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4 min read

Grace Hopper Celebration Cancelled Anaheim Dates Two Weeks Out: What Attendees and Residents Should Know

By Anaheim Life Editorial4 min read
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A hotel desk at dusk with a folded itinerary, a room key card, a coiled conference lanyard with its badge turned face-down, and an open suitcase beside a window lit in dusty blue twilight.

The 2026 Grace Hopper Celebration will not take place in Anaheim. AnitaB.org cancelled the conference, which was scheduled for Oct. 27-30 at the Anaheim Convention Center (official GHC event page), about two weeks before it was due to open. Registrants need to cancel their own flights and hotel rooms with their providers. Hoodline reports that AnitaB.org will contact them about registration fees by Oct. 26.

What happened

Bloomberg's Jeff Green and Emily Flitter, in a report republished by The Spokesman-Review, say the statement came out on Tuesday. SFGate dated its report Tuesday, Oct. 13. The statement, signed by AnitaB.org President and CEO Brenda Darden Wilkerson, says the decision "is a function of not having the funds required to move forward with the Celebration, unlike in years past" (AnitaB.org press release).

The statement continues: "this year, both individual registrations and sponsorship commitments came in significantly below our expectations and, ultimately, below the level needed to cover critical operating expenses."

Why the money ran short

Tom's Hardware reviewed AnitaB.org's annual IRS filings. It reported that the nonprofit lost $14.6 million in 2024 on revenue of $27.5 million and expenses of $42.1 million. Contributions and grants fell from $11.2 million in 2023 to $724,350 in 2024. The conference itself cost $26.9 million in 2024 and brought in $22.4 million.

Attendance had also been falling. Tom's Hardware reported a drop from 29,000 in 2023 to 17,000 in 2024. Citing data on AnitaB.org's website, the Bloomberg report says roughly 15,000 people attended in 2025. That was the fewest since 2016, and attendance had routinely topped 20,000 in earlier years.

A big event by any measure

AnitaB.org started Grace Hopper in 1994. Bloomberg says the conference has drawn tens of thousands of attendees looking for jobs, mentors and professional connections, and calls the cancellation "the latest example of how the retreat from diversity initiatives is reshaping opportunities for women in tech." SFGate reported that more than 800 speakers were scheduled and that the conference usually draws more than 700 companies each year. Tom's Hardware listed Disney, Google, Capital One and Goldman Sachs among the sponsors.

What registrants should do now

  • Hotels and flights: AnitaB.org's release says: "We encourage you to review cancellation and refund eligibility with your travel and accommodation provider." Tom's Hardware notes that travel and lodging costs fall on attendees.

  • Registration fees: AnitaB.org says it will share registration and financial information "once we obtain a clearer understanding of AnitaB.org's financial condition." Hoodline reports that registrants will be contacted by Oct. 26.

  • Career fair interviews: According to Hoodline, employers with scheduled interviews are being notified, and AnitaB.org is asking them to continue those conversations directly where possible.

  • Questions: Email GHC@AnitaB.org.

What it means for Anaheim

So far, nobody has published local numbers. As of this writing, none of our sources included a statement from the City of Anaheim, Visit Anaheim, the Anaheim Convention Center or any local hotel or restaurant about the cancellation, and no source gave figures for room nights or lost spending tied to Grace Hopper.

For a sense of how much conventions matter here, in January Visit Anaheim announced 142 conventions, meetings and events confirmed for 2026. It projected about 600,000 hotel room nights, $1.74 billion in total economic impact and $22.1 million in Transient Occupancy Tax for the year. Those are citywide numbers for every confirmed event. That release does not mention Grace Hopper, so it doesn't tell us what this one cancellation costs.

What comes next

Wilkerson's statement says AnitaB.org is "evaluating strategic alternatives and the type of programming we can offer in the future," with more announcements expected in the coming weeks. Grace Hopper Celebration India is still scheduled for Jan. 20-22, 2027, in Bangalore, according to the AnitaB.org release and Hoodline. We will update this story if Anaheim officials or the convention center comment.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Why was the 2026 Grace Hopper Celebration cancelled?

AnitaB.org said individual registrations and sponsorship commitments came in well below expectations and below the level needed to cover critical operating expenses. Tom's Hardware reported from IRS filings that the nonprofit lost $14.6 million in 2024.

When and where was Grace Hopper 2026 supposed to happen?

It was scheduled for Oct. 27-30, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The cancellation was announced about two weeks before the start date.

Will registrants get their registration fees back?

AnitaB.org has not given refund details yet. It says registration information will come once it understands its financial condition better, and Hoodline reports registrants will be contacted by Oct. 26.

Do I need to cancel my Anaheim hotel myself?

Yes. AnitaB.org is telling attendees to check cancellation and refund eligibility directly with their travel and accommodation providers, and Tom's Hardware notes those costs fall on attendees.

How will the cancellation affect Anaheim businesses?

No local numbers have been published. None of the sources we reviewed included a statement or impact figure from the City of Anaheim, Visit Anaheim, the convention center or local hotels.