Something of a tradition since 1963, this ‘residential’ sort of convention (or, national meeting) has evolved from a two-day meet-and-greet at the New York Belmont into an exciting and diverse sprawl of talks, games, and other forms of entertainment.

Held in a different city each year, and typically spanning around the July 4th weekend, the Annual Gathering gives Mensa members an opportunity to meet new friends, catch up with longtime friends, eat, drink, and make merry while enjoying speakers and presentations which we know have something important to say to tweak our ways of thinking.

The American Mensa Annual Gathering in 2023 will be in Baltimore, Maryland, and will be held at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor during the several days — July 5-9th — around the second weekend in July. All Mensa members are welcome to join us and enjoy a Mensa experience you won’t want to miss!

American Mensa was pleased to announce recently that accomplished filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist and a native of Baltimore, John Waters, will join us on Friday, July 7th, as our Gala Dinner keynote speaker. He’s written and directed 16 movies, including Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, and Cry-Baby. He is the author of 10 books, including his first novel in 2022 — Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance. Add to that: two music compilation CDs; photography and sculpture exhibits across the world; roles in TV and motion pictures; and one-man shows.

Colloquium 2023 (Giftedness Across the Lifespan: The Talent and Potential of Neurodiversity) will be held the day before the Annual Gathering on July 4th, 2023. Join us as other registered attendees of this one-day educational symposium will provide a friendly forum for Mensa members and members from the ‘open public’ to explore, debate, and evaluate the current themes, topics, and major presuppositions of neurodiversity.

Also sponsored by the Mensa Foundation, Spark! programming will offer our young members a great chance to have some fun, build new friendships, and make lasting memories of their own while at this Annual Gathering in Baltimore.