The 25th Annual AFQAM Training Conference will be held in Kansas City, MO on October 13-16, 2026 at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza. Information on conferences beyond 2026 can be found on the Training Opportunities page. Conference details and registration are posted in the late spring of each year.
Are you eligible for AFQAM’s Travel Award? Visit this page for more information and eligibility requirements.
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Registration Information
| In-Person | ||
| Virtual* |
*For Virtual Attendees: There will be a curated Live Stream Presentation provided
Note: Attendance to Breakout Sessions is limited for virtual attendees. The following Breakout Sessions will be live-streamed:
- 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM Forensic Science Validation: Principles and Tools with Henry Swofford & Steven Lund
- 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM New to Quality Assurance Panel with Richard Remy, Alicia Otto, Stacey Wilson & Abby Schwaderer
- 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM Quality Culture with Nick Fillinger
Registration refunds will be applied according to the following schedule:
- Refund requested before 9/1/2026: 100% refund
- Refund requested between 9/2/2026 and 9/15/2026: 75% refund
- Refund requested between 9/16/2026 and 9/25/2026: 50% refund
- Refund requested on or after 9/26/2026: no refund
AFQAM 25th Anniversary Challenge Coin
25 years ago, a small group of visionary professionals had a bold idea: build a community where forensic quality assurance managers could support each other, share resources, and raise the bar for the entire profession. That idea became AFQAM — and this year, we celebrate 25 years of exactly that. We’ve designed a challenge coin to commemorate this milestone! Only available this year for in-person attendees.CLICK HERE TO DONATE $10 FOR A 25TH AFQAM ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE COIN
Accommodation and Travel
Accommodation
The hotel is located at 4445 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111.
Rooms are being provided at the AFQAM group rate of $185, which includes internet and complimentary self-parking. Please note that GSA pricing may change based in the prevailing GSA rate changes. LAST DAY TO BOOK IS September 21, 2026!!!
To book your stay at the hotel please use the following link:
AFQAM 2026 – Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza
Travel
The closest airport to the conference hotel/venue is the Kansas City International Airport (MCI), which is about 30 minutes away. Ride share services such as Iris, Lyft, Turo, Uber or zTrip can range from $40 – $60, depending on the day and time. The hotel does not provide airport shuttle service.
The following car rental services are available at MCI: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, and Thrifty.
Self-parking at the hotel is included (Valet is $45/day).
Registration
REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE HERE
If paying by invoice, please put the attendee(s)’ name in the Description box when prompted.
REGISTER AND PAY FOR THE EVENING EVENT HERE – CLOSED
TENTATIVE Conference Agenda
Monday – Pre-Conference Workshops (click on links to view abstracts)
| 1:30pm-2:30pm | Ideagen: Document Review & Chain of Custody – Where the gap is and how to close it | Ted Akin | FREE | Click Link |
|
3:00pm-4:30pm |
Intro to A2LA’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy |
Rachel Duke | FREE | Click Link |
| 5:00pm-6:00pm | Executive Board Meeting | |||
| 6:00pm-8:00pm | Registration Opens | |||
Tuesday – General Session (View Session Abstracts)
| 6:30a-8:00a | BREAKFAST / REGISTRATION OPENS | |
| 8:00a-8:15a | Welcome | Richard Remy |
| 8:15a-9:00a | The State of Firearm and Toolmark Identification and Opportunities for Improvement | TL Price |
| 9:00a-9:30a | Accrediting Body Updates | A2LA & ANAB |
| 9:30a-10:00a | NTVIC/CFSO | Matthew Gamette |
| 10:00a-10:15a | Vendor Presentation | |
| 10:15a-10:45a | MORNING BREAK | |
| 10:45a-11:00p | Vendor Presentation | |
| 11:00a-12:p | The Role of Forensic Evidence in Correcting Wrongful Convictions |
Rachel Wester, Blair Armenta, and Floyd Bledsoe / Midwest Innocence Project |
| 12:00p-1:00p | LUNCH | |
| 1:00p-2:00p | Founding Members Panel | Smith, Hopkins, Epstein, Davis |
| 2:00p-2:30p | Rapid DNA Casework at Kentucky State Police Forensic Labs | Amy K. Smith |
| 2:30p-2:45p | Certified Forensic Quality Professional (CFQP) Program | Alicia Otto |
| 2:45p-3:00p | Vendor Presentation | |
| 3:00p-3:30p | AFTERNOON BREAK | |
| 3:30p-5:00p | Continuous Improvement in Action: Forensic Standards Development Updates from ASB, ASTM, and OSAC | Teresa Ambrosius, Allison Getz and Agnes Winokur |
| 6:00p-8:00p | VENDOR RECEPTION | |
Wednesday – General Session (View Session Abstracts)
| 6:30a-8:00a | BREAKFAST | |
| 8:00a-9:00a | Leadership & Communication | Brian Hoey |
| 9:00a-10:00a | The Science of Sustainable Performance | Rachel Murdock |
| 10:00a-10:15a | Vendor Presentation | |
| 10:15a-10:45a | MORNING BREAK | |
| 10:45a-11:00a | Vendor Presentation | |
| 11:00a-11:30a | AI in Quality Management | CJ Page |
| 11:30a-12:00p | Implementing FIGG in an ISO 17025 Environment: Program Development and Case Applications | Stacey Baker |
| 12:00p-1:00p | LUNCH | |
| 1:00p-2:00p | Overdose Investigations and Emerging Narcotics Trends | Keane Richardson |
| 2:00p-2:45p | Going Paperless Painfree* (*mostly) | Jennifer Howard |
| 2:45p-3:00p | Vendor Presentation | |
| 3:00p-3:30p | AFTERNOON BREAK | |
| 3:30p-4:30p | Inconclusive Decisions and Error Rates in Forensic Science | Henry Swofford & Steven Lund |
| 4:30p-5:00p | AFQAM Business Meeting | |
| 6:00p-8:00p | Evening Event ($) | Museum of BBQ |
Thursday – Breakout Sessions (View Breakout Session Abstracts)
| 6:30a-8:00a | BREAKFAST | ||
| 8:00a-10:00a | Forensic Science Validation: Principles and Tools with Henry Swofford & Steven Lund | Technical Leader Development with Brian Hoey and Matthew Gamette |
Qlutch: The Wait is Over with CJ Page This is being live streamed. Click here to register and access |
| 10:00a-10:30a | MORNING BREAK | ||
| 10:30a-12:00p | (Forensic Science Validation: Principles and Tools – continued) | Beginner’s Guide to Crystal Reports with Alanna Brauer (1st offering) | LIMS and QMS System: Survey Results and User Q&A with Outreach & Advocacy Committee |
| 12:00p-1:30p | LUNCH ON YOUR OWN (OR WITH A BUDDY) | ||
| 1:30p-3:00p | Beginner’s Guide to Crystal Reports with Alanna Brauer (2nd offering, same as 1st) | New to QA Panel with Richard Remy, Alicia Otto, Stacey Wilson, & Abby Schwaderer | Ethics and AI: Using the EthicsDNA®Framework in Forensic Science with Catharyn Baird |
| 3:00p-3:30p | AFTERNOON BREAK | ||
| 3:30p-5:00p | Quality Culture with Nick Fillinger |
What does “Activity Level” have to do with quality? with Jarrah Kennedy |
Building Effective Technical Leaders with Mindy Raines and Marie Wood |
| 6:00p-7:00p | Fireside Chat – AI Use in Labs | ||
Friday – General Session (View Session Abstracts)
| 6:30a-8:00a | BREAKFAST | |
| 8:00a-9:00a | Project FORESIGHT and Forensic Quality Management | Max M. Houck |
| 9:00a-10:00a | New Employee Onboarding |
|
| 10:00a-10:30a | MORNING BREAK | |
| 10:30a-11:15a |
Accreditation of a non-forensic and forensic laboratory under the same roof |
Christina Lindquist |
| 11:15a-12:00p | From Anomaly to Action: Using Historical Reanalysis Data to Evaluate an Unexpected Weight Discrepancy | Cathy Nigra |
| 12:00p-12:15p | Closing Remarks | |
Vendor Reception – The Roaring 20’s on October 13th, 2026
THANK YOU GOLD SPONSORS!
Evening Event – Museum of BBQ on October 14, 2026
$75 per ticket
“The Museum of BBQ is an immersive, colorful environment that encourages you to play while you learn about the elements and regions of American barbecue. We’re intentionally based in Kansas City – a city known for its barbecue culture – and a place where lots of different influences come together.”
