The upcoming Convocation ceremony will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Hall J of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. As is tradition, Governors will march with the new FACPs from their chapter. This is designed to welcome the new FACPs and give them a sense of affiliation, as well as help the Governors get to know their new FACPs. Governors-elect, and Chapter Awardees have also been invited to march with the new FACPs from their chapter. You should have already received an invitation to participate in Convocation. Please note: you must RSVP to participate in Convocation; we are unable to accommodate walk-in participants this year.
Schedule
4:30 p.m. Stoles pick up and mingling for participants in Hall I2
5:00 p.m. Doors open to ceremonial Hall J for guests
5:00 p.m. Assembly in Hall I2 begins: Please be prepared for a wait.
6:00 p.m. Convocation Ceremony begins
Stoles
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., please pick up your stole in the Governors Check-In Area, in Hall I2 of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. Coat check will be provided in front of Hall I2. Please be in the Assembly Area in Hall I2 by 5:00 p.m. Chapter Awardees are encouraged to wear any medals that they may have received for the award. You may keep your stole following the ceremony.
Assembly and Line-Up
Governors, Governors-elect, Chapter Awardees, and new FACPs will be asked to assemble by chapter in designated sections of the area so that each chapter group will be able to march together, led by the Governor or their proxy. Please be prepared for a long wait. Because of the number of new FACPs assembly and line-up will be time-consuming, and the procession will last around 20 minutes.
Lines of March/Participation in Ceremony
- Global chapters will march by country (alphabetically). Global FACPS who live in countries without ACP chapters will march together, led by the Chair of the Global Engagement Committee, and be seated at the front of the audience.
- U.S. Armed Services chapters will march individually.
- There will be four lines of march, designated by color, and signs indicating the aisle of march for each chapter/region will be displayed in the Assembly room as well as the back of the auditorium. Please be sure to remain in your designated line at all times and follow the color arrows on the floor that correspond to the color of your line.
- There will be a chapter roll call during the ceremony. Chapters will stand one at a time and remain standing until all groups are standing as they are able, and then the ACP Pledge will be recited. All FACPs are invited to recite the Pledge in unison. The Pledge can be found at the end of the Convocation Program and will be projected during the Ceremony.
- The Convocation Program will be available digitally via the Internal Medicine Meeting app and scannable QR codes placed throughout the venue.
Guest Seating
Please note that no reserved seating tickets are necessary for guests, as all guest seating in Hall J is open. There will be ample seating available. However, guests should arrive early to ensure good seats and should be seated before 5:45 p.m., as no one will be seated during the processional.
If You Cannot Attend Convocation
Some Governors cannot march with their new FACPs because they are participating in Convocation as part of the Stage Party. If you are a Governor and you cannot march with your new FACPs and have not told us, please let us know as soon as possible. In the absence of a Governor-elect, Governors may be asked to designate someone else to lead the new FACPs from their chapter.
If you have any questions, cannot attend Convocation, or require special arrangements/assistance, please contact Meghann Williams, Manager, Board of Regents and Governance Activities (mewilliams@acponline.org; 215-351-2714).