General Information

About the ASHG Annual Meeting

The 58th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Human Genetics will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Tuesday, November 11, through Saturday, November 15, 2008. Registration; scientific sessions; poster presentations; exhibits; the ASHG membership office, logistics office; press room, career services and career networking reception (Job Fair) will be located in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, One Convention Center Place, 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2299. Please review our schedule of events for further details.

The Philadelphia Marriott Hotel will serve as the headquarter hotel, 1201 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Please click on the hotel/travel link for further details.
 

About Philadelphia

Tax in Philadelphia

Sales Tax – 7%
Hotel Tax – 7%
City Liquor Tax – 10%
*There is no sales tax on clothing and shoes!

Tipping Guidelines

Tipping is voluntary. Below are some guidelines to follow:
*Waiters usually receive 15-20% of the bill. In some cases the tip is automatically added to your bill. You should always check before adding a gratuity.
*Maids usually receive $1-2 per room. You should leave the tip daily and not at the end of your stay.
*Taxi drivers usually receive 15% of the fare.
*Doormen, Skycaps and porters usually receive $1/bag

Yearly Average Temperatures

Cell Phone/Camera/Video Policy

Attendees are asked to be respectful of their colleagues by turning off all cell phones and PDA devices before entering meeting rooms.

Cameras and all other recording devices are strictly prohibited in all session rooms, on the exhibit floor, and in all poster/oral presentations unless pre-approved as an authorized vendor by ASHG. Attendees violating this policy will be removed from the room.

Thank you for your cooperation.
 

Child Care

The American Society of Human Genetics does not provide formal childcare at the meeting. Attendees should make arrangements directly with the hotel they are registered in prior to arriving at the meeting. You may also contact the company listed below. Most hotels in downtown Philadelphia recommend Your Other Hands, which is a bonded and licensed babysitting service. Please contact them directly to discuss rates and availability.

Your Other Hands
714 S. Colorado Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
Telephone: 215-790-0990
Fax: 215-545-5237
E-mail: manager@yourotherhands.net
Web: www.yourotherhands.net

Disclaimer: ASHG assumes no responsibility with respect to these services and accepts no liabilities relative to the services.

Curbstone Consultations

Curbstone Consults provides an opportunity for registrants to present cases to a group of expert clinical geneticists. Cases may be diagnostic dilemmas, or consultation may be sought for confirmation of a suspected diagnosis. The setting allows discussion of unusual cases during a designated session rather than during scientific sessions or by "cornering" specific clinicians at other times. The consultants all have expertise in dysmorphology. Additional special expertise is provided by the respective consultants and includes brain malformations, skeletal dysplasia, metabolic disorders and cancer predisposition syndromes.

Schedule:

Wednesday, November 12, 11:30am until 1:00 pm, and Thursday, November 13, from 5:00 pm until 6:30 pm in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 107.

Format

In order to allow many experts and registrants to participate in the discussion, the presentation format is as follows:

• Each case will be presented using PowerPoint slides, with a limit of 6 slides and 3 minutes per presentation. Discussion will follow, by the expert panel and the audience. Audience participation is encouraged!

   

• The discussion will be limited to 5 minutes, allowing a minimum of 11 cases to be reviewed in each 90 min session. Please load your case onto the computer before the session begins; label each file with the presenter’s name.

   

• It is each presenter’s responsibility to obtain consent prior to sharing identifiable patient information.

Important: The use of photography of any kind (digital, video) is prohibited during the consultation session unless approved in advance by the organizer.

For further information regarding these important sessions, contact Karen Gripp via email at kgripp@nemours.org.
 

Exhibits

Publications, electronics, laboratory equipment and accessories, computer software and other products and services of interest to registrants and their work will be on display in Exhibit Hall C of the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Wednesday, November 12, and Thursday, November 13, from 10:30 am until 6:30 pm, and on Friday, November 14, from 10:30 am until 1:30 pm.

Refreshments will be served in the Exhibit Hall during scheduled poster sessions each day.
Please plan to visit the exhibitors and thank them for their support of the ASHG 2008 Annual Meeting.
If you are interested in exhibiting at the meeting, please check HERE.

Frequently Asked Questions

ASHG has organized a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions about the annual meeting. 

View FAQ's

Restaurant/Dining Information

Within steps of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, you can satisfy all tastes! From Italian to Pan Asian, Chinese, Hispanic Cuisine, Caribbean, French Cuisine or traditional Ethiopian dishes. For a comprehensive list of restaurants, visit the “Where to Eat” link at http://www.philadelphiausa.travel/ashg.
 

Reading Terminal Market

Explore this unique and extraordinary historic farmers market located across the street from the Pennsylvania Convention Center. You can experience all of the following within one roofed area: Amish specialties, fresh produce, fresh meats, seafood, and poultry, fresh basked goods, unique gifts, hand-made pottery, jewelry and crafts from around the world. The Reading Terminal Market provides high-speed wireless Internet access in the main seating areas so you can grab breakfast, lunch or dinner and access the Internet all in one farmer's market. It's a cultural phenomenon!

A trip to Philadelphia isn’t complete without sampling some traditional favorites! Below are some “insider” tips to ordering local flavors:
 

Cheese steaks:

Philadelphia’s most famous food! Chopped beef served on a long roll with cheese. Locals head to Jim’s Steaks (400 South Street), Pat’s King of Steaks (1301 South 9th Street) and Tony Luke’s (39 East Oregon Avenue). Sound like a local and order “one wit” which means you’ll get onions or “one witout” means no onions.
 

Hoagies:

A Philadelphia tradition since 1904! A Philadelphia hoagie is loaded with cold cuts, cheeses, tomatoes, lettuce and assorted condiments and is served on an Amorosa roll. Many sandwich shops serve hoagies, but DiBruno’s two on Chestnut Street and in the Italian Market can create a masterpiece.
 

Soft Pretzels:

A simple twist of bread sprinkled with salt, soft pretzels are sold everywhere from street vendors to sports stadiums. The Sansom Street Pretzel Factory (121 S. 16th Street) is one of the many bakeries featuring warm pretzels all day. Locals eat them with mustard!
 

Safety Tips

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