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
October 27-31, 2015
–
InterContinental Hotel
The 47th Annual ICSBS Convention in Chicago, headquartered at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, focused on major Midwestern museum collections and auction-house engagement. The program featured lectures by Claudia Brown, Elinor Pearlstein, Michael C. Hughes, and Richard Pegg; extensive study at the Art Institute of Chicago; visits to the Field Museum and the Heritage Museum of Asian Art; auction previews and receptions at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers; an Education Fund benefit auction; and a formal gala banquet hosted by Bonhams, with optional visits to private collections and the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art.
October 21-24, 2014
–
Shangri-La Kowloon/ Westin Xian
The 46th Annual ICSBS Convention in Hong Kong, with an extended program in Xi’an, offered exceptional access to major collections, scholars, and institutions in China. The program featured lectures by Hugh Moss, Peter Lam, and Florian Knothe; extensive study at Sotheby’s, Bonhams, and the University of Hong Kong Museum and Art Gallery; museum visits including the Museum of Tea Ware and the Terracotta Museum; an Education Fund benefit auction; and formal gala events, followed by an optional Xi’an program focused on inside-painting schools, historic sites, and private collections.
November 5-9, 2013
–
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
The 45th Annual ICSBS Convention in New York, headquartered at the Waldorf Astoria, emphasized major institutional collections and scholarly perspectives on snuff bottles within broader Chinese art history. The program featured lectures by Jonathan Hay, Jason Sun, Susan Beningson, Donna Strahan, and Katherine Paul; extensive study at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Newark Museum; exhibition and collection visits in Manhattan; an Education Fund benefit auction; and a formal gala banquet, with optional excursions to private collections and historic sites in the Hudson Valley.
October 16-20, 2012
–
The Nines Hotel
Portland hosted the Society for the first time at the forty-fourth annual ICSBS convention, centered at The Nines Hotel and framed by the city’s gardens, glass studios, and regional collections. The program featured lectures by Hugh Moss, Kevin Greenwood, Donald Jenkins, and Stuart Sargent; museum visits to the Hallie Ford Museum of Art; and study at the Chinese Lan Su Garden and Bullseye Glass Gallery. A benefit auction, seminars on stoppers and documentary bottles, hosted dinners, and an optional wine-country tour gave the meeting a distinctly Pacific Northwest character.
October 25-29, 2011
–
Four Seasons Hotel
Palm Beach hosted the Society once again for the forty-third annual ICSBS convention, set at the Four Seasons Resort and shaped by South Florida museums, private collections, and a strong focus on Japanese material. The program featured lectures by Julian King, Marsha Vargas Handley, and Laurie Barnes; visits to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens and the Norton Museum of Art; and viewings drawn from the Trammell Crow Collection. An Education Fund benefit auction, dealer and member exhibitions, evening receptions, and a formal banquet completed a convention that balanced market insight with curatorial depth.
October 19022, 2010
–
Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa
Honolulu welcomed the Society back for the forty-second annual ICSBS convention, based at the Waikiki Beach Marriott and shaped by Hawai‘i’s museums, palaces, and private collections. The program included lectures by Stephen Little, Stuart Sargent, Hugh M. Moss, and Shawn Eichman; rotating group visits to the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Shangri La, and ‘Iolani Palace; and focused seminars on collecting and cultural context. An Education Fund benefit auction, hosted dinners, a luau banquet, and private home visits rounded out a meeting that balanced scholarship with a distinctly island setting.
October 20-23, 2009
–
Radisson Sas Royal Hotel
Dublin hosted the Society for the first time at the forty-first annual ICSBS convention, centered at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel and shaped by the city’s libraries, museums, and historic estates. The program featured lectures by Robert Kleiner, Michael Hughes, and Carol Michaelson; focused study at the Chester Beatty Library and Trinity College; guided visits to Russborough House and the National Museum of Ireland; and a benefit auction. Member exhibitions, hosted banquets, and an optional cultural tour through historic Dublin rounded out a convention that paired rigorous scholarship with a distinctly Irish setting.
September 23-26, 2008
–
Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel
Boston hosted the Society’s fortieth annual ICSBS convention at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, marking a milestone gathering with a strong institutional focus. The program featured lectures by Bruce MacLaren, Nancy Berliner, Ian Hardy, and William Patrick; concentrated study at the Peabody Essex Museum; and viewings of the Carl F. Barron Collection. Seminars, a benefit auction, and a formal banquet anchored the core program, while an optional tour extended the meeting to Harvard Museums, Cape Cod, and historic glass collections.
October 9 - 13, 2007
–
Sutton Place Hotel
Toronto welcomed the Society back for the thirty-ninth annual ICSBS convention, centered at the Sutton Place Hotel and anchored by major Canadian collections and scholarship. The program featured lectures by Richard John Lynn, Clare Chu, Ka Bo Tsang, Sara Irwin, Robert Hall, and Joseph Silver; in-depth study at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Gardiner Museum; and special exhibitions drawn from the Joseph B. Silver and Crane collections. Seminars on authentication and fakes, an Education Fund benefit auction, private collection visits, and a gala dinner with dancing gave the meeting a distinctly celebratory and academically rich tone.
October 17-20, 2006
–
Stanford Court Hotel
San Francisco hosted the Society once again for the thirty-eighth annual ICSBS convention, centered at the Stanford Court Hotel and drawing heavily on Bay Area museums and collections. The program featured lectures by Michael C. Hughes, Hugh M. Moss, Elsa Glickman, and Genevieve Plain, with focused study at the Asian Art Museum, the de Young Museum, and the Oakland Museum of California. Collection viewings, seminars on inside-painted bottles and glass techniques, a benefit auction, a formal banquet, and an optional Napa Valley tour gave the meeting a distinctly West Coast cadence.