Convention
For more than half a century, the Society’s annual conventions have been the centerpiece of its intellectual and social life. Held in major cultural centers across North America, Europe, and Asia, each convention brings together collectors, scholars, curators, and dealers for several days of focused study and shared experience. Programs combine scholarly lectures, close study of institutional and private collections, museum and site visits, seminars, and benefit auctions—alongside an active Dealers’ Room, where members have the opportunity to view and acquire works from leading specialists in the field. Receptions, banquets, and informal exchange round out gatherings that reflect the Society’s enduring commitment to connoisseurship, rigor, and community.
Join us in Amsterdam for the 2026 Convention!
Our 58th annual convention will take place from Tuesday, October 13 to Saturday, October 17, 2026. Register your room today: Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American, Leidsekade 97, 1017 PN Amsterdam, Netherlands (Single: € 304.24, Double: € 324.24 - inclusive of breakfast and all taxes).
Previous Conventions
Oct 14 – Oct 18
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Omni King Edward Hotel
The 57th Annual ICSBS Convention, held October 14–18, 2025 at Toronto’s Omni King Edward Hotel, featured lectures by Ning Wang, Robert Hall, Stuart Sargent, and S.L. Tan; visits to the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, and Gardiner Museum; an inside-painting demonstration by Jinpeng Wang; our annual benefit auction; and a wonderful gala banquet.
October 29 - Nov 2, 2024
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Le Meridien Hotel
The 56th Annual ICSBS Convention, held October 29–November 2, 2024 in Philadelphia and headquartered at the Le Méridien Hotel, combined focused lectures with museum and collection access in the Mid-Atlantic region. The program featured presentations by Susan Page, Clare Chu, Henric Adey, and Hiromi Kinoshita; visits to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and regional collections; an Education Fund benefit auction led by Robert Hall; specialized seminars; and a formal gala banquet, concluding with excursions to Winterthur Museum and Longwood Gardens.
October 10 - 14, 2023
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Hotel Tivoli
The 55th Annual ICSBS Convention, held October 10–14, 2023 in Lisbon and headquartered at the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Hotel, combined focused scholarship with exceptional institutional and private access. The program featured an opening lecture by Jessica Harrison-Hall, museum visits to the Museu do Oriente, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, private viewings of ICSBS and Portuguese collections, a benefit auction for the Educational Fund, and a formal gala banquet, concluding with an excursion to Queluz Palace and Sintra.
October 25 – October 29
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Omni Hotel San Francisco
The 54th ICSBS Convention, held October 25–29, 2022 at the Omni San Francisco Hotel, featured lectures by Terese Bartholomew, Robert Mintz, Bruce Bartholomew, and S. L. Tan; visits to the Chinese Historical Society of America, Angel Island, the de Young Museum, and the Asian Art Museum; a Bonhams exhibition and reception; an Education Fund benefit auction; and a gala banquet hosted by Bonhams.
October 26 - 30, 2021
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Virtual Convention
Held October 26–30, 2021, the 52nd Annual ICSBS Convention was once again conducted online due to COVID-19 travel restrictions; the original program was designed around imperial-period scholarship and major institutional engagement in Taipei. It featured keynote lectures by Hugh Moss and Pei-Chin Yu on Qianlong-era snuff bottles, curator-led exhibition presentations, specialized seminars, an Education Fund benefit auction, and a Bonhams-hosted gala program reflecting the scope and ambition of the planned in-person convention.
November 6–9, 2020
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Virtual Convention
The 2020 ICSBS Convention was conducted entirely online due to COVID-19; the original program for Taipei, Taiwan was reconceived as a virtual scholarly series. It featured lectures by Stephen Little on Chinese calligraphy, Clare Chu on non-imperial snuff bottles from Taiwanese collections, Andrew Singer on early maritime trade routes, and Susan Page on the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s snuff bottle collection, complemented by moderated discussions and structured virtual social sessions.
September 17–21
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Foshay Tower
The 51st Annual ICSBS Convention, held September 17–21, 2019 at the W Minneapolis–Foshay Tower, featured lectures by Matthew Welch, Ann Waltner, and Liu Yang; visits to the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Walker Art Center; collection tours and private residence visits; seminars by Clare Chu, Dessa Goddard, and Joseph B. Silver; a benefit auction for the Educational Fund; and a gala banquet hosted by Bonhams.
October 23-27, 2018
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Four-Seasons Hotel
The 50th Annual ICSBS Convention in Baltimore, headquartered at the Four Seasons Hotel, marked a milestone gathering that blended historical reflection with institutional and private collection access. Highlights included a commemorative lecture by John G. Ford on the founding of the Society, museum visits to the Walters Art Museum, Hillwood Museum, and the Freer and Sackler Galleries, multiple specialized seminars and an inside-painting demonstration, an Education Fund benefit auction, and a formal gala banquet hosted by Bonhams, with optional visits to notable private collections.
October 31-November 4, 2017
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Corinthia Hotel London
Held in London at the Corinthia Hotel, the forty-ninth annual ICSBS convention focused on institutional access and historical perspective, drawing heavily on the city’s major collections. The program included lectures by Jessica Harrison-Hall, Robert Hall, and Carol Michaelson, in-depth study at the British Museum with special attention to the Sir Percival David Collection, and a series of private and institutional visits. A retrospective marking the Society’s history, a Bonhams-hosted gala banquet, and an optional excursion to Burghley House rounded out the gathering.
November 1-5, 2016
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Beverly-Wilshire Hotel
The 48th Annual ICSBS Convention in Los Angeles, headquartered at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, emphasized West Coast collections and major American institutions. The program featured lectures by Stephen Little, Clare Chu, Stuart Sargent, and June Li; museum visits to LACMA and The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens; gallery and private collection viewings; an Education Fund benefit auction; and a formal gala banquet hosted by Bonhams, with optional visits to prominent Southern California private collections.