The Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference (FLAIRS) was founded in 1987 to promote and advance artificial intelligence research within the state of Florida, fostering interaction between researchers at colleges, universities, and industry. From its inception, one major goal of the society has been to promote the advancement of AI through a yearly conference. During the first two years of the conference, participation was limited to Florida residents. Since 1990, the conference has been open to all and has logged a dramatic increase in participation from around the world, due in part to the warm climate offered by this conference location, but also due to the increase in research quality.