This FAQ aims to help the CHI community understand the new format and changes to the CHI 2026 Technical Program. As announced on our Blog, the conference is introducing significant updates to its submission process and presentation formats. This FAQ provides concise answers to common questions from authors, reviewers, and attendees to support a smooth transition to the new system.
Table of Contents
- Q1: Will CHI 2026 include any weekend events?
- Q2: What does the daily schedule look like?
- Q3: Are Posters officially archived? Can I reuse the content?
- Q4: What’s new in the Workshops track?
- Q5: Is the Doctoral Consortium still part of CHI?
- Q6: Who can participate in the Student Mentoring Program?
- Q7: What are Meet-ups? Who can organize them?
- Q8: Are Meet-up proposals peer-reviewed?
- Q9: Which tracks are being retained in CHI 2026?
- Q10: Which tracks are being removed or paused?
- Q11: What happens with Case Studies?
- Q12: What happens with Courses?
- Q13: What happens with alt.CHI?
- Q14: What happens with SIG(s)?
- Q15: What happens with Late Breaking Work?
- Q16: What happens with the Student Game Competition and the Student Design Competition?
- Q17: What happens with Video Showcase?
- Q18: What is the motivation behind these changes?
- Q19: Where can I find the CHI 2026 schedule?
- Q20: My paper/demo/poster was accepted for presentation. Can I request a change to my session or presentation day?
- Q21: I cannot attend CHI 2026 in person. Can I present my paper via virtual video registration?
- Q22: I noticed that the deadline in PCS for indicating the presentation mode—in-person or video (presentation video played to the in-person audience)—has already passed. I would like to change my initial preference (e.g., I selected a video presentation but now would like to present in person). Is this possible?
Q1: Will CHI 2026 include any weekend events?
No. All official CHI 2026 activities will take place on weekdays (Monday to Friday). There will be no workshops or other tracks scheduled over the weekend.
Q2: What does the daily schedule look like?
Mornings will focus on paper presentations and keynotes. Afternoons will host more interactive tracks such as Panels, Interactive Demos, Posters, and Meet-ups. This shift is designed to balance deep focus time with collaborative engagement.
Q3: Are Posters officially archived? Can I reuse the content?
As before, Posters have an entry (with DOI) in the ACM Digital Library but are non-archival. Authors are encouraged to further develop these works into Full Papers for future submission.
Q4: What’s new in the Workshops track?
In addition to shifting to weekdays, the Workshops track will now support a broader range of collaborative formats, including discussions, lectures, and interactive lectures, not just traditional workshop structures.
Q5: Is the Doctoral Consortium still part of CHI?
The Doctoral Consortium has evolved into a new Student Mentoring Program, designed to increase accessibility for early-career researchers. This program supports research discussions, networking, and career development.
Q6: Who can participate in the Student Mentoring Program?
The program is open to PhD students and early-career researchers, especially those new to CHI or seeking mentorship in the HCI community.
Q7: What are Meet-ups? Who can organize them?
Meet-ups are 90-minute informal sessions for people with shared interests to connect through facilitated discussions. Anyone can propose a Meet-up by submitting a short proposal (max 3 pages).
Q8: Are Meet-up proposals peer-reviewed?
No. Meet-up proposals undergo light review for clarity and relevance but are not peer-reviewed like Full Papers.
Q9: Which tracks are being retained in CHI 2026?
The following five tracks will be maintained: Papers, Panels, Interactive Demos, Journals, and Student Research Competition (SRC).
Q10: Which tracks are being removed or paused?
Some competitions and smaller tracks will not be included in CHI 2026. The decision was made to focus efforts on core and new strategic formats.
Q11: What happens with Case Studies?
Case Studies no longer exist as their own track. We encourage you to submit the work as either a Full Paper or a Poster.
Q12: What happens with Courses?
Courses no longer exist as their own track. If the Course allows students to come together, share ideas, solve problems, and learn from each other, we encourage you to propose a Workshop.
Q13: What happens with alt.CHI?
alt.CHI no longer exists as its own track. However, we encourage you to submit speculative and provocative work to the conference in the Full Papers and Posters tracks. We also welcome proposals for Workshops, Meet-Ups, and Panels that center on provocations and speculative work.
Q14: What happens with SIG(s)?
The SIG(s) no longer exist as their own track. We encourage you to submit the work to the new Meet-ups track.
Q15: What happens with Late Breaking Work?
The Late Breaking Work track no longer exists as its own track. It has been incorporated into the Posters track.
Q16: What happens with the Student Game Competition and the Student Design Competition?
These competitions no longer exist as their own tracks. Submissions of research related to human-game interaction or design can be submitted to the Full Papers track and the Posters track as appropriate to the size of the contribution being made. We also welcome proposals for Meet-Ups and Workshops on related topics.
Q17: What happens with Video Showcase?
The Video Showcase no longer exists as its own track.
Q18: What is the motivation behind these changes?
The CHI Steering Committee has identified two core motivations for the changes in CHI 2026: financial sustainability and program simplification. In the aftermath of the pandemic, CHI has faced significant financial challenges. Eliminating weekend programming helps reduce venue rental costs, while retiring selected tracks and exhibitor booths further cuts staffing and logistical expenses. Additionally, community feedback revealed that the large number of tracks had made the conference program complex and difficult to navigate, particularly for newcomers. By streamlining submission types and renaming them for clarity, CHI 2026 aims to create a more accessible, focused, and user-friendly experience. These adjustments are intended to create a more focused, inclusive, and financially viable conference experience. Since CHI 2024, the Steering Committee of CHI has been diligently working on a transformative plan, catalyzed by two key factors: finances and format. For those interested in a deeper dive, you can read more about these in our previous blog posts: Parts One, Two, and Three. Please also read: https://chi.acm.org/new-chi-format-to-launch-at-chi-2026/ and https://chi.acm.org/finances-and-format-proposals/ (Part Four).
Q19: Where can I find the CHI 2026 schedule?
A high-level “Schedule at a Glance” for CHI 2026 is available on the conference website:
Detailed session schedules and exact presentation time slots will be announced closer to the conference.
Q20: My paper/demo/poster was accepted for presentation. Can I request a change to my session or presentation day?
Unfortunately, no. Due to the scale of CHI 2026, with a record number of accepted submissions across tracks (e.g., over 1,700 papers alone), we are unable to accommodate individual requests for session or day changes.
Please note that exact presentation time slots will be announced closer to the conference. We therefore recommend that presenters plan their attendance accordingly. While full and single-day registrations will be available, availability may be limited, and presenters are responsible for ensuring they hold a valid registration for their presentation day.
Q21: I cannot attend CHI 2026 in person. Can I present my paper via virtual video registration?
Yes. Authors who wish to present by video must first request approval by emailing the Technical Program Committee at tpc@chi2026.acm.org. Once approved, the TPC will copy the CHI registration team, who will then provide a gated link for virtual video registration. Video presentations are considered official presentations in the CHI 2026 technical program. Approved video-only presenters must register using the video virtual registration.
Q22: I noticed that the deadline in PCS for indicating the presentation mode—in-person or video (presentation video played to the in-person audience)—has already passed. I would like to change my initial preference (e.g., I selected a video presentation but now would like to present in person). Is this possible?
Unfortunately, due to the finalized technical program schedule, we are unable to switch presentation modes after the deadline. Once a presentation mode (video or in-person) has been selected, it cannot be changed.
