Attendance at the 2026 Annual DE S&T Symposium and its short courses is open to anyone
interested in the science and technology of directed energy. However, some sessions are open only to
employees of the U.S. Government or its contractors, or employees of the Department of War
or its contractors.
Security information with more details will be available soon.
Location & Accommodations
This year's Annual Symposium will be held
primarily at the El Conquistador Tucson,
located at 10000 North Oracle Road, Tucson, Arizona 85704.
DEPS has negotiated a block of rooms at government rates for Symposium attendees.
You may book your room online using the link below, or call the hotel directly at 520-544-1155 and provide Group Code: DEP414.
Book early! The room block expires 14 March.
The Hotel reserves the right to enforce its policies, procedures, and cancellation fees.
DEPS is not responsible for any hotel cancellation charges, penalties, or billing discrepancies.
Registration & Fees
Fees and Options
---Pre Registration---
------ Short Courses ------
Through 2 March
Through 27 March
On-Site
Half-day Course
Full-day Course
DEPS member
$1350
$1450
$1550
$300
$550
Non-member
$1450
$1550
$1650
$300
$550
U.S. Government Employee (Federal)(1)
$850
$850
$850
$300
$550
Esteemed Leader (2)
$600
$600
$600
$300
$550
Qualifying Student (3)(4)
$500
$500
$500
$100
$150
Other Full Time Student (4)
-Half price based on membership status (above)-
$100
$150
(1)Government registration fees are valid for Federal Government employees and
include participation in all Symposium sessions for which the attendee qualifies, evening Exhibitor reception, and
lunch Tuesday through Thursday. Breakfasts are not included with the government registration;
however, they will be available as an additional separate purchase.
(2) Esteemed Leaders are retired DEPS members willing to volunteer for 2 half days of service as well as attend the Roundtable Reception.
In exchange for their help in putting on a successful program we can offer a reduced rate for their attendance to the overall
symposium. Please contact Cynnamon Spain for more information.
(3) Qualifying full-time students will be admitted at a reduced charge provided they (1) have been awarded a current or past research
grant through DEPS, (2) attend the DE Education Workshop and are presenting at either the Symposium or the Workshop, and (3) agree to assist DEPS staff
for a half day of service (if needed). All other students will be required to pay the full registration fee.
(4) A full-time student is defined by enrollment in a degree program and carrying a full course load, which varies by institution but often ranges
from 12 to 18 credit hours per semester for undergraduate students. Graduate programs sometimes requiring fewer credit hours to maintain full-time status, DEPS
considers 9 to 12 credit hours per semester (Fall/Spring) to be full-time. The student must be enrolled at an accredited educational institution with a regular
teaching staff and a structured course of study.
Standard symposium registration fees include participation in all Symposium sessions for which the attendee qualifies;
breakfast snacks*, coffee breaks and lunch Tuesday through Thursday;
the evening Exhibitor Reception; and a complimentary one-year DEPS membership. In addition, all Annual
Symposium registrants can participate in the DE Education Workshop at no
additional cost.
Short course registrations include student materials, refreshments, and Continuous Learning Point (CLP)
credits for successful students. Morning courses include breakfast snacks and a box lunch is provided to those attending
afternoon courses.
Two half-day courses can be selected for the price of a full-day course.
*Breakfast is not included with Government registrations.
Single-day registration options are available under certain conditions. Please contact
Raheela Bokhari in the DEPS office to inquire.
Some organizations have installed web filters that prevent online registration
from inside their facilities. If this appears to be true for you, please try again off-site
or use the printable PDF version.
To register using a downloadable form, use the:
Persons requesting cancellation through 2 March will receive a full refund. Cancellations after
2 March are subject to a $100 cancellation fee. There will be no refunds for short courses after 23 March
or for the event after 27 March.
Companions
Companions are always a welcome addition to any DEPS meeting. To encourage them,
we offer companion meal options at an additional cost. Our full meal option includes all meals that are provided for
regular attendees, including any evening and specialty functions that may be planned. For those companions who do not want to be tied to
scheduled meal functions, we also offer a reception-only option, which includes only the Tuesday evening reception.
Companion tickets will be available for purchase once registration opens, and
can be purchased either with your symposium registration (below) or separately using
this online companion registration form.
Security
The 2026 DEPS Annual Science and Technology (S&T) Conference will have a mix of unclassified and classified sessions, with
some requiring specific access restrictions due to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or
Limited Distribution designations. These restrictions will be enforced according to the following categories:
Distribution C: Access will be authorized for U.S. Government agencies
and their contractors only.
Distribution D: Access will be limited to Department of War (DoW)
personnel and DoW contractors only.
In accordance with U.S. government security protocols, all participants must undergo a thorough vetting
process conducted by the DEPS Facility Security Officer (FSO). Only individuals who meet the necessary
security requirements will be granted access to the conference sessions. Expand the selection below to learn more.
For further information or if you have any questions regarding the vetting process or access, you can contact the
DEPS FSO, Heather Chacon.
Please note that classified visit requests for participation in sessions held at offsite location are due
by 1500 MST Thursday 26 Mar 2026.
Eligibility Requirements: Participation in the classified sessions will be restricted to U.S. citizens only from government,
industry and academia with an appropriate security clearance and need-to-know.
DoW Government/Contractor Instructions: Eligibility and access for all DoW government and contractor attendees
will be verified using DISS. Please send a visit notification to DISS SMO Code 88AV8 with the following information:
SMO CODE: 88AV8
POC: Hector Parra
POC Phone: 520-355-0866
Purpose of Visit: DEPS S&T Symposium
Additional Information block, please include: DEPS S&T Symposium
Dates of visit: 2 April 2026
NOTE TO FSOs: Please create a new visit notification for each attendee. Do not modify existing visit notifications in DISS.
Please note that classified visit requests for participation in sessions held at offsite location are due
by 1500 MST Thursday 26 Mar 2026.
Eligibility Requirements: Participation in the classified sessions will be restricted to U.S. citizens only from government,
industry and academia with an appropriate security clearance and need-to-know.
Government/Contractor Instructions: Visit Requests must be printed on command letterhead and submit it via DoD Safe to hparra@ua-arc.org.
You must include the following information:
Full Name
SSN
Purpose of visit: DEPS DE S&T Symposium
Dates of visit: 2 April 2026
Clearance level: SECRET
Type of Investigation: T3 or T5
Date investigation completed
CUI visit requests for participation in hotel sessions must be
received by DEPS no later than 1500 MST Friday 20 March 2026.
Eligibility Requirements: Participation in all hotel sessions will be restricted to attendees from government,
industry, and academia with an appropriate need-to-know.
