OYSTER SOUTH SYMPOSIUM 2026 is presented by American Complete Oyster Farming Systems Inc.
YOU'RE INVITED
Join us in Houston for our biggest gathering yet! The Oyster South Symposium brings together producers, gear suppliers, distributors, chefs, food writers, vendors, researchers, students and managers from the southeast and Gulf coast regions to discuss pressing issues and relevant, practical research on oyster aquaculture. Tickets are available now!
WHEN & WHERE
January 29th – 31st, 2026 • Houston, Texas
Venue: InterContinental Houston
The Symposium kicks off Thursday, January 29th with our lively Director's Welcome Reception (location TBA), followed by two full days of talks and trade show sessions (January 30–31), and closes with our legendary Shuck & Tell celebration on Saturday night, January 31st at Lott Hall.
Stay with us at the InterContinental and take advantage of our special group rate. Book your room here. Includes complimentary breakfast!
REGISTRATION
Oyster South members enjoy deeply discounted registration rates — join or renew your membership here to save big. We'd love to have you as a member!
Registration includes:
Admission to all sessions (Friday + Saturday)
All coffee breaks and happy hours
Director’s Welcome Reception on Thursday night
Shuck & Tell closing celebration on Saturday night
Access to the Industry Trade Show
...and more!
Don’t wait — early bird pricing ends December 12th (extended from Dec. 5th)!
TRADE SHOW
One of the Symposium’s most popular features, our Industry Trade Show, runs Friday morning through Saturday afternoon and brings together the best in oyster gear, technology, and innovation.
This year, the show will include:
• American Complete Oyster Farming Systems Inc. • BlueTrace • BST Oyster Supplies • Flip Farm Systems Ltd. • Formutech • In Situ • Ketcham Supply • Minamoto Foods • Mobjack Bay Seafood • Oyster Resource and Recovery Center at the Harte Research Institute of Texas A&M–CC • OysterGro • Oyster Seed Holdings, Inc. • Pure Biomass, Inc. • Sea Farms Consulting, LLC • SEAPA • Seed to Shuck Ventures • Shell Game Products • TAMU Corpus Christi • The Nature Conservancy
Exhibitor registration includes two full Symposium badges so your team can take part in all sessions and events. Need more? You can easily purchase extra registrations for additional attendees.
SOCIAL EVENTS
Plan to arrive early and stay through Sunday!
Thursday, Jan 29: Director’s Welcome Reception — mingle, reconnect, and enjoy some local Houston food & culture (location TBA)
Saturday, Jan 31: Shuck & Tell at Lott Hall — our signature closing party where we come together to celebrate another successful Symposium
Depart on Sunday, Feb 1, after one last Houston breakfast with your new friends :)
SPONSORSHIP
To put on a successful meeting for the industry while keeping registration costs reasonable, we welcome sponsorships. Sponsors receive recognition on social media and meeting materials, plus the opportunity to share literature with attendees.
Interested in supporting us? Contact Bill Walton at bill@oystersouth.com or view sponsorship opportunities here.
In-kind sponsorships are also welcome!
TRAVEL NOTE
Please note that participants are responsible for their own transportation to the Symposium, social events and tours.
PROGRAM
There will be panels and talks that include updates on work being done on sudden unusual mortality in oysters, understanding factors that affect shelf life, use of video in telling your story, a round up of what's going on with oyster farming in Texas, the always popular Three Minute Tech Talks, market updates, ways to increase oyster consumption, resources for new growers and lots more!
Tentative Program (Subject to change, last updated Dec. 13, 2025)
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026
5:00-7:00 Director's Welcome Reception (more info soon)
Friday, Jan. 30, 2026
8:30 Trade Show Opens & Coffee Break
9:00-9:15 Welcome, Beth Walton & ACOF
9:15-9:45 National Oyster Market Report, Spoiler Alert; It's Not Pretty, Bob Rheault
9:45-10:00 TBD
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-11:15 Texas Round Up, Moderated by Mario Marquez
11:15-12:00 SUMS Updates, Andrea Tarnecki & Tal Ben Horin
12:00-1:15 Lunch
1:15-2:00 Three Minute Tech Talks, Moderated by Andrea Tarnecki & Ellen Coffin
2:00-2:45 Screen Time: Using Video for Storytelling, Moderated by Erin Byers Murray
2:45-3:00 2nd Annual Oyster South Award Presentations, Moderated by Bill Walton
3:00-5:00 Trade Show & Happy Hour (Sponsored by Ketcham Supply Co.)
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026
8:30 Trade Show Opens & Coffee Break
9:00-10:00 Resources for New Growers
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-11:15 Increasing Oyster Consumption, Moderated by Thomas Derbes
11:15 12:00 Fresh 2 Death: Discussing Shelf-Life, Moderated by Bill Walton
12:00-1:30 Lunch on Own
1:30-1:45 You Are So Shuckable, Julie Qiu & Bill Walton
1:45-2:00 Using Environmental Benefit Calculators, Leslie Sturmer
2:00-2:15 NIMBY Legal Cases, TBD
2:15-2:30 Shrinkage, Cainnon Gregg
2:30-2:45 From Farm to Reef – Lessons from SOAR Resiliency Fund Projects, Moderated by Rebekah Borgert
2:45-3:00 Wrap Up, Beth Walton
3:00-5:00 Trade Show & Happy Hour
7:00-9:00 Shuck & Tell Closing Party
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Presenting / Royal Flush Sponsors
• American Complete Oyster Farming Systems Inc.
Straight Flush Sponsors
• Ketcham Supply • The Nature Conservancy
Four of a Kind Sponsors
• Mississippi Department of Marine Resources • Oyster Resource and Recovery Center at the Harte Research Institute of Texas A&M–CC • Palacios Marine Agricultural Research, Inc.
Full House Sponsors
• BlueTrace • BST Oyster Supplies • Flip Farm Systems Ltd. • Minamoto Foods • OysterGro • Oyster Seed Holdings, Inc. • Sea Farms Consulting, LLC • SEAPA • Seed to Shuck Ventures • Shell Game Products • South Atlantic Regional Sea Grant Programs • TAMU Corpus Christi
Three of a Kind Sponsors
• Florida Oyster Farms & Waterstreet Seafood • Plauché & Carr LLP
Special Thanks for Ante-ing Up
• Texas Sea Grant • Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center • University of Florida, Shellfish Extension Program • University of North Carolina Wilmington Shellfish Research Hatchery
In-Kind