America (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois) Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) Midwest (Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia) New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) New Jersey New York North Central (Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota) Northwest (Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) Other Countries Pacific Southwest (Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and southern California) Pennsylvania Eastern Pennsylvania Western Rocky Mountain (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) South America South Central (Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas) Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) Western Great Lakes (Wisconsin and northern Illinois) Events The national organization sponsors the annual Coaster Con convention, international tours, seasonal conferences, and a conference focused on coaster preservation. Coaster Con Coaster Con, usually features one to as many as six theme parks where exclusive ride time is made available to members on selected coasters outside of times when the park is open to the public. Coaster Con also features photo and video contests, carnival games competitions, as well as an annual business meeting, banquet (with presentations, awards, industry keynote speaker, and auction to benefit ACE's funds), workshops, discussion groups, displays, and memorabilia sales tables. *Note: These events were delayed one full year due to COVID-19. A virtual Coaster Con known as "Coaster Con at Home" was held on the same dates. Awards ACE Coaster Classics The ACE Coaster Classic award was developed during a period when changes in the design, equipping, and operation of wood coasters threatened to erase these time-honored experiences and rituals. The award is designed to recognize coasters that still adhere to these principles while allowing riders to safely experience the thrill of the classic wooden roller coaster ride. To be eligible for ACE Coaster Classic status, the coaster must meet the following criteria: Traditional lap bars that allow riders to experience so-called airtime, or negative G's, the sensation of floating above the seat, must be installed. Individual, ratcheting lap bars do not meet this requirement. Riders must be able to slide from side-to-side in their seats. A coaster with any restraint or device that restricts this freedom, like seat dividers between riders, does not meet this requirement. Riders must be able to view upcoming drops and thrills. A coaster with headrests on every seat or the majority of seats that restrict this view does not meet this requirement. Riders must be free to choose