The venue card says two days; the organiser says three
ZERO to THREE LEARN Conference 2026 runs October 27 to 29, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. The Oregon Convention Center event card reads October 28 to 29 and names Hall A, which covers the two conference days. The organiser adds Tuesday, October 27 as a pre-conference day. Registration is required.
Ninety minutes, both days, meals on your own
The schedule repeats one break on Wednesday and Thursday: 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, printed as lunch on your own plus exhibits with a poster showcase and live Q and A. Ninety minutes, twice.
The organiser FAQ states the meal policy directly. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided, meals are on your own, and lunch options will be available for purchase in the exhibit hall and near the convention center each day. Pre-conference registration includes a networking lunch, a separate purchase on a separate day.
Ninety minutes covers a sandwich and a lap of the poster showcase.
The 7 am start and the two 4 pm sessions
Wednesday opens registration at 7:00 am and closes the desks at 5:00 pm. Morning stretch runs 7:00 to 7:30, coffee in the exhibit hall 7:30 to 9:00, then the Opening and Practice Plenary from 9:00 to 10:00. Concurrent block one runs 10:30 to 11:30. Lunch runs 11:30 to 1:00. Block two runs 1:00 to 2:00, block three 2:30 to 3:30, and the Research and Science Plenary closes the day from 4:00 to 5:00.
Thursday opens registration at 7:00 am and closes it at 4:00 pm. The Policy Plenary runs 9:00 to 10:00, blocks run 10:30 to 11:30, 1:00 to 2:00 and 2:30 to 3:30, and the day ends with the keynote from 4:00 to 5:00. The conference adjourns at 5:00.
Wednesday closes with a plenary and Thursday closes with the keynote, listed on the conference home page as The Cost of Showing Up Happy.
Why the midday slot is the one that earns a room
Coffee at 7:30 and lunch at 11:30 bracket a four-and-a-half-hour run holding a plenary and one session. The room competes with the exhibit hall floor at 11:30, when the whole attendance looks for a table at once, and with the 10:00 and 2:00 transition breaks.
A day room bought at 11:30 supplies a table, a door and a bathroom for the length of one session block. It also covers the half hour between the 3:30 close of block three and the 4:00 session, both days.
Three hotels the organiser calls walkable
ZERO TO THREE states that hotel blocks are no longer available and that these properties sit outside any official block. Distances are the organiser numbers.
Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center, 435 NE Wasco St, 0.3 miles, 7-minute walk. Crowne Plaza Portland-Downtown Convention Center, 1441 NE 2nd Ave, 0.4 miles, 9-minute walk. Jupiter NEXT, 900 E Burnside St, 0.6 miles, 12-minute walk.
One of the three publishes a day rate in the current Portland card set. Jupiter NEXT lists US$115 against a US$209 nightly comparison, 45 percent lower, on windows of 10am to 4pm and 5pm to 10pm. The Courtyard card in the same set is Portland East, a different property in Wilkes East, so it does not price the Wasco Street address.
Rates read this afternoon
From the dayuse.com Portland listing at 20:27 UTC on October 18, 2026, with straight-line miles from the convention center door: Jupiter Original 0.49 miles at US$83 against US$150, 45 percent, on 10am to 4pm and 5pm to 11pm. Jupiter Next 0.50 miles at US$115 against US$209. Royal Sonesta Portland Downtown 0.90 miles at US$100 against US$170, 42 percent, on 7am to 2pm and 9am to 9pm. Staypineapple Hotel Rose 0.90 miles at US$105 against US$450, 77 percent, on 8am to 2pm and 10am to 5pm. The Nines 0.95 miles at US$149 against US$450, 67 percent, on 10am to 6pm.
Every downtown card in the set opens at 7am or later, the Royal Sonesta first. The one pre-7am window belongs to the Ramada by Wyndham Portland at 4.88 miles, on 5am to 10am for US$85. The platform sells four slots, states day rates run 30 to 75 percent below nightly rates, and lists 103,857+ hotels in 46 states with four states excluded by travel law. Oregon is not among them.
Tuesday, the day before, and the 6:30 close
Pre-conference registration runs 7:00 am to 6:30 pm on Tuesday, closed from 11 am to 3 pm. Pre-conference forums run 8:30 am to 3:30 pm and the HealthySteps Symposium runs 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. A screening and facilitated dialogue runs 4:00 to 5:30 pm and the opening reception runs 5:30 to 7:00 pm.
A one-day pre-conference forum costs $245 on the FAQ price ladder. Conference registration runs $550 for members and $650 for regular attendees through October 26, then $580 and $680 onsite. Groups of five or more take $50 off each registration, capacity is listed at 2,500, cancellations carry a $75 fee and no refund requests are processed after September 15, 2026.
What to book, and when
Badge pickup happens at registration desks in the convention center lobby, and a photo ID may be requested. The venue publishes complimentary Wi-Fi in all lobbies and meeting rooms, paid tiers at $12 and $50 per day, LocketGo lockers reservable by phone and card, and a cashless payment rule.
Book the slot for 11:30 to 1:00 and the hour on either side. On Wednesday that means an 11am to 2pm window, which the Royal Sonesta card brackets at 7am to 2pm and the Jupiter Original card at 10am to 4pm. Thursday runs to a 4:00 keynote, so a 10am to 5pm window sets a delegate up through the close. Confirm the hour on the listing before paying, because the property sets the window and the inclusions vary.
