienced medical communicators. We’re planning to have  9 sessions featuring core knowledge and skills  9 sessions on regulatory writing  6 sessions focused on health communication  5 sessions about career development  4 sessions on scientific publications  3 sessions on wellness  And more! In addition to the educational sessions, we’ll have more than 22 workshops for deeper dives into specific topics rel- evant to medical communicators. As in years past, most workshops will be held on Wednesday and Saturday, the pre- and post-conference days, to minimize conflicts with the sessions. Posters will feature additional topics for learn- ing and allow space for networking, too. MedWrite Talks, short talks given in the TEDx style, will offer thought-pro- voking topics important to medical communicators. And, of course, the schedule will allow time for networking, light snacks, and break time to keep attendees rested and refreshed. FOLLOW THE YELLOW, RED, AND BLACK ROAD TO LEARNING The annual conference offers roundtables to give attendees the opportunity to simultaneously learn and network. This year’s conference in Maryland (the state colors are yellow, red, and black) will be no different. We are planning to offer several informational and participatory roundtables and will add something new, too: learning circles. We envision learning circles to include 20 to 30 attendees in a conversa- tion about a specific topic. The presentations will be more informational, but the small group size will still allow for networking with and learning from peers. And because technology and tools change at a breath- taking pace, we also plan to offer vendor showcases to highlight our supporters and educate attendees. These showcases will be a chance to learn more about the prod- ucts and services our vendors offer, see demonstrations of their tools, and perhaps even take some for a test drive. GET READY TO FLY (OR DRIVE) HOME Unlike Dorothy, the central character in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, attendees won’t be able to click their heels together to magically appear at the confer- ence. (AI technologies aren’t that advanced yet.) So, it’s best to make travel arrangements and book a room at the beauti- ful Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel early to take advan- tage of the early bird discount. Visit the AMWA website to learn more. And in making your arrangements, reserve some time to take in the sights and sounds of Charm City. Harbor tours, museums, historic sites, great food—Baltimore has it all. Our conference schedule will allow some time to visit the city, but you’ll probably be aching for more—so, indulge yourself! I look forward to seeing you at the conference. Author declaration and disclosures: The author notes no commercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest in relation to this article. Author contact: michele@sequeiramedicalwriting.com There’s No Place Like Home Michele W. Sequeira, MS, MBA, MWC / Chair, Annual Conference Program Committee CONFERENCE PREVIEW 2023 http://www.amwajournal.org https://www.amwa.org/page/Hotel_and_Travel