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Call for Socials and Mentoring Sessions

 

ICML 2026

Mon, Jul 6 – Sat, Jul 11, 2026 at the Coex Convention & Exhibition Center, Seoul, South Korea.

A strong community is central to the success of ICML. Our mission is to create an opportunity for all participants to meet new people and to share knowledge, valuable experiences, best practices, career options, and diverse less research-related interests. To enable this, we will support socials and mentoring forums.

As in previous years, ICML 2026 will be held in person. The goal of ICML socials is to help attendees to connect and communicate with each other about research. Neither socials nor mentoring forums should be used for advertising, recruiting, or commercial promotion. Companies interested in promoting their visibility at the conference are welcome to apply to be a sponsor and use resources available for sponsors.

 

Socials

A social is a participant-led meeting centered around a coherent theme. These themes can be anything ranging from (but not limited to):

  • Research topics and interests (e.g., generative models, AI safety, reinforcement learning, social impact ML)
  • Skills exchange and training (e.g., giving better presentations, guidance on academic job applications)
  • Affinity group meetings (e.g., Queer in AI, Muslims in AI)
  • Other less research-oriented, social, and intellectual gatherings (e.g., book club, wine and cheese, quiz night)

Note: Socials are separate from Affinity Workshops. An affinity group may propose both an affinity workshop and a social (as two separate events), if desired.

Socials last up to two hours. Each must have at least two lead organizers. The leads organize the session, moderate the session, and ensure respectful communication in accordance with the Code of Conduct. The leads need to commit to attend the conference in person.

Socials will happen at the conference venue on July 6th, 8th, and 9th at 7pm–9pm (excluding July 7th). If you plan to offer food or refreshments at your social, please note that no outside food is permitted and catering must be ordered through the venue. Please see the Socials Perks Sheet linked in the FAQs for details.

 

Mentoring Forums

A mentoring forum is a participant-led event where senior members of the community (academic or industry) offer scientific and career advice and answer questions from more junior members and newcomers. The format is flexible: organizers may propose talks, panels, AMA, group mentoring, or a mix of these, as long as the primary goal is mentoring and community building, in line with ICML’s inclusivity goals.

Each mentoring forum must have at least two lead organizers who will coordinate the session, moderate/facilitate discussion, and ensure respectful communication in accordance with the Code of Conduct. The leads need to commit to attend the conference in person. 

Rooms for mentoring forums are available on July 6th at 8am–5pm. Organizers may propose either a half-day (4-hour) or full-day (8-hour) event.

 

Submission

If you are interested in hosting a social or a mentoring forum, please complete this Form for Socials & Mentoring Forums before May 18th, 2026 (anywhere on Earth).

We will review these as quickly as we can after the deadline. We may accept multiple similar proposals conditional to their agreeing to combine together, or may suggest other modifications (such as suggesting alternative dates/times) in order to balance the program of activities.

Lead organizers and participants of socials and mentoring forums must be registered ICML attendees. Organizers of a social do not receive a complementary registration 

Code of conduct: Being part of ICML 2026, social events and mentoring forums are subject to the general code of conduct of the conference.

 

Important Dates

  • Deadline: May 18th, 2026
  • Notification: June 1st, 2026

 

FAQs

  1. What does ICML provide for socials, and what are the venue rules?
    Please refer to the ICML 2026 Socials Perks Sheet for details on what is provided (room, standard A/V, seating) and the key venue/operational rules (e.g., furniture, signage, catering, sponsors, minors).
  2. For which time slots will rooms be available?
    Please refer to the Form for Socials & Mentoring Forums.
  3. Will you provide Visa letters for attendees of socials?
    Since attendees for socials will be ICML attendees, please check the visa information page for information on how to obtain visa letters.

 

Social Chairs, ICML 2026


social-chairs@icml.cc
 
  • Kevin Leyton-Brown (University of British Columbia)
  • Chulhee Yun (KAIST)