Twenty-one years ago. That was the last time the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo was in Nashville, Tennessee, and the city has undergone a major transformation during that time, which is why SOT is now returning to Music City.

In 2013, Nashville opened its new convention center, Music City Center, in the heart of downtown Nashville—two blocks from the infamous Lower Broadway, aka Honky Tonk Highway. To support visitors to Music City Center, more than 10 hotels were built and opened in the last 10 years. SOT Council was impressed when it visited Nashville in January 2015 and signed contracts to hold the 2023 meeting there not long after that.

Early-bird registration is now open for the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, and Connections Housing, the official SOT housing provider, is ready to assist all members and attendees with securing hotel reservations. Throughout the coming months, we look forward to announcing additional information related to the meeting, such as the scientific program that our Committees are working hard to finalize.

In a message a few weeks ago, I expressed that the Society is attune to the concerns that some members may have about traveling to Tennessee. I encourage you to review some materials that SOT has gathered about how Nashville’s government and citizen groups are committed to Nashville remaining an inclusive environment for all individuals. We will continue to work with our partners in Nashville to ensure that the SOT meeting registrants are comfortable and safe in the Music City.

I look forward to having the SOT membership experience an SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in the “new” Nashville and remember that you can contact me or any other member of Council at any time.