San Francisco Guide for First Time AGU Attendees
Welcome! We’re glad you’re here! This guide was put together by members of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Hydrology Section Student Subcommittee (H3S) with help from the wider AGU community in hopes of making the AGU Fall Meeting less overwhelming. The tips below are based on experiences from veteran attendees about what they’ve learned over the years. This guide is meant for everyone (including returning attendees!), and not one scientific section in particular. Many of the guides and tips are also applicable for virtual attendees too! In this guide, you’ll find information on some things to pack, what to wear, what to bring, how to interact with people, and things to see and do. We look forward to seeing you at the AGU Fall 2026 Meeting!
Before the AGU Fall Meeting
What to pack (in-person)
Comfortable shoes and clothes -- you will be walking about 5 miles a day and be on your feet a lot. Comfortable shoes are key! Many attendees wear jeans and button-down shirts, so don’t feel like you need to be dressed in business clothes all week! We suggest bringing one or two nicer outfits for presentations and any other event you want to wear that to
The city is very hilly, so expect lots of walking up and down hills
Water bottle and hot drink thermos
Masks, tissues, and hand sanitizer are essential! Interacting with so many people along with the lack of sleep, stress, and travel can be hard on your immune system. If you want to be extra prepared, bringing some cough drops and cold medicine may be beneficial
Backpack so you can keep your hands free
Snacks to eat during the day
An umbrella or a rain jacket - something handy just in case
Warm jacket, hat or scarf – San Francisco can have chilly weather!
Daily temperatures average between 57°F to 60°F (14°C to 15°C) with night temperatures around 45°F to 49°F (7°C to 9°C) in December
Near the bay can feel cooler as well
Some way to access the schedule -- phone with AGU Events app downloaded (Google or Apple), or printed
Pen and notebook to take notes
Business cards (if you have them) to pass out to prospective jobs, connections, and new colleagues
Planning out your general schedule (in-person)
Give yourself time to get from your Hotel to the Convention Center
Look at the Scientific Program in Advance and use the “My Schedule” tool to make your schedule and export it to Excel or your calendar app. (there is a walk-through on this in the appendix)
Account for how large the convention center is and factor in 15-20 minutes to get around. The George R. Moscone Convention Center is LARGE, and it can take a substantial amount of time to walk between sessions
Find some sessions that are interesting to you (both in and outside your area of study) to just sit at and listen. Hopping between talks in different sessions gets exhausting
Attend the various mixers/ socials/ trivia/ networking events that are put on in the evenings throughout the week. They’re a fun way to meet people!
SCHEDULE BREAKS -- AGU is a big conference with a lot of people and things to see and do. Don’t run yourself ragged by trying to do and see everything. Give yourself time to rest
There is so much cool research happening and you might learn something!
Walk through a poster section that’s not your own. AGU is a massively diverse scientific community
You do not have to stay for the whole session. You can come for a single talk or two, but make sure you are courteous when you come and go (i.e., between presentations)
Planning out your general schedule (online)
Make sure you have the correct time-zone showing online (San Francisco is in Pacific Time/UTC-7)
Look at the Scientific Program in Advance and use the “My Schedule” tool to make your schedule and export it to Excel or your calendar. (Walk through on this in the appendix)
Give yourself breaks so you don’t burn yourself out from staring at a computer all day
Find some sessions that are interesting to you (both in and outside your area of study) to just sit at and listen. It can be tricky to hop virtually between sessions and talks
Try to see if there are talks you can watch in advance that speakers have loaded so you can come ready with questions!
There is so much cool research happening and you might learn something!
Find an online poster section that’s not your own. AGU is a massively diverse scientific community
Reaching out in Advance (in-person and online)
Email people you want to talk to before the conference and try to schedule a lunch or coffee break with them at the conference
Connect with old colleagues and friends as well!
Ask your advisor ahead of time to introduce you to some more senior scientists
Reach out to H3S members or more senior PhDs or Post-docs in your group and ask them to be your conference buddy and help guide you around!
Virtual attendees: schedule watch parties with others in your lab
At the AGU Fall Meeting:
Socializing/ Networking
The line to get your nametag on the first day will likely be long… either try to get it on Sunday during the workshops, , or wait until mid-day on the first day to avoid the lines
Look out for H3S members! We will have ribbons on our name tags, feel free to stop us and ask questions!
Use poster sessions to network! Everyone is already chatting and socializing, find a group and join them
Include yourself in conversations where you know some people, like chats at the poster halls -- don’t be afraid to start conversations with the more senior scientists!
Get to know your peers! They will be your future colleagues that you might write proposals with and collaborate with in the future. They are as important as the big names in your field
Ask people if you can join them for dinners or coffee breaks that you’ve been chatting with
For virtual attendees: find online programs to connect with other virtual attendees
Appreciating the Science
Reflect daily. At the end of the day (or first thing the following morning), write down the most interesting/exciting thing (or two things) you learned that day and why. At the end of the week, rank them
Who do you want to connect with next?
Take notes so you can stay engaged and remember the science later!
Be sure to check out the Town Halls, Named Lectures, and Plenary Talks
Where can you find H3S at the AGU 2026 Fall Meeting?
Townhalls:
From Graduate School to Possibilities: Careers Across Academia, Industry, and Beyond
Monday 6-7pm
2001 - West (MC)
The Art of Networking: Building Relationships in Science
Tuesday 1-2pm
2006 - West (MC)
Sessions/Presentations:
SY045 - Thinking Outside the Box Plot: Communicating Science Beyond the Paper Poster Session
Wednesday 8:30-12pm
Poster Hall (Hall ABC) MC
The Scientist Behind the Science: The Power of Storytelling in Academic and Professional Spaces H3S Poster Presentation
Wednesday 8:30-12pm
South Poster Hall (Hall ABC) MC
More Than Just a Playlist: How Water-Related Music Brings the Hydrology H3S Oral Presentation
Wednesday 9:40-9:50am
151 - South (MC)
Exhibitor Hall Booth # 632
Come talk to us at the CUAHSI Booth!
Check out some of CUAHSI’s AGU Sessions:
CUAHSI Town Hall - CUAHSI Turns 25: Shaping the Future of Water Science Infrastructure and Education. December 9, 1-3pm PST, Location: MC, Room 2007 - West
Session Title: H014: Advances in Integrated Hydrological Modeling: Methods, Solvers, and Computational Innovation
H005 - Advanced Capabilities for Hydrology Community Model and Data Infrastructure
H140 - Uniting Community Water Resources Modeling and Operational Hydrology: Connecting Research Advances in Large-Domain Hydrologic Modeling, Artificial Intelligence, Hydroinformatics, and Social Science to Forecasting Applications
More info available here
Other General Tips
Take off your name tag when leaving the conference center! It can indicate that you are not from the area and could be easier to target. Just don’t forget where you put it, you will need it to enter the center again!
Get familiar with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority routes and schedules
Don’t carry too much stuff with you, your neck and back will thank you
Go to the exhibitor hall! -- tons of free swag and fun place to shop around, and explore
Check out the H3S & CUAHSI Booth at #632
DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO DRINK ALCOHOL. Many events in the evenings will offer alcoholic beverages, but that does not mean you have to drink. And do not let anyone peer pressure you into it. Non-alcoholic options will be available!
Make sure you find people you do know and spend time with them. They’ll help lessen the feeling of isolation
Along the same lines, do not feel like you have to be socializing at all points of the day. Sometimes you need a dinner to yourself and that if perfectly normal
Virtual attendees: still schedule coffee meetings with others and engage as much as possible in hybrid and online sessions
Other tips: GeoEd Trek First Timer’s Guide
Check out the Best Practices Guide from Biogeosciences DEI Steering committee
Schedule and Scientific Program:
How to read session codes
Sessions look something like: Letter##Letter-##...
First letter is the section (e.g. H for Hydrology)
First number is which day it is (e.g. 1 is for Monday, 2 is Tuesday…, etc. )
Second number is the Block Number
Block 1 8-9:15 am
Block 2 9:45 to 11 am
Block 3 12:45 to 14:00
Block 4 14:30 to 15:45
Block 5: 16:00 to 18:00
Second Letter is the session
Last numbers are the ID number for the talk, poster, or eLightning presentation
So, a poster with the code: H35O-1203 can be read as “Hydrology Section, Wednesday, Block 5, Poster #1203
An oral presentation with the code: H32E-08 can be read as “Hydrology section, Wednesday, Block 5, Talk #8
Traveling to and around San Francisco:
AGU Offers Flight Discounts:
AGU has partnered with Air Canada to offer discounts on air travel to AGU26. Discounts are applicable for travel dates 30 November through 18 December 2026. To book a flight, visit the Air Canada website and enter QD3ZWVW1 in the Promotion Code Box after inputting your travel information. This discount is only applicable for airfare to/from San Francisco. The discount will be applied to the fare at the time of purchasing.
Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts for AGU26. Discounts are applicable for travel dates 2 December through 16 December 2026. To book a flight, visit the Delta Airlines website and select “Advanced Search”. Enter NY4U6 in the Meeting Code box after inputting your travel information. This discount is only applicable for airfare to/from San Francisco, CA. The discount will be applied at the time of ticketing. You may also call Conferences and Events at 1-800-328-1111; Monday-Friday, 8AM – 8 PM (EST) and refer to the Meeting Event Code.
AGU has partnered with United Airlines to offer discounts on air travel to AGU26. Discounts are applicable for travel dates 4 December through 14 December 2026. Visit the United website and select "Advanced Search". Once the next page loads, input your travel information and enter ZSP8533888 in the "Promotions and Certificates" box. The discount will be applied at the time of ticketing. You may also call United Meetings Reservation Desk Monday – Friday at 1-800-426-1122 (7 AM – 8PM CT) for booking assistance. Please reference the discount code above.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART):
AGU encourages attendees to use BART to support our sustainability efforts while in San Francisco. Taking BART’s all-electric rail trains from SFO or OAK airports keeps 20.2 lbs of carbon emissions per round trip out of the air. BART is the fast, easy, low-cost way to get to downtown San Francisco in 30 minutes.
Plan your trip with the Trip Planner
Pay by phone options with Tap to Ride or with the Clipper App
Things to see and do in San Francisco:
Food and Drink Scene:
San Francisco’s Chinatown
Sourdough:
Ghirardelli Square (Chocolate)
Other Sites and things to do:
Alcatraz Jail
Golden Gate Bridge
Palace of Fine Arts
Lombard Street
Exploratorium
Fisherman’s Wharf
Pier 69 - Sea Lions
Painted Ladies at Alamo Square Park
Muir Woods
Highlighting your talk/ poster
Promote your talk, poster, or session on social media!
Share details about your talk/ poster on social media!
Use hashtags like #AGU26
#H3SatAGU26 - check out what H3S is up to!
Tell your friends about your talk/ poster and encourage them to come
Return the favor by attending their talk as well
Have collaborators, advisors, PIs plug your talk at the end of their talk!
Invite people you meet at AGU to attend your presentation and be sure to attend theirs! It's a great way to build connections, network, and learn new science!
Appendix:
Scientific Program Information
What is the Scientific Program?
The “Scientific Program” is a very important resource for the Fall Meeting. It is a schedule of all the different presentations and events, with times, rooms, presenters, and descriptions. With tens of thousands of events on the schedule, it can be daunting! Here are some tips to help navigate it and find the events for you.
How do I find it?
The Scientific Program can be found on the AGU Fall Meeting Website. Click the “Schedule” tab up top, find the “Scientific Program” subtab, and select “View Program”. That will take you to the Scientific Program. In the upper left corner, click the “Sign in” button to sign in to your AGU account. This will allow you to develop a schedule and connect with presenters in late October.
How do I keep track of the talks I’m interested in?
Note: this should be available in late October. You can create a personal schedule, “My Schedule” and save talks and sessions you’re interested in and download that schedule to access later. This is possible on both the website and the app. If you know what section you want to browse, select “Browse by Sections” and click on the desired section. It’ll pull up all the sessions by that section in order of date and time. If there is a session you want, click on the ‘+’ next to it and it’ll turn into a calendar icon with a check mark (see below). If there is a specific presentation (oral, eLightning, or poster) within that session, click on the session title, scroll down, and you’ll see the individual presentations with the same ‘+’ icon to add that presentation to your calendar.
If there is a talk by someone you know, select the ‘search’ button on the scientific program side bar and type their name. Select the name, and you can see the presentations they are authors on. Select those individual presentations to add them to your schedule.
When you have finished adding the talks, navigate to the calendar button with a check mark at the top of the page and select it. From there, you can see the session you have added to your personal schedule and can download it as ICS (for calendar), XLSX, or PDF (see image below). Downloading your schedule allows you to avoid navigating the scientific program during the conference which can get overloaded.
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