ILDA's 37th Annual Conference will be held November 3-5 in Huntsville, the most populous city in Alabama.
NASA rockets, including the mighty Saturn V that launched humans to the moon, were developed at Huntsville's Marshall Space Flight Center. This history is on exhibit at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, one of the world's most extensive collection of rockets, spacecraft, simulators and artifacts. There is an optional ILDA visit to the Center on Thursday Nov. 6.
Downtown Huntsville, where we will be staying, has historic buildings with shops, restaurants, live music and a thriving craft beer culture. In fact, most ILDA activities will be held in the Campus 805 event space that also has craft breweries, restaurants, bars, live music and entertainment. The exception is our opening activity, the Welcome Reception and Dinner which will be at the Signals communication technology museum.
The Conference is hosted by Rocket City Lasers, assisted by Audio Visual Imagineering, with lasers from Laser Encore as well as Lone Star Lasers, and welcome reception sponsored by Pangolin.
Conference events
All ILDA events occur at Campus 805, an event space located at 2620 Clinton Avenue West, and home of our host Rocket City Lasers. It also has craft breweries, restaurants and bars. Campus 805 is about a five-minute drive from ILDA's official Conference hotel. Shuttle busses provided by AVI will run continuously during the Conference, so it is always easy to get to and from the hotel.
Schedule
Conference hotel
We will be staying at the AC Hotel by Marriott Huntsville Downtown. The AC brand offers a sleek, modern, European-inspired experience, focused on clean lines, open spaces and a sophisticated ambiance. There is a bar and lounge on property.
It is across from Big Spring Park (shown in the picture at the top of the page) and is a four-minute walk from the Huntsville Museum of Art.
The ILDA Conference is NOT in the hotel, it is at the Campus 805 event center that is a five-minute drive away. Shuttle busses will run continuously during the Conference, so it is always easy to get to and from the hotel.
For rates and reservation information, click the blue section below on this page that says "Make a hotel room reservation." Be sure to book before the hotel reservation deadline of Monday October 6. After that date, prices may go up and/or rooms may not be available.
Our host
Rocket City Lasers is a unique edutainment company led by Alex Hall. It blends science, technology, art, and music through interactive laser experiences and STEM education. Located at the popular Campus 805—a former school turned entertainment venue—Rocket City Lasers offers a mix of laser shows, educational programs, camps, and private events designed to entertain and inspire.
Assisting Host
Since 1978, Audio Visual Imagineering has been a leader in creating entertaining and educational laser light shows for planetariums, corporate events, sporting events and amusement parks worldwide. AVI has pioneered innovative, artistic and technical techniques for the laser entertainment industry. AVI is led by Joanne Young and last year's ILDA Career Achievement Award winner, Ward Davis.
Gold-level Laser Sponsor
Laser Encore is a professional laser light show company for hire specializing in outdoor and indoor laser shows, permanent installations, and equipment sales & rentals. CEO Robert Teorey is generously providing 12 (!) of his Stinger Club RGB 8,000 projectors for the Lase-Off and Awards Presentation.
Silver-level Laser Sponsor
Lone Star Lasers was founded by Walt Meador in 1983. Now run by his daughter Stephanie Huston, the company remains committed to being a trusted partner in sales and rentals of their Lightspace brand lasers, as well as doing complete laser shows. We are grateful to Stephanie for bringing three 100-watt lasers to Huntsville to be beacons at the event venue and our hotel.
Welcome Reception Sponsor
Since 1986, Pangolin Laser Systems has been providing software and hardware to hundreds of thousands of clients in the laser light show, entertainment and industrial fields. President and CTO William R. Benner Jr. is sponsoring the Welcome Reception and Dinner to be held Monday, Nov. 3 at the Signals communication technology museum in Huntsville.
Registration and room reservations
Note for persons coming from countries where the new $250 U.S. "Visa Integrity Fee" applies: don't worry about it. Just bring a receipt or other proof of payment to the Conference, and ILDA will reimburse you the full $250 amount if the government does not. See the bottom of the page for more information on whether you'll have to pay the fee.
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Full Conference (all events)
Full Conference and Spouse/Guest registration
For ILDA Members, and interested non-members
More information on pricing, etc. is further down the page. When you're ready to register for the full Conference, go ahead and click the blue button immediately below!
• Full Conference registration includes all ILDA meals, Opening Reception & Welcome Dinner, Lase-Off, Awards, business meetings, seminars, and workshops.
• Spouse/Guest registration includes all ILDA meals including the Opening Reception & Welcome Dinner, Lase-Off, Awards. It does NOT include any business meetings, seminars or workshops. (A Spouse/Guest is defined as a person related to a Full Conference registrant. The relationship must be that the spouse/guest is married, is a significant other, is a family member, or is a personal friend who is not employed in a lasershow-related business.)
Full Conference and Spouse/Guest registrations do NOT include the paid laser safety courses, or the Thursday Cultural Day visit to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. These are separate events.
HOTEL IS SEPARATE: Full Conference and Spouse/Guest registrations do NOT include hotel room reservations. Make these separately with the AC Hotel by Marriott Huntsville Downtown (click the wide blue button farther down on this page that says "Make a hotel room reservation").Register for the Full Conference
Note: Full Conference prices listed above are for persons who booked at our hotel, the AC Hotel by Marriott Huntsville Downtown. ILDA Full Conference registration costs $250 more for persons NOT be staying at the AC Hotel. (This fee does not apply to local Huntsville-area residents staying in their own home.)
For more details, and to pay the $250 fee, click the long, rounded button further down the page that says "Make a hotel room reservation." The information is in the section titled "For stays outside the AC Hotel."Click the blue button to register:
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How ILDA is holding the line on Conference rates
We have tried to keep the 2025 Conference registration cost as low as possible. But hotel room rates and many other costs are significantly higher than five or ten years ago. Just like groceries, automobiles, electronic parts and so many other things have gone up in price — so have the hotel, food, beverage, awards production, etc. that go into a Conference.
Please be assured that our Early Registration rates are just above our actual costs, e.g., what we are charged for food and meeting rooms plus our other Conference-related expenses. Early Registration spouse/guest rates are just above only our food costs.
For example, the cumulative rate of inflation in the U.S. is 25.5% from 2019 to May 2025. Based on that increase, the $565 Early Registration at our 2019 Conference in Orlando would be $709 today. Our 2025 Early Registration rate of $595 is actually only $30 more than in 2019.
We are trying to make the Conference as affordable as possible. Our Regular Registration rate of $720 is $42 less than the Regular Registration rate at the past four in-person Conferences (2024-2022 and 2019). And the Late Registration rate of $845 is $85 less than the past three in-person Conferences.
Finally, the laser safety class rates have not changed for many years. They are not as affected by the hotel and other expenses.
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How ILDA is holding the line on Conference rates
We have tried to keep the 2025 Conference registration cost as low as possible. But hotel room rates and many other costs are significantly higher than five or ten years ago. Just like groceries, automobiles, electronic parts and so many other things have gone up in price — so have the hotel, food, beverage, awards production, etc. that go into a Conference.
Please be assured that our Early Registration rates are just above our actual costs, e.g., what we are charged for food and meeting rooms plus our other Conference-related expenses. Early Registration spouse/guest rates are just above only our food costs.
For example, the cumulative rate of inflation in the U.S. is 25.5% from 2019 to May 2025. Based on that, the 2019 Conference in Orlando's Early Registration rate, which was $565, would cost $709 today. Our Early Registration rate of $595 is actually only $30 more than in 2019.
We are trying to make the Conference as affordable as possible. Our Regular Registration rate of $720 is $42 less than the Regular Registration rate at the past four in-person Conferences (2024-2022 and 2019). And the Late Registration rate of $845 is $85 less than the past three in-person Conferences.
Finally, the laser safety class rates have not changed for many years. They are not as affected by the hotel and other expenses.
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Only selected Conference events
Some persons may not be able to attend the full ILDA Conference. We do have some Conference events which are available individually. This is also good for guests, for example, if you want guests at the Awards Banquet.
ILDA General Business Meeting
Free, for Members not attending the Full Conference
If you are an ILDA Member who is NOT registering for the Full Conference, you still can attend the General Business Meeting for free. This event is where votes are taken for ILDA Board Members and for ILDA President, and where association business is discussed and voted on.
To attend, you must register in advance for the General Business Meeting; click the blue button below. Registration for this event will be visible only to current ILDA Members (it will not appear for non-members).
Individual conference event tickets
For anyone not attending the Full Conference
We have tickets available for persons who want to attend selected events, and who don’t have a Full Conference or Spouse/Guest registration
• Lase-Off/Laser Jockey dinner and event only, Tuesday, November 4, $100. To register for this event only, click the blue button:
• Awards Banquet and Presentation only, Thursday, November 5, $150.
To register for this event only, click the blue button:
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Laser safety courses
Optional courses: LSO, Audience Scanning
ILDA is offering two other laser safety courses, which are not included in the Full Conference. These are separate registration events:
Optional Laser Safety Course (LSO), Monday, November 3, 9 am to 6:30 pm, with lunch included.
Optional Audience Scanning Safety, Thursday, November 6, 2 pm - 6 pm. How to do safe, legal and effective audience scanning at laser lightshows. For both operators and show designers. Prior laser safety experience or courses are recommended.
Anyone may pay for and attend this optional laser safety course. You do not have to be an ILDA Member, and you do not have to register for the Full Conference.
More info on the courses' content is at the laser safety course page.
Click a button to register:
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Cultural Day visit, Thu. Nov. 6
On Thursday, Nov. 6 we will visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
You'll be awestruck by the world's most comprehensive collection of manned spaceflight hardware, a priceless treasure trove of rockets and spacecraft. Journey through the history of human space exploration and glimpse its thrilling future. As the Official NASA Visitor Center for Marshall Space Flight Center and a Smithsonian affiliate, the USSRC offers a unique and unforgettable look at the cosmos.
Notable artifacts include:- National Historic Landmark Saturn V Moon Rocket
- Pathfinder – one of only two full-stack space shuttle displays in the world.
- Apollo 16 Command Module
- Skylab Orbital Workshop
- Apollo 12 Moon Rock
As of mid-May we do not yet have pricing or registration for this event. Please check back later.
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Make a hotel room reservation
In addition to registering for the ILDA Conference, you also should reserve your hotel room at the AC Hotel by Marriott Huntsville Downtown.
This is the official Conference hotel, with an lLDA quoted rate of USD $189 per night ($219 after all taxes and fees are included). The ILDA rate is for either a King room with one large bed as shown above, or for a Double room with two double beds. The ILDA rate is available for stays from the night of October 30 through the night of November 10 (departing Nov. 11).- Check in time is 3 pm. Check out time is 12 noon.
- WiFi is free in the public spaces and in the guest rooms
- ILDA's rate includes free breakfast for one person each day — meaning free breakfast throughout your stay. For any other persons staying in the room, additional breakfast vouchers can be purchased at the front desk for $10 per person each day, plus tax.
- You do not need a car. Shuttle busses run all day between the AC Hotel and Campus 805 where the ILDA Conference events will take place. It is a five-minute drive. (To go to or from the airport, take a cab at about $31 each way, or Uber/Lyft.)
- If you did drive or rent a car, parking at the hotel is $16 per day. The hotel has both self-parking and valet; the cost is the same for either method. Parking at Campus 805, where the ILDA events will take place, is free.
How to reserve your hotel room
For stays during the Conference
If you will arrive and depart sometime between Thursday Oct. 30 and Tuesday Nov. 11, click the blue button below to make your room reservations. This takes you to the Marriott website with ILDA's group code "ILD" already showing the lowest group rate. This rate is $189 before taxes and fees ($219 after taxes and fees).
To get the ILDA rate, you must make your reservations on or before Monday Oct. 6. After that time, prices may go up and/or rooms may not be available.
Reservation cancellations can be made up to 48 hours before arrival with no penalty. For this reason, if you are not sure whether you can make it, book in advance (before Oct. 6) and cancel if your plans change.
For extended stays before or after the Conference
If the Marriott website cannot accommodate your needs, or if you will check in on or before Wednesday Oct. 29 and/or you will check out on or after Wednesday Nov. 12, then please call the AC Hotel directly at +1 256-836-7776 to make your room reservations. Reference the group code "ILD".
ILDA has negotiated with the hotel so that you can get ILDA's lowest rate from check in on or after October 30 through check out on or before November 11. For dates Oct. 29 or before, or Nov. 12 or after, the rates may be higher than ILDA's lowest rate.
Room availability is NOT guaranteed for early arrival (checking in on Oct. 30, 31 or Nov. 1) or late stayover (checking out Nov. 9, 10 or 11). For this reason, to avoid any issues make your reservations as early as possible. If ILDA-rate King and Double rooms are not available, then you may have to book a more deluxe and expensive room.
Reservations should be made on or before Monday Oct. 6. After that time, prices may go up and/or rooms may not be available.
Reservation cancellations can be made up to 48 hours before arrival with no penalty. For this reason, if you are not sure whether you can make it, book in advance (before Oct. 6) and cancel if your plans change.
For stays outside the AC Hotel
ILDA Full Conference registration costs $250 more for persons NOT staying at the official ILDA Conference hotel, the AC Hotel by Marriott Huntsville Downtown. (This fee does not apply to local Huntsville-area residents staying in their own home.)
Why do we have to charge an extra fee? We have guaranteed a certain number of rooms to the AC Hotel, in order to get a discounted group rate. ILDA pays financial penalties if we do not get enough persons staying at the AC Hotel.
Why have an official hotel? It is easier and better to have everyone stay at the same hotel. It makes networking and informal meetings more fun! Also, shuttle busses will only run between the AC Hotel where we stay, and the Campus 805 event center where the ILDA Conference takes place.
Who pays? This fee is per person for a Full Conference registrant (not their guest/spouse). If two Full Conference persons share a room or house not at the AC Hotel, each would pay the $250 fee. We will check the list of AC Hotel guests to confirm whether you are staying at the official hotel.
How to pay: Click the blue button below if you are a Full Conference registrant who is not staying at the AC Hotel. (Do not click if you are a local Huntsville-area resident staying in your own home.)NOTE: DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS NOV. 2. This should not affect most people, but do be aware that Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday November 2 at 2:00 am, when clocks will go backwards one hour. (Example: Sunrise on Sat. Nov. 1 is at 7:07 am; sunrise on Sun. Nov. 2 is at 6:07 am, one hour earlier.) If traveling during the evening of Nov. 1 through the morning of Nov. 2, keep the time change in mind.
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Register for the ILDA Conference
OR
Register for optional courses and visit
Reserve your room
Helpful information
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Getting to Huntsville airport and the hotel
Huntsville International Airport (HSV) has direct flights to the cities shown above. (Note that some direct flights are seasonal, or only fly on certain days of the week.) All other non-direct flights go through hub airports such as Charlotte or Atlanta.
From the airport, it is a quick 15 minute drive to the hotel. There is no hotel shuttle service. A Huntsville Cab Co. ride is about $31 one way.
If you want to rent a car during your stay, one advantage is that you would not need to wait for the shuttle busses. These go between the Campus 805 event center where most of the Conference takes place, and the Conference hotel. While they should run on a continuous schedule, having your own car is even more convenient (although expensive for the car rental and for the hotel parking fee, currently $16 per day).-
See what a Conference is like
The videos below give you a quick overview of an ILDA Conference. The first one, from Christopher Short, shows lasers during the 2018 Lase-Off in Montréal, hosted by LaserTech Canada.
The second video shows meetings and seminars in the day, and the Lase-Off and the ILDA Awards in the evenings. Thanks to KVANT, host of the 2017 ILDA Conference, for producing the video.-
ILDA reimburses the new $250 Visa Integrity Fee
In July 2025, a bill proposed by President Donald Trump was signed into law. One provision allows the Department of Homeland Security to charge a new $250 "Visa Integrity Fee" on travelers who need a visa to enter the U.S.
As of July 2025, it is not clear when the fee will begin to be charged. It may be in place starting October 1 2025.
It may be that travelers charged the fee may be able to get reimbursement from the U.S. after the visa has expired.
For ILDA Conference attendees from countries that need visas to visit the U.S., ILDA will reimburse you for the $250 fee if the U.S. government does not. Provide a receipt or similar proof of paying the fee to ILDA. (If the U.S. government subsequently reimburses your fee, you must return ILDA's $250 since you cannot get double reimbursement from ILDA and the U.S..)Who does NOT have to pay the new $250 fee
The new $250 Visa Integrity Fee should NOT have to be paid if you are from one of the countries listed below, and you use the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
The VWP enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries listed below to travel to the United States for tourism or business -- that includes ILDA's Conference! -- for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
VWP travelers must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel and meet all requirements explained on this page.Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brunei
Chile
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
San Marino
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
United Kingdom
For more information, visit our other ILDA websites:
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