AscendX is Ascendco Health’s annual Super User Conference: a 3-day immersive, high-energy, community-driven experience designed for SPD, OR, perioperative, and supply chain leaders who want to transform surgical operations through data, collaboration, and innovation.

For 2026, the theme centers on Collaboration, Connection, and Culture bringing together the full surgical ecosystem to align, learn, and accelerate progress.

Date: September 21st – 23rd

Location: Swissôtel Chicago

Opening Keynote & Welcome Party

Kick off AscendX with a high-energy Welcome Party featuring a world-renowned keynote speaker who will challenge, inspire, and reframe how you think about leadership, resilience, and innovation in healthcare.

Celebrate with peers, build connections from day one, and set the tone for a transformative week.

Tailored Education Tracks

Choose your path and dive deep:

• Foundational Track
  Strengthen scan points, dashboards, compliance workflows, and day-to-day operational excellence.
• Strategic Track
  Harness predictive analytics, benchmarking, staffing optimization, and executive-level data narratives to scale innovation system-wide.

Exhibitor Innovation Showcase

Explore the industry’s most forward-thinking companies in our curated exhibitor showcase.

This isn’t a traditional trade show floor — it’s a focused environment featuring innovative partners advancing compliance, analytics, automation, AI, and surgical workflow transformation.

The Fix-It Bar

Bring your toughest workflow, staffing, analytics, or compliance challenge to our live, hands-on support station. Walk in with a problem. Walk out with a plan.

Client Innovation Showcase

Hear directly from Ascendco users who’ve transformed their departments — from staffing wins to analytics breakthroughs and system-level alignment.

To present at the Client Innovation Showcase, please fill out this following submission form. 

Live Analytics & AI in Action

See real-time dashboards, CoPilot AI, predictive alerts, and workflow automation come to life — and learn how to implement them immediately.

Instrumental Innovation Awards

Celebrate the teams and individuals redefining what’s possible in sterile processing.

The Instrumental Innovation Awards spotlight operational excellence, measurable outcomes, and bold leadership that is moving the industry forward.

Nominate your team for an Instrumental Innovation Award. 

Community Moments That Matter

• Welcome Party

• Peer-to-Peer Mentorship

• Instrumental Innovations Awards

• Trivia & Interactive Sessions

• Ask the Ascenders Breakfast

These aren’t “add-ons.” They’re where relationships are built, ideas are exchanged, and long-term partnerships are formed.

Focus on Business Impact

• Learn how advanced analytics and digital workflows reduce operational costs, improve efficiency, and strengthen compliance across your surgical ecosystem

Make Risk Visible — and Actionable

• Discover how measurable risk scoring, predictive insights, and real-time dashboards elevate decision-making and reduce cost-per-case.

Access What’s Next

• Be the first to experience new Ascendco platform features, live analytics tools, automation capabilities, and system-wide innovations — with hands-on guidance from the team who built them.

Expand Your Network

• Connect with peers who’ve solved the exact challenges you’re facing. At AscendX, you don’t just get insights — you get “phone-a-friends” for life.

Whether you’re:

• An SPD Technician striving for smoother workflows

• A Director optimizing staffing and compliance

• A Supply Chain leader focused on cost control

• A C-suite executive driving margin and performance

AscendX delivers measurable takeaways you can implement immediately.

Most conferences give you information.
AscendX gives you:

• Direct access to product leaders

• Live problem-solving sessions

• Actionable roadmaps

• Community accountability

• Clear ROI narratives to bring back to leadership

This is not passive attendance.
This is active transformation.

AscendX offers two registration options so attendees can choose the experience that fits their needs:

Local Package

• Ideal for attendees who do not require hotel accommodations.
• Includes full conference access, all meals, evening events, and participation in workshops, breakouts, and trainings.

Hotel Package

• Designed for travelers who want a seamless conference experience with lodging included.
  Includes everything in the Local Package plus a 3-night hotel stay at the official AscendX hotel: Swissôtel Chicago.

Complimentary Attendance for Ascendco Clients

If your facility is an Ascendco client, you may qualify for complimentary conference passes based on your subscription package:

• Foundation Package — 1 complimentary attendee per facility

• Advanced Package — 2 complimentary attendees per facility

• Strategic Package — 3 complimentary attendees per facility

If your organization qualifies, you will receive a confirmation email and a unique discount code to register your included attendees at no cost. Please reach out to your Client Success Manager if you have any questions. 

Additional attendees beyond your complimentary allotment can register at the standard Local or Hotel rate.