Your ASMS Day 1 briefing: Setting the agenda & first press announcements
ASMS 2026 gets fully underway today, with a packed schedule of oral sessions, the opening of posters and exhibits, and a full lineup of exhibitor press conferences running throughout the day
1 Jun 2026
Editorial article
At a glance
- Plenary / central session: John B. Fenn Award lecture (award session and lecture, Hall D, 16:45–17:30)
- Press conferences today: Bruker, Shimadzu, SCIEX, Agilent, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waters (multiple locations, see below)
- One to circle: Morning oral sessions across eight parallel tracks (8:30–10:30, multiple rooms)
- Show-floor watch: Poster session and exhibits (10:30–14:30, Exhibit–Poster Hall)
Plenary pick: John B. Fenn Award lecture
Where: Hall D, 16:45–17:30
Speaker: Albert J.R. Heck, Utrecht University
Monday’s central lecture is the John B. Fenn Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry Award Lecture, part of the afternoon award session.
Posters and exhibition
Where: Exhibit–Poster Hall
Time: 10:30–14:30
- Poster presentations: 10:30–12:00 and 13:00–14:30
- Coverage includes ion mobility, proteomics, metabolomics, environmental analysis, and imaging MS
Program highlights (beyond the plenary)
All selections below are taken directly from Monday sessions listed in the official program.
- Informatics, multiomics integration and applications
(Hall D, 8:30–10:30) - Ion mobility, instrumentation and method development
(Ballroom 20A, 8:30–10:30) - Clinical analysis applications
(Room 6A, 8:30–10:30) - Environmental, non-target analysis and emerging contaminants
(Room 6CF, 8:30–10:30) - Instrumentation, ionization and sampling developments
(Room 6DE, 8:30–10:30)
Afternoon oral sessions
Where: Multiple rooms, 14:30–16:30
Parallel sessions continue into the afternoon, including:
- Instrumentation, high-resolution mass spectrometry
(Ballroom 20BC) - Imaging, spatially resolved omics
(Room 6B) - Exposomics, toxicology and health outcomes
(Room 6A) - Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics
(Room 6CF)
Press conferences to watch: First announcements set the tone
Where: Grand Ballroom and Pacific Ballroom suites
Monday typically brings the most press activity, with exhibitors unveiling new platforms, major upgrades, and software capabilities. These early announcements often establish the narratives that dominate booth conversations and demos.
Watch for:
- New system launches or form‑factor changes
- Early performance and application data
- Software releases positioned around workflow integration
All press conferences below are scheduled for Monday, June 1, with exact times and locations confirmed:
- 8:00–9:00 — Bruker Daltonics
(Grand Ballroom 8–9) - 9:30–10:30 — Shimadzu
(Grand Ballroom 5–6) - 11:00–12:00 — SCIEX
(Pacific Ballroom 18–19) - 13:30–14:30 — Agilent Technologies
(Grand Ballroom 1–4) - 15:00–16:00 — Thermo Fisher Scientific
(Grand Ballroom 10–13) - 16:30–17:30 — Waters Corporation
(Pacific Ballroom 21–22)
This full-day schedule spans all major instrument vendors, with sessions distributed across the main ballroom spaces.
Frequently asked questions
What is ASMS?
The American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) is a professional organization dedicated to advancing the science and application of mass spectrometry. The annual ASMS conference is one of the largest global meetings in the field, bringing together researchers, instrument developers, and industry professionals to share new data, technologies, and applications.
What is the ASMS 2026 conference?
The 74th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics is the 2026 annual meeting of the society. The program includes oral presentations, poster sessions, award lectures, workshops, networking events, and a large exhibition featuring instrument vendors and technology providers.
Where is ASMS 2026 being held?
ASMS 2026 is being held in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center, a large waterfront venue that hosts the conference’s multiple parallel sessions, exhibition halls, and poster areas. The program references spaces within the convention center such as Hall D, Grand Ballroom suites, Pacific Ballroom rooms, and the Exhibit–Poster Hall, which are all part of the convention center complex.
What happens on the first full day of the conference?
Monday, June 1 marks the first full day of technical programming, including:
- Morning and afternoon parallel oral sessions across multiple scientific tracks
- The opening of the poster and exhibition hall (10:30 am–2:30 pm)
- A networking session at midday
- The John B. Fenn Award lecture in the late afternoon, which serves as the main all-attendee session for the day
Who attends ASMS?
The conference attracts a global audience including academic researchers, industry scientists, instrument manufacturers, software developers, and students, all working in areas where mass spectrometry plays a role, such as proteomics, metabolomics, clinical analysis, environmental science, and drug development.