Banff Empirical IO Conference October 2–3, 2026 Banff Centre, Alberta

Presented by

University of Calgary · Dept of Economics

Research Program in Competition & Regulation

Program

Session times are tentative and may shift before the conference. The Friday group dinner (7:30 pm at Park Distillery) is confirmed.

  1. Friday, October 2

    1. 8:30 Breakfast at Vistas Dining Room
    2. 9:00

      Dan AckerbergUniversity of Texas at Austin

      Production Function Identification Under Imperfect Competition

    3. 9:40

      Zach BrownUniversity of Michigan

      Algorithmic Coercion with Faster Pricing

    4. 10:20 Break
    5. 10:40

      El Hadi CaouiUniversity of Toronto

      Estimating Consumer Preferences for LLMs: Evidence from LMArena

    6. 11:20

      Mitsuru IgamiUniversity of Toronto

      Information Sharing vs. Collusive Coordination: A BCE Approach to Algorithmic Pricing in US Multifamily Rentals

    7. 12:00 Lunch at Vistas Dining Room
    Afternoon

    Hiking and outdoors. Optional group hike up Tunnel Mountain.

    Evening

    Group dinner at 7:30 pm at Park Distillery (219 Banff Avenue) — about a 10-minute walk down from Banff Centre.

  2. Saturday, October 3

    1. 8:30 Breakfast at Vistas Dining Room
    2. 9:00

      Gaston IllanesNorthwestern University

      A Large-Scale Evaluation of Merger Simulations

    3. 9:40

      Anran LiUniversity of Minnesota

      Going for Broker? Intermediation in Health Insurance Markets

    4. 10:20 Break
    5. 10:40

      Michael RubensUCLA

      Conduct in U.S. Labor Markets

    6. 11:20

      Cailin SlatteryBerkeley Haas

      Consolidation and Political Influence in Auto Retail

    7. 12:00 Lunch at Vistas Dining Room
    Afternoon Optional

    Optional group hike for anyone sticking around.

    Evening Optional

    Optional dinner in town for anyone sticking around.

Attendees

  • Dan Ackerberg University of Texas at Austin
  • Victor Aguirregabiria University of Toronto
  • Zach Brown University of Michigan
  • El Hadi Caoui University of Toronto
  • Luming Chen University of Michigan
  • Rebekah Dix Yale University
  • Aidan Hollis University of Calgary
  • Mitsuru Igami University of Toronto
  • Gaston Illanes Northwestern University
  • Sarah Johnston University of Calgary
  • Yunmi Kong Rice University
  • Anran Li University of Minnesota
  • Arvind Magesan University of Calgary
  • Lorenzo Magnolfi Ohio State University
  • Victoria Marone Yale University
  • Charlie Murry University of Michigan
  • Will Rafey UCLA
  • Michael Rubens UCLA
  • Marc Rysman Boston University
  • Cailin Slattery Berkeley Haas
  • Alan Sorensen University of Wisconsin–Madison
  • Chris Sullivan University of Calgary
  • Ajornie Taylor University of Calgary
  • Matt Weinberg Ohio State University

Registration

There will be a registration fee of CAD $200 (approx. USD $150). This covers breakfast, lunch, and snack on Friday and Saturday, as well as the group dinner on Friday night.

Register Registration includes payment of the fee. Takes a few minutes.

Pre-conference survey

After registering, please also complete the pre-conference survey so we can plan meals and order swag.

Not included

Accommodation and travel to Banff are arranged individually. See Travel & Stay for how to book a room at Banff Centre in the conference block.

Travel & Stay

The conference will take place at the Banff Centre, a hotel/conference venue on the slopes of Tunnel Mountain with sweeping views of the Bow Valley. A block of rooms is held for the conference at discounted rates, and each attendee books their own room directly with Banff Centre.

Getting here

The closest airport is Calgary International (YYC). Banff Centre is about 130 km west of the airport — a 1.5–2 hour drive on the TransCanada Highway.

Shuttle
Banff Airporter is the official shuttle of Banff Centre — drops at the Professional Development Centre (front desk), ~10 daily departures from YYC. Brewster Express runs daily motor coach service from YYC to Banff; reservations required.
By car
Banff Centre offers free self-parking; the North parkade is accessible via St. Julien Way and the South lot via Buffalo Street.
Carpool
Coordinate rides to and from YYC with other attendees on the message board.

Message board

The message board is where attendees coordinate outside the sessions. Post rides to and from YYC, or share afternoon plans and activities on the shared sheet. Anyone with the link can edit.

Staying at Banff Centre

Our block is held until September 2, 2026. Please book by end of August to ensure you have a room. Booking more than one room, or staying off-site? Please contact us first (see the Contact section below).

Book online. Go to Banff Centre reservations, click the Group Sign In tab at the top of the page, enter group code BEM2610, then pick your dates. The group rate will apply automatically.

Or by phone. Call Banff Centre Reservations at 1-800-884-7574 and reference booking ID BEM2610.

Group rates start at CAD $317/night, plus applicable taxes and a CAD $20/room/day facility fee (covers parking, Wi-Fi, and the Sally Borden fitness centre — gym, pool, climbing wall). The group rate extends to three days before and after the conference, subject to availability. Attendees staying off-campus will be charged a CAD $30/person/day facility fee.

What to pack

Attire is mountain casual. October weather in Banff can range from sunny 60s°F (mid-teens °C) to freezing temps and snow; pack accordingly.

Things to do

Tunnel Mountain Group Hike. On Friday afternoon. A 5-minute walk from Banff Centre; ~4.5 km round trip with sweeping Bow Valley views.

Other hikes worth a visit:

  • Hoodoos Trail (easy, 1.5–2 hr) — walkable from the Centre; quiet riverside path
  • Johnston Canyon (easy–moderate, 1–3 hr) — 30-min drive; iconic waterfalls and cliffside catwalks
  • Lake Agnes Tea House (moderate, 3–4 hr) — 45-min drive to Lake Louise; classic alpine-lake hike

For more, see Parks Canada Banff trails.

Contact

Banff Empirical IO Conference · 2026