The National Collegiate EMS Foundation would like to invite you to our 34th Annual Conference, to be held on February 19-21, 2027 at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. Join over 1,100 EMTs and Paramedics from more than 100 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada for three days of education, skills labs, and networking.
Registration | Schedule and Program | Activities | Submit Presentations
Finance | Hotel | Ground Transportation | Meals | Sponsors | Questions
Health and Safety
NCEMSF is committed to the safety of its attendees, Conference presenters, and hotel staff. We encourage all participants to take appropriate precautions in order to keep themselves as well as others safe and healthy. If you are not felling well at the time of the Conference, please reconsider your attendance. Hand sanitizer will be available as well as face masks for those wishing to wear.
Registration and Finance
The NCEMSF Conference remains one of the most affordable EMS conferences in the United States. The registration prices for this year are as follows:
- Early Registration: $130 per person
- Regular Registration: $150 per person
- Late Registration: $175 per person
Prices are the same regardless of whether attendees register individually or use Tokens. For more information, please see our Fees and Policies page.
Conference registrations can be paid individually or you can use Token codes to pay as a group. NCEMSF accepts credit card/purchasing card payment via PayPal, as well as checks (personal or institutional) and institutional purchase orders. You can find financial documents commonly needed by schools when paying via Purchase Order at our Tax Forms Page. Group payment options are described in more detail on our Fees and Policies page. Please note that NCEMSF will not honor requests that we register ourselves in any institution's vendor systems without charging a separate administrative fee.
For groups who have never attended an NCEMSF Conference, groups that were regular attendees in the past but have not attended in the last several years, or groups experiencing financial hardship, NCEMSF offers a Conference Scholarship Program/New Group Initiative. The deadline for this program was January 16, 2026. Applicants will be notified by NCEMSF of the decision on their application after the program closes.
Information on booking hotel rooms at NCEMSF's special Conference rate can be found below.
Conference Schedule and Program
The 2026 NCEMSF Conference will run from Friday, February 19, 2027 through Sunday, February 21, 2027. The Conference includes:
- Fourteen Workshop Sessions (Friday early evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning through early Sunday afternoon)
- Two Plenary Sessions
- Academic Poster Session
- Hands-On Skills Labs
To get the most out of the Conference experience, we recommend arriving in the morning or afternoon on Friday, and staying through early evening on Sunday.
During each Workshop Sessions, multiple lecture options will be available. Plenary sessions are a single session held in a large ballroom. Lightning talks will be offered at various times throughout the weekend, overlapping with scheduled workshop sessions.
A full program will be available closer to the Conference dates.
EMS Skills Classic
The EMS Skills Classic is an annual event allowing Collegiate EMS providers to showcase their patient care, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. Teams of up to eight individuals from the same school complete in a variety of scenarios at either the ALS or BLS level. The Skills Classic requires an additional fee per team.
Registration and payment will be available when Conference registration opens in December. Learn more at our Skills Classic page.
Activities
Pre-Conference Workshops and Tours
NCEMSF is pleased to continue its tradition of offering pre-Conference workshops as well as tours. Separate registration will be required, and registration is limited to those who have already registered and paid for the main Conference. A listing of these opportunities will be available after the opening of Conference registration in December.
Alumni Mixer and Social
Each year, NCEMSF hosts an Alumni Mixer and Social on the evening of the Saturday of the Conference weekend, immediately after the conclusion of the Awards Ceremony. Alumni Conference Attendees along with Conference Presenters and Exhibitors are invited to attend this free event. Refreshments and light hors-d'oeuvres will be provided. Tickets to this event are distributed at Conference check-in to eligible attendees.
Other Conference Activities
NCEMSF Conferences are about more than just learning. They are also an opportunity for networking and socialization with other Collegiate EMS Providers and Leaders. Activities will include a Welcome Social on Friday evening, Group Introductions and Meet-and-Greet on Saturday morning event (which will also include recognition for squad anniversaries and CPR saves), and a Saturday evening social event. All of these activities are included in your Conference registration fee!
The NCEMSF Best Practice session will provide your group with an opportunity to showcase your squad's unique and innovative activities. Selected presenters will have ten minutes to describe their program and answer questions from a panel of experts, who will evaluate the programs and select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place best practice winners. Learn more and submit your squad's best practice today!
There are also multiple opportunities to celebrate the achievements of your squad and its members. NCEMSF's Awards Program has recognition opportunities for individuals, groups, and activities. MERIT Recognition is a self-evaluative program designed to recognize groups that meet best practices in EMS administration and management. HEARTSafe Campus is a recognition program for groups and schools that have improved the safety of their campuses through CPR education and outreach. EMS Ready Campus is a self-evaluative program designed to promote integration between Collegiate EMS and Emergency Management. NCEMSF also issues recognition certificates for collegiate EMS providers who participated in CPR Saves. More details about each can be found by following the appropriate links. The deadline for receipt of all recognition program nominations and supporting materials will be January 29, 2027.
While at the Conference, take some time to experience Philadelphia. There are numerous museums, restaurants, and cultural activities available. More information on local activities will be posted at a later date.
Submit Presentations and Academic Posters
Workshop Session Presentations
Presenter submissions are now available.
NCEMSF is accepting full length (50-minute) theater-style lectures, Lightning Talks (15-minute short sessions), Skills Labs, and panel discussions. Presenters are welcome 5o submit as many abstracts as they would like, but NCEMSF typically limits the number of sessions from a single presenter in order to accommodate as many of our interested lecturers as possible.
A free NCEMSF website account is required to access the portal. Presenters who have submitted abstracts in the past should use their existing NCEMSF account;
Presenters will receive further details on logistics and timing of their lectures in February.
Vomacka Student Speaker Competition
Current students are also welcome to enter the Vomacka Student Speaker Competition. This symposium is a chance for student lecturers to showcase their presentation skills and earn bragging rights for their collegiate EMS organization. The competition is judged on a speaker's ability to deliver a relevant high-quality seminar to their peers. Points are awarded based on strength of the submitted abstract, quality of the delivered presentation, and audiovisual materials. More information and submission directions are on our Vomacka page.
All Vomacka submissions will be due Friday, January 15, 2027. NCEMSF will contact those who submitted with additional information.
Academic Poster Session
NCEMSF is pleased to partner with the Journal of Collegiate EMS on our annual Academic Poster Session, featuring original research and case studies in program development/evaluation. Poster authors need not be present at the Conference to be selected, but those who are will have the chance to show their poster in person.
Poster abstracts should be submitted through the online abstract system. Please be sure to select Poster Session on the Submission Type to ensure the correct fields are displayed.
All poster submissions will be due by Friday, January 15, 2027. JCEMS will contact those who submitted with additional information.
Conference Logistics
Hotel
The 2027 Conference will be held at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel, 201 N 17th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the hotel is within walking distance of a number of attractions, eateries, and transportation options.
NCEMSF has secured a block of rooms at the discounted rate of $179 per night (plus applicable taxes and fees). Registrations may be made via the hotel's online booking portal (available soon).
Note that hotels may set maximum occupancies per room, and that couches and roll-away beds may not be offered due to availability and/or fire code issues.
If you encounter any issues in booking your hotel room, please email
Ground Transportation
Public Transit
The hotel is located a short walk from SEPTA's Suburban Station. Those flying in via Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) should take the SEPTA Airport Line inbound. The Airport Line as stops near each terminal at PHL, and fares are $11 per person. SEPTA offers payment via contactless cards/phones, but be sure to use the same payment method when you tap on (before boarding) and off (on your destination platform) so that the system will calculate the correct fare.
Taxis and Rideshares
Various private airport shuttle services and shared-ride vans are also available, as are taxis, as described on the PHL website. Rideshare pickups are in designated areas outside each Terminal's baggage claim. Follow signs outside to S Commercial Rd and then look for Zone 7.
Parking
NCEMSF recommends attendees utilize the Philadelphia Parking Authority's Gateway Garage, located at 1540 Vine St (with entrances on Spring and 16th Streets), one block away from the Sheraton. The maximum daily rate is $30, but PPA offers a discounted of $12 per day for weekends. The garage's maximum clearance is 6'10". Please see the PPA website for full details. Online reservations are also available.
The hotel offers self-parking and valet (for an increased rate). The hotel's garage has a maximum clearance of 6'8". Hotel parking rates will be available at a later date.
For those driving larger vehicles (for example, 15-passenger vans), please use the internet parking search tool of your choice to find other lots in the area that can accommodate oversized vehicles.
Meals
The NCEMSF Conference does not provide formal meals, but several activities do provide light snacks. Menus vary from year-to-year, but typically include the following:
- Friday Evening Welcome Social and Mixer: Lemonade and/or fruit punch and chips or hors d'oeuvres.
- Saturday Morning Continental Breakfast: Coffee and tea, plus fruit, bagels, and/or muffins.
- Saturday Afternoon Snack Break: Lemonade and/or fruit punch and cookies.
- Sunday Morning Continental Breakfast: Coffee and tea, plus fruit, bagels, and/or muffins.
Those desiring a full breakfast should plan to eat on their own, and no lunches or dinners will be provided. There is an on-site hotel restaurant open from breakfast through late evening seven days a week, plus an on-site cafe open daily from breakfast through early afternoon. There are also a variety of other eateries within walking distance of the hotel.
For guests of the Alumni Social on Saturday evening, hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be provided.
NCEMSF strives to provide food and beverage choices for a range of preferences. However, menu selections are based on available options from the hotel's catering service, and as such, we may not be able to meet all potential dietary needs. Those with specific restrictions should plan to provide their own food throughout the weekend.
Sponsors
NCEMSF offers multiple avenues for companies, organizations, and educational institutions to support the NCEMSF Conference and the Foundation's work as a whole.
On Saturday, February 20, 2027, a exhibitor and career fair will be held in a prominent area of the hotel. Booths are available to companies marketing products to EMTs and EMS agencies, as well as to medical schools and others looking to recruit. Most of our attendees are current undergraduate students who also serve as EMTs and Paramedics on their college campuses. Many of them hold leadership positions with the groups they represent and are responsible for agency purchases. After graduation, many attendees either continue in EMS, go on to medical school, or complete post-graduate education.
We also offer the ability for sponsorship of specific Conference activities, assisting with one of our ongoing programs, or a named lecture track. For details on becoming a Foundation sponsor and examples of pricing at past events, visit the sponsors section of the website. For more information email
Questions
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