Summary

The WAPOR 79th Annual Conference will take place on October 26–29, 2026, in Mexico City, Mexico. The conference is expected to welcome around 400 participants from more than 55 countries, bringing together a broad international community of researchers, survey practitioners, pollsters, methodologists, data scientists, institutional representatives, and users of public opinion data.

Description

Participants come from academia, research institutes, polling organizations, government agencies, media, civil society organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. As WAPOR’s main annual gathering, the conference offers a professional setting for presenting new research, discussing methodological developments, exchanging practical experience, and building connections across regions and sectors. It provides an opportunity for participants to engage with current work in public opinion and survey research, compare approaches across national and regional contexts, and strengthen collaboration within the global research community. Questions about the conference may be directed to the WAPOR Executive Director at waporoffice@gmail.com or admin@wapor.org.

Conference Theme

The theme of the WAPOR 79th Annual Conference, Public Opinion Research in an Emerging Multipolar World Order, addresses the changing conditions under which public opinion is formed, measured, and interpreted across societies. In a world marked by shifting geopolitical alignments, democratic tensions, authoritarian pressures, regional information spheres, and competing political narratives, the theme places renewed attention on the role of survey and public opinion research in producing reliable, comparable, and context-sensitive evidence. It asks how researchers can study attitudes across different political systems, languages, cultures, historical trajectories, and public spheres without losing sight of conceptual equivalence, methodological quality, and responsible interpretation. The theme also highlights the need to examine how digital transformations, social media environments, artificial intelligence, big data, and emerging methods are reshaping the collection and analysis of public opinion data. Across its conference tracks, WAPOR 2026 will engage with global shifts and public opinion, cross-cultural and comparative approaches, and innovative methods for data collection and analysis in an era of new technologies. The full theme description is available on the Conference Theme page.

Venue & Accommodation

The WAPOR 79th Annual Conference will take place at the Barceló México Reforma Hotel, located at Paseo de la Reforma 1 in Colonia Tabacalera, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. The venue is situated on one of the city’s main avenues, close to the historic center and within walking distance of several important cultural and urban landmarks, including the Monumento a la Revolución, Alameda Central, Palacio de Bellas Artes, and the wider Centro Histórico area. WAPOR participants may benefit from negotiated rates at the conference hotel and at selected nearby hotels; reservations should be made early, as special rates are subject to availability and booking deadlines. Details on the conference venue, hotel rates, booking instructions, and additional accommodation options are available on the Conference Venue and Accommodation page.

Registration

Registration for the WAPOR 79th Annual Conference opens on June 4 and must be completed online through the WAPOR membership and conference portal. All presenters, attending co-authors, guests, and participants are required to register. Early-bird rates are available through August 25, with regular rates applying from August 26 onward. To remain on the conference program, each accepted paper must have at least one registered author by October 1. Registration packages include access to the conference sessions, training workshops, welcome reception, awards banquet, coffee breaks, lunches, printed program, and conference registration bag; non-member packages also include 2026 WAPOR membership. Participants should consult the Registration page for fees, categories, country tiers, deadlines, cancellation policy, and instructions for creating or accessing their WAPOR account.