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 25-November 1, 2025
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Renaissance Harbourview Hotel
Spanning two cities once again, the thirty-seventh annual ICSBS convention unfolded across Hong Kong and Beijing, pairing deep institutional access with contemporary scholarship. In Hong Kong, the program featured lectures by Peter Lam and Joseph Ting, private collection visits hosted by George and Mary Bloch, museum study at the Hong Kong Museum of History and the University Museum and Art Gallery, and a formal banquet. The convention then continued in Beijing with lectures by Hugh M. Moss, Jiang QiQi, and Xia Gengqi, special access to the Palace Museum and Wangfujing-area institutions, an auction preview with China Guardian, and a closing dinner—reinforcing the Society’s close ties to both collecting centers.
October 12016, 2004
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Four Seasons Hotel
Philadelphia hosted the Society once again as the thirty-sixth annual ICSBS convention convened at the Four Seasons Hotel, drawing deeply on the city’s museums and historic landscape. The program featured lectures by Hugh M. Moss, Adriana Proser, Jerome Silbergeld, and Dawn Ho Delbanco, alongside extensive study at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and excursions to Longwood Gardens and the Michener Art Museum. A benefit auction, formal banquet, and private collection visits gave the meeting a balanced mix of scholarship, connoisseurship, and place-based exploration.
October 21-25, 2003
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Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel
Los Angeles hosted the thirty-fifth annual ICSBS convention at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, returning the Society to Southern California with a program anchored in museums, auction houses, and scholarly exchange. Highlights included lectures by Terese Bartholomew, Peter Sturman, and Claudia Brown; study visits to LACMA, the Norton Simon Museum, and the Pacific Asia Museum; and receptions hosted by Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Roundtable seminars, a benefit auction, and a formal banquet completed a convention that balanced academic depth with the region’s collecting strengths.
October 22-25, 2002
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Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Singapore signaled the Society’s growing international scope as it hosted the thirty-fourth annual ICSBS convention at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia. The program featured lectures by S. L. Tan, Denis Low, Kenson Kwok, and Patrick Kwok, focused study at the Asian Civilisations Museum and the National University of Singapore Museum, and special exhibitions and inside-painting demonstrations. Auction-house receptions, roundtable seminars, a formal banquet, and an optional post-convention trip to Bangkok rounded out the meeting.
October 23-27, 2001
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Omni Houston Hotel
Houston served as the setting for the thirty-third annual ICSBS convention, headquartered at the Omni Houston Hotel and shaped by the city’s museums, private collections, and architectural landmarks. The program opened with a historical overview by Hugh M. Moss and continued with lectures by Richard J. Smith and Chiu-Mi Lai, alongside behind-the-scenes access to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Menil Collection, the Rothko Chapel, and the Museum of Natural Science. Concurrent seminars on inside-painting, imperial yellow bottles, and materials analysis, a benefit auction, private home visits, and a formal banquet gave the meeting a distinctly expansive and interdisciplinary character rooted in Houston’s cultural depth.
October 24-28, 2000
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The Watergate Swissôtel
Washington, D.C. hosted the Society once again as the thirty-second annual ICSBS convention convened against the backdrop of the Smithsonian and the National Mall. The program featured lectures by Michael Hughes, S. L. Tan, and James Millward, complemented by focused study at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, the National Museum of Natural History, Hillwood Museum and Gardens, and special exhibitions drawn from local collections. Seminars on market trends, materials, and collection care, an Education Fund benefit auction, and a formal banquet gave the meeting a distinctly curatorial and scholarly tone rooted in the city’s institutional depth.
October 5-9, 1999
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Churchill Intercontinental Hotel
London hosted the Society for the third time at the thirty-first annual ICSBS convention, with the program centered at the Churchill Hotel and extending across the city’s major museums and auction houses. The meeting opened with collector displays and a Christie’s reception, followed by lectures from Christopher C. H. Sin, Julian Thompson, and Carol Michaelson, and concentrated study at the British Museum, the Percival David Foundation, and Windsor Castle. Roundtable seminars on Japanese snuff bottles, cloisonné enamel, and cross-cultural glass traditions, a Sotheby’s-hosted reception, a formal banquet, and an optional excursion to Bath gave the convention a distinctly layered rhythm that balanced scholarship, collecting, and place.
October 27-31, 1998
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Four Seasons Hotel
The Society marked a milestone in Seattle with its thirtieth annual ICSBS convention, headquartered at the Four Seasons Hotel and shaped by the city’s museums, private collections, and Pacific Northwest setting. The program opened with a keynote by Hugh M. Moss and continued with lectures by Vincent Fausone Jr. and Jennifer Chen, alongside focused study at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. A symposium, benefit auction, and roundtable discussions were balanced by visits to a glassblowing center, a private penthouse collection, winery tastings in Columbia Valley, and garden and home tours, giving the anniversary meeting a celebratory and outward-looking character.
October 28-November 1, 1997
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Four Seasons Hotel
Florida hosted the Society for the first time as the twenty-ninth annual ICSBS convention convened in Palm Beach at the Four Seasons Hotel. The program blended scholarship with regional collections, featuring lectures by Hugh M. Moss, Lindsey Hall, and Daphne Rosenzweig; special exhibitions at the Norton Museum of Art; and focused visits to the Bass Museum of Art and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Seminars on digital imaging, Qing glass, and contemporary bottles, a benefit auction, private residence visits, an intracoastal dinner cruise, and a formal banquet gave the meeting a distinctly South Florida character while maintaining the Society’s scholarly core.
October 22-29, 1996
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Kempinski Hotel / Shangri-la Hotel
Spanning two cities for the first time, the twenty-eighth annual ICSBS convention unfolded across Beijing and Hong Kong, offering members unprecedented on-the-ground access in China at a pivotal moment for the Society. In Beijing, the program included lectures by Wang Shixiang and Yang Boda, special exhibitions organized with the Snuff Bottle Society of China, and guided visits to the Palace Museum, Lamaist Temple, Temple of Heaven, and major antiques markets, alongside a formal auction and cultural performances. The convention then continued in Hong Kong with lectures by Hugh M. Moss, Lindsey Hall, and Clare Lawrence, openings of the Monimar Collection and Tsui Museum displays, an Education Fund benefit auction led by Robert Hall, and a formal banquet that concluded a landmark, cross-regional gathering.