GUIDELINES FOR SCHEDULING ANCILLARY MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCING SATELLITE MEETINGS

Deadline: May 26, 2006

Ancillary Meetings are defined as non-ASHG events held over official ASHG annual meeting dates (October 9-13 inclusive). Examples of ancillary events include reunions, receptions, committee meetings, educational sessions, product demonstrations, board meetings, etc. Ancillary events may be scheduled ONLY during the hours listed below. Ancillary meetings are not permitted to overlap with ASHG scientific sessions or the ASHG Membership Meeting. Please note that ASHG is not responsible for subsequent schedule changes made by the Program Committee or by the Chairs of the ASHG Committees. Ancillary organizers will be notified if their requested time must be changed. 

 

Monday, October 9: 7:00 AM-12:00 Midnight

*Tuesday, October 10: Before 8:00 AM, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, 6:30 PM-Midnight

Wednesday, October 11: Before 8:00 AM, 1:00-2:00 PM or after 6:30 PM

Thursday, October 12: Before 8:00 AM, 12:30-1:30 PM, 6:00-8:00 PM or after 10:00 PM

Friday, October 13: Before 8:00 AM, 1:00-2:30 PM

 

*Educational sessions (that are advertised as open to ALL registrants) may be scheduled on Tuesday, October 10, from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Committee meetings, board meetings or non-educational events may NOT be scheduled during this time period.

 

An Application can be completed on the ASHG Website at www.ashg.org. Applications must be completed by May 26, 2006.  After the deadline, unassigned meeting rooms will be released back to the hotel for general sale. Ancillary function organizers will be notified of their room assignments in mid-June. Once rooms have been assigned, organizers are responsible for making all further arrangements for the event (e.g., AV, F&B requirements) directly with the hotel.

 

ASHG meeting management makes every effort to contract in advance for adequate space to accommodate all ASHG events, society-related events and non-ASHG ancillary functions. However, there is not enough space at the Convention Center for non-ASHG ancillary events. Therefore, all ancillary events will be located in the headquarter hotel: The Hilton New Orleans Hotel.  Rooms will be assigned on a space available basis. Because of the increased number of requests for functions to be held at the ASHG annual meeting, space assignments will be made according to the priority list below in a manner that will best accommodate as many functions as space allows.

 

1.      Official ASHG functions, such as Board and committee meetings;

2.      ASHG-society related functions, such as ABMG, ACMG and ABGC Meetings;

3.      Ancillary functions that relate to scientific scholarship, conduct of research, delivery of services and to public or public information related to science.

4.      All other requests.

 

Please note that the hotel may charge for the use of the meeting room.  Room rental can be negotiated between the organizer and the hotel (after space assignment has been confirmed). Each function will be handled individually and issued a separate contract. All meeting room rental fees, food and beverage, audiovisual equipment rentals and other services are the responsibility of the organizer. Organizers should study function contracts carefully before signing, paying special attention to cancellation clauses. In the event of a canceled function, the organizer may be required to pay the hotel for lost revenue.

 

All requests for meeting space will need to be approved by ASHG before space can be confirmed.

 

COMMERCIAL COMPANIES: One of the benefits for commercial companies that exhibit at the ASHG meeting is the opportunity to hold ancillary events during the meeting.  Since non-exhibiting commercial companies are prohibited from advertising, soliciting or otherwise contacting ASHG meeting registrants on official ASHG meeting space or at ASHG meeting hotels, ASHG will not release or assign any of its meeting space to commercial companies not already contracted to be an official ASHG exhibitor. For information about exhibiting at the annual meeting, contact: Toney Vogel, Exhibits Manager, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3998; telephone (301) 634-7311; e-mail: tvogel@ashg.org or go to the ASHG web site at www.ashg.org, click on Annual Meeting, then click on Exhibitor Prospectus.

 

Satellite Events are defined as non-ASHG events scheduled to take place on dates that fall before or after official ASHG meeting dates (i.e., before October 10 or after October 13).  Organizers of satellite events are responsible for making arrangements on their own with a hotel or facility. Organizers are welcome to send their event details in the following format to Sara Hamilton at shamilton@faseb.org: Title of Event, date, time, place, room, contact name/address and contact telephone number and Email address.  Information must be received prior to May 26, 2006 to guarantee a listing in the Program.

 

Program/Website Listings

Ancillary and Satellite events are listed in the Schedule of Events which is published on the ASHG Website, and printed in the Abstracts Volume, CD and Program Guide. To guarantee your event is listed, please submit your information prior to May 26, 2006.