Spring Meeting & GCPS and COVID-19 FAQs

No, the 2020 AIChE Spring Meeting & Global Congress on Process Safety will be conducted as a virtual event over the dates of August 17 – 21, 2020.

Almost, however the technical program will be adjusted from four to five days with talks taking place over all five weekdays of August 17 – 21, 2020.

Sitting at a computer for over 9 hours a day would be challenging for everyone, knowing that, this revised schedule will allow us to spread out the sessions, add in more breaks, and promote high quality contact hours among attendees, speakers, and exhibitors.

AIChE’s 2020 Spring Meeting & Global Congress on Process Safety will now be held using the online platform vFairs. vFairs has been supporting organizations with online conferences and events for nearly a decade and their platform provides us with a number of tools to put on an engaging and valuable conference for all attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors.

Within vFairs we will have a “Convention Center” inclusive of an entrance hall, auditoriums for our technical sessions and keynote talks, networking rooms, a help desk, and an exhibit hall. The overall design of the experience will be driven around the great content our programmers have put together along with networking opportunities to keep our attendees engaged with the talks, our exhibitors, and the event as a whole.

The virtual platform allows the organizers to host live or pre-recorded talks, with live Q&A and text chat. It will also enable us to make all talks available on-demand for a month following the meeting.

Exhibitors will each have a dedicated booth to host their information and discuss with participants.

All attendees will have the opportunity to network via participation in chats and video rooms, sending direct messages, and scheduling one-on-one video meetings, allowing us to keep what makes the Spring Meeting & GCPS great - interaction with other attendees.

We understand that meeting in person is a big part of what makes our meetings special and that we’re all ready to get out of our homes and meet with our colleagues. Looking on the bright side, there are many advantages of attending conferences virtually.

• A more flexible schedule throughout the conference week, allowing you to drop in and out as you need to with the ability to come back and watch presentations for up to 30 days
• Virtual networking can be fun and easier for some than networking in person. Do you sometimes feel you aren’t sure who to talk to at large in-person networking events? At a virtual conference, you can get to know people by chat
• Get interactive with live Q&A sessions allowing you to ask questions during the presentations
• Schedule time to meet with our many exhibitors and chat via text, voice, or video
• Consume content, network, and stay safe & healthy at the same time
• Save on travel expenses and time out of the office, while still getting many of the same benefits

Need help justifying your participation to your manager? Check out our Justification Toolkit.

At this time all events associated with the AIChE Spring Meeting & Global Congress on Process Safety, including co-located conferences such as the Frontiers in Particle Science & Technology Conference, and ancillary events, will be held virtually in August. Specific details on timing will be forthcoming. We thank you for your patience.

AIChE Programming will reach out to you directly with next steps on how to transition your talk to the virtual platform. A list of best practices for presenting or hosting a session virtually will be made available. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your virtual participation, please contact programming@aiche.org.

All current registrants will remain registered for the new virtual format. We will be processing partial refunds based on your registration category and the new rates for the virtual event. Please allow for a few weeks for these refunds to be processed. Please see the question below for more information on rates.

If you registered for a one-day registration and need to change your registration, please contact customerservice@aiche.org to upgrade to a full meeting registration or change your chosen day.

The registration rates have been confirmed. If you have already registered for the meeting, you will be refunded the difference between the original rates and the new rates. The new rates for the virtual event reflect the fact that we will not be able to serve lunches, so those who purchased bundles will receive the corresponding sessions only rate. In addition, all full meeting registrations will receive access to all recordings. As an example, someone who registered for the Spring Meeting & GCPS bundle early, at the member rate will have paid $920. For the virtual event, the rate will be $495 and will include the recordings.

Visit the registration page to view new rates and what’s included.

Due to the current situation and the uncertainties related to planning physical conferences, AIChE is relaxing its cancellation policy. Until further notice, you can cancel for any reason up to five days before the event. Registration fees may be transferred to another individual at no charge.

This means that you can continue register for our events without having to worry about registration fees should you not be able to attend.

The full cancellation policy can be found here.

AIChE tracked all cancellations due to coronavirus concerns. For those in that category, AIChE offers two options:

1. Re-instate your registration for the meeting at the discounted registration rate corresponding to the time when you originally registered. To confirm your registration, please contact customerservice@aiche.org.
2. Receive a refund of the $100 cancellation fee by contacting customerservice@aiche.org.

Your room at the Hilton has already been canceled and you will receive a notice directly from Hilton confirming this.

In the event you booked your stay through a travel agency, we recommend reaching out to the travel agency to confirm cancellation of your reservation has been processed.

If you elected to book a room outside of the official room block, you will be responsible for working with the hotel on any changes and potential cancellation fees.

AIChE is not liable for any travel costs or shipping costs related to travel to the meeting. Please contact your airline to get more information on cancellation or change fees. Many airlines are waiving fees at this time.

We understand the value that sponsorships at face-to face-events offer your company. Virtual meetings have a variety of opportunities to engage with attendees, generate leads, showcase your technical expertise and receive broad brand recognition. Evan Flach and Michelle Marsnick will reach out and will be available to discuss virtual sponsorship options.

All current exhibits will be transferred to the virtual meeting format. Evan Flach and Michelle Marsnick will be contacting you shortly with more information on the virtual exhibit and available options and functionality.

If you would like to cancel your sponsorship or exhibit at the virtual meeting you can do so without penalty and receive a full refund.

If you would like to exhibit at the virtual event, please contact Evan Flach (evanf@aiche.org) for more information. If you would like to join the Ethylene Producers Conference as a sponsor, please contact Michelle Marsnick (micma@aiche.org) to discuss options and functionality.

You will be responsible for working with any third-parties. AIChE is not party to any arrangements between exhibitors and third parties, but will work to facilitate discussion, as possible. Please contact Michelle Marsnick (micma@aiche.org) if you have any questions.

AIChE will work with Freeman to determine the details on return shipments and will reach out with more information in the coming days. We thank you for your patience. Please contact Michelle Marsnick (micma@aiche.org) if you have any questions.

No, all events associated with the AIChE Spring Meeting & Global Congress on Process Safety, including ancillary events and committee meetings, are expected to take placevirtually in August.

Specific details will be forthcoming.

Please contact Todd Caporizzo at (toddc@aiche.org) if you have any questions.

Yes, all events associated with the AIChE Spring Meeting & Global Congress on Process Safety, including ancillary events and committee meetings, are expected to take place virtually in August.

Specific details will be forthcoming.

Please contact Todd Caporizzo at (toddc@aiche.org) if you have any questions

Michelle Marsnick (micma@aiche.org) will contact you directly and will also work with the venues to handle the cancellations.

If you are still interested in hosting a virtual event such as a “coffee + chat” or “happy hour” with attendees, please contact Michelle Marsnick to discuss options.