Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the American Atheists National Convention?

• What’s the goal of the convention?

• Will the convention be streamed live?

• Where is the convention being held? When is it?

• Who attends the National Convention?

• Is there programming for students and young people? How should I register my kids if they are attending?

• What is the schedule?

• What is the refund policy?

• I’m a Life Member; how do I register?

• Other Questions

Since 1970, American Atheists has hosted more than 40 national conventions, bringing together atheists from across the nation and the world. Our National Convention is, first and foremost, an opportunity for atheists from across our community to come together to learn from speakers and other attendees, make connections with other atheists, and celebrate the progress our community has made.

American Atheists’ National Convention creates opportunities for our members and supporters to hear from diverse voices and for visionaries, leaders, and activists to share their perspectives and their work with hundreds of attendees. The National Convention supports activists and affiliates in the host city and raises the profile of our community in places where we need to be heard.

Let’s be clear on what our convention isn’t: It isn’t a bunch of atheists sitting around agreeing with each other that God doesn’t exist.

The goal is for atheists from all walks of life, from across the nation, to come together to fight for a country that is fair, equal, and more rooted in evidence and reason. We provide tools to help local activists build vibrant and sustained communities around our shared values and identity. We endeavor to raise awareness for atheism in public life throughout the nation and to ensure that no one feels like they are alone in their atheism. We demand respect and equality from our government and elected officials and will not sit idly by while religion is given more and more special treatment under the law and atheists are denigrated and shut out from the conversation.

We understand that not everyone will be able to join us in person in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to fully reproduce the convention experience as a hybrid or streamed event without missing substantial and important components of the conference.

To ensure you don’t miss out on any of the talks from our great speakers, we will be uploading all plenary speeches and panels to our YouTube channel as soon as possible following the conference.

We will continue hosting online presentations and events throughout the year and are exploring opportunities for other large-scale virtual events.

American Atheists’ 2024 National Convention is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from March 28–31, 2024. Optional social and charity events are held in the evening on Thursday, March 28, and main-stage programming kicks off on Friday morning, March 29. The convention takes place at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

In past years, National Conventions have brought in between 500–1,000 attendees, with roughly half of the attendees coming from the local state and region.

Attendees reflect the diversity of our community, from activists who worked with Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the founder of American Atheists, to young students fighting against religious discrimination at their schools. We have staff and volunteers from various organizations within the broader atheist community, elected officials, educators, artists, musicians, journalists, even faith leaders. We work hard to ensure that our National Convention is welcoming and inclusive for people of all races and ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, national origins, and even religions.

Children age 12 and younger can register for free. Young people that are 13 and older can register at the discounted student rate.

In general, presentations and sessions are appropriate for all audiences, but please be aware that our speakers may discuss sensitive topics such as human sexuality or use adult language. In general, our speakers keep their presentations “PG-13.” Presentations containing explicit material or discussions of violence, abuse, or other trauma will be indicated in the conference program to allow attendees to make informed decisions about attending them.

Registration opens at the hotel on Thursday, March 28, at 5:00 pm. On Thursday evening, we host a Charity Pub Quiz and Game Night, with proceeds going to support a local charity.

Registration opens again at 8:00 am on Friday, March 29 and remains open throughout each day. Main stage programming begins in the morning on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Other special events including an Awards Dinner, VIP Reception, Member Meeting, and Service Project, take place throughout the convention. Some special events require a separate ticket.

The program also features activist training workshops and affinity group meeting spaces, which are included with convention registration.

We know a lot can change between now and March, so we added even more flexibility to our ticket policies. You can request a refund, or transfer your ticket to another person, up to seven days before the conference starts.

Life Members have been sent receive special codes to access discounted registration rates. If you haven’t received your code, please email membership@atheists.org or call us at 908-276-7300 ext. 102.

If you have any other questions that are not answered here, please contact the convention team at convention@atheists.org or 908-276-7300 ext. 302.