2008 Press Guidelines & Policies

The ASHG Press Office will be located in the Philadelphia Convention Center, Room #304. Complimentary registration will be available for members of the media who provide appropriate identification (see below). Members of the press are advised to pre-register for the 2008 meeting, however, we will continue to offer onsite press registration as well. By registering early, your press badge and other materials will be mailed to you prior to the meeting. Please note that you will have to show proper identification once inside the ASHG Press Room.

• All ASHG press briefings and scientific sessions at the 2008 Annual Meeting are open to registered members of the media.

   

  • Registered journalists must wear/display their official ASHG 2008 press badge at all times while onsite attending the meeting.

  • Exchanging, loaning or borrowing of ASHG 2008 press badges is strictly prohibited.
     

• Camera crews filming in onsite meeting areas other than the Press Room must make prior arrangements with the ASHG Press Office staff.

  • Filming inside the scientific sessions is prohibited unless special permission has been granted by the ASHG Press Office.

  • Filming inside the exhibit area is prohibited unless prior arrangements have been made through the ASHG Press Office.

   

• ASHG reserves the right to bar from this and future meetings any journalist who deliberately promotes the viewpoint of one company or institution, or who attempts to solicit manuscripts, advertising, or subscriptions from registrants or exhibitors.

Embargo Guidelines

All scientific information presented at the ASHG 2008 Annual Meeting (including abstracts, posters, presentations, symposia, scientific sessions, etc.) is embargoed until the date and time of presentation. If an abstract is being discussed at an official ASHG press briefing scheduled before the time of presentation, the embargo is lifted at the time of the briefing.

In some cases, a scientist presenting data that are soon to be published by a scientific journal may be unable to provide additional information to the press because of pre-publication constraints or embargo rules imposed by the journal’s publisher. In these instances, ASHG Press Office staff members can provide assistance in setting up interviews with press briefing speakers and/or other independent experts who are able to provide comment on the subject.

Media Eligibility

Press registration for the ASHG Annual Meeting is open to print, online and broadcast news media, science/medical/health trade media, and freelance writers on a verifiable assignment from an established news source.

ASHG does not issue media credentials to the following: a publication’s advertising, marketing, public relations or sales representatives; publishers, editors or reporters from exhibiting companies; “in-house” newsletters or promotional publications staff; public relations representatives of exhibitors or educational institutions; writers creating analyses or reports sold as a commodity to customers; financial analysts; medical education companies; or other individuals who are not actually reporting on the meeting.

Individuals that fit the description of one or more of the categories listed above must register as a regular meeting attendee through the ASHG 2008 online registration site (or onsite at the meeting registration desk) and pay the required registration fee, regardless of affiliation with a news or trade media organization or publishing company.

To obtain media credentials, identification certifying that you are a working member of the news media on assignment to cover the meeting is required. Business cards or press credentials from established news organizations are sufficient to establish eligibility.

Working media representatives may not register as exhibitors.

Advance Media Registration

Journalists interested in attending the ASHG 2008 meeting are encouraged to pre-register by completing the online press registration application form. Registration for members of the media is free of charge (please see “Media Eligibility” requirements above for ASHG’s press qualification policies).
 

All approved, credentialed members of the media who have pre-registered for the 2008 meeting must check-in at the ASHG Press Office and pick up their official press badge and media materials immediately upon arrival at the Philadelphia Convention Center (Note: The ASHG Press Office is located on the third floor of the Convention Center in Room #304). Please note that 2008 press badges will NOT be mailed to you ahead of time, however, media attendees will still receive electronic copies of all embargoed press releases via e-mail in early November, before the week of the ASHG 2008 meeting. All other media kit materials can be found on the Annual Meeting Web site at: http://www.ashg.org/2008meeting/pages/press.shtml.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR PRESS CREDENTIALS (e.g., a business card) AND SOME FORM OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION (e.g., a passport or driver’s license) WITH YOU TO THE ASHG 2008 ANNUAL MEETING SITE! You must provide these items to the ASHG Press Office staff to obtain your official 2008 press badge, which you will need in order to attend all sessions and be granted access the Philadelphia Convention Center during the dates of the meeting.

The ASHG 2008 meeting online press registration application form must be completed no later than November 5, 2008. After this date, journalists who wish to attend this year’s meeting must register onsite (for details, see section below).

Onsite Media Registration

Members of the media who wish to register onsite should proceed to the ASHG Press Office (Room #304) in the Philadelphia Convention Center. Upon displaying proper identification (see details below), members of the press will be issued a badge and receive all relevant media materials.

What is Considered Proper Identification?

All members of the press must present valid media identification/credentials or a business card issued by a recognized news organization in order to receive a complimentary press badge for onsite access at the 2008 ASHG meeting.

Freelance journalists must also present a letter of assignment on letterhead from a recognized news organization or publication, and a business card (unless prior arrangements have been made).

Exhibitor Requests to Utilize Press Room

Exhibitors may leave press materials on a table at the entrance of the ASHG Press Room that will be designated for non-ASHG news releases (such as those provided by institutions, federal agencies or exhibiting companies). These press materials must pertain to scientific research presented at the ASHG meeting.

Please note that ASHG does not approve or endorse individual exhibitors' promotional activities or the information that they intend to disseminate or present onsite at the ASHG 2008 Annual Meeting.
 

Contact Information

Please contact Kristen Long, ASHG Communications Manager, with all press registration and general media relations inquiries, or to schedule and interview with speakers at the 2008 ASHG Annual Meeting.
 

Kristen H. Long, M.A.

ASHG Communications Manager

E-mail: klong@ashg.org

Work: 301-634-7346

Cell: 240-281-2386

*Please note: ASHG does not make available its current or past press registration lists.