1.5. Program modification

Please note that while speakers, exhibitions and sessions were confirmed at the time of publishing, circumstances beyond the control of the organizer may necessitate substitutions, alterations or cancellations.

As such, AOP reserves the right to alter or modify the advertised speakers, exhibitions and sessions if necessary, without liability. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on our portal and notified as soon as possible.

1.6. What is a virtual or hybrid conference?

The sanitary crisis has pushed worldwide events to switch formats from physical events to virtual events.

At AOP we believe physical gathering remains mandatory for successful learning. The profound learning that happens by gathering and exchanging in person is irreplaceable, and our conferences are aimed at continuing to be held in-person, bringing upfront our signature educational experience that transpires on site between our speakers, delegates and exhibitors. 


But, and because "Something good comes out of every crisis" (Dave Pelzer), our physical events are now doubled with a full virtual experience. Indeed, while our excitement for human contact is palpable, we also understand that some participants may still be under a home travel ban and may not be able to attend the congress in-person. Those participants will be offered the choice of a physical badge or a virtual one to ensure that attendees across the world do not miss anything out.


Should it be really impossible to hold a physical conference, then the conference will go virtual only.

For a full explanation about "virtual attendance", please check out our attendees FAQ here.

1.7. Physical vs virtual conference: how does it affect my lectures as a speaker?

• If the conference is held "in-person": speakers will attend in-person at the dedicated conference venue.
Lectures will be presented live in the conference rooms (for attendees with a physical badge) and will be live-streamed on our digital platform (for attendees with a virtual badge).

• If the conference is held as a "virtual event": speakers will lecture from a remote location.
Lectures will be live-streamed on our digital platform (for attendees with a virtual badge).
Nota: our virtual events remain live events therefore all lectures are live-streamed in real-time and are not pre-recorded.

Whether attendees have a physical or virtual badge, the same strict policy is applied for badge accesses.

1.8. Can AOP foresee the change in format?

As much as we would love to, we can only anticipate as best as possible with honor and candor.

There are still many uncertainties in our current time in France and around the world. We must take into consideration our governing laws as well as the rules of the local governments where we host our events abroad, all the while considering any severe restrictions from our attendees’ home countries.

The driving force of AOP is the marvelous synergy that our speakers, delegates and sponsors create together through sharing and exchanging online or on-site. There are many factors however, that may hold back these three parties from having the profound congress experience. Therefore, AOP may deem necessary to change the congress format to one that is more adaptable should conditions take a turn for the worst for all three parties (speakers, delegates and sponsors).

This change in format will be our last resort option and followed through with communication and policies that are clear, precise and fair for our speakers, delegates and sponsors.

In case the conference format switches from "in-person" to "virtual", your participation as a speaker will automatically be switched from physical to virtual.

2. Speaker account

2.1. How do I login to my speaker account?

If this is your first time logging in to your account, please send us an email to retrieve your credentials. If you have already created an AOP account in the past, you can login to your account by clicking on the Login button on the upper right corner of your screen and enter your credentials.

-> Your username is your email address
-> Your password* is the one you have defined when you created this account

*If you have forgotten your password, you may always reset it here.

2.2. I forgot my login credentials and/or password, how can I retrieve them?

You can send us an email anytime to retrieve your credentials.

If you remember your username, but not your password, you can rest a new password here.
NOTA: please remember to check your junk mail for the reset link if it doesn't appear in your main inbox.

2.3. What can I do through my speaker account?

The speaker account allows you to:

- view your lecture schedule and abstract status
- submit your abstracts and disclosures
- review and accept your grant policy
- book your hotel nights (if applicable)
- rsvp to any social event (if applicable)
- update your personal information and bio
- retrieve your certificate of attendance
- announce your participation to attendees, and more...

3. Abstract submission

3.2. What are the guidelines to submit an abstract?

Regarding abstract submission:
- Please carefully read the Abstract Guidelines and Conflict of Interest Policy before any submission.

Regarding copyright & privacy policy:
- Submission of an abstract implies that it has been approved by all listed authors. The AOP Scientific Board reserves the right to make the final decision concerning the form of presentation. As part of the submission, the author grants AOP the exclusive right to publish the abstract, and a non-exclusive right to publish, reproduce, distribute, display and store the abstract worldwide in all forms (including AOP programs and websites, whether print or digital versions). No fee shall be paid to the author by AOP for the license granted herein. Apart from the above mentioned, the author will retain copyright of their abstract.

The abstract author may also allow AOP to publish the abstract and the presentation on AOP Academy.

For any inquiries, please contact the Scientific Secretariat at scientific@aopcongress.com.

3.3. What are the deadlines for submitting abstracts or receiving a response?

The abstract submission deadline will be no further than 1 month before the event starts. Abstracts received less than 1 month prior to the event will not be considered.

Once submitted, your abstract will be reviewed by the Scientific Board and you will receive a definitive answer:
- 3 months before the congress starting date (in the case of a congress)
- 1 month before the event starting date (in the case of an e-learning event such as a webinar)
Detailed instructions regarding requirements and instructions for oral and e-poster presentations will also be provided at that time.

For example:
- Event starting date: August 1st
- Abstract submission deadline: July 1st
- Notification of inclusion will be received starting: May 1st

3.4. How can I check if my abstracts have been included within the scientific program?

To check the status of an abstract you have submitted, login to your speaker account here. Once logged in, you will need to select the congress for which you have submitted an abstract and head to the ‘Lecture schedule’ tab:

• If your abstract has been accepted > the notice 'abstract accepted' will be visible and the Scientific Secretariat will get in touch with you with the next steps to follow. As a general rule for spontaneously submitted abstracts that are selected by the Scientific Board, registration to the congress is mandatory.

• If your abstract has not been selected > the notice "abstract refused" will be visible. Although the content of your work might be very interesting, if the sessions are fully booked we are no longer able to introduce your abstracts within our program and we invite you to resubmit them for another of our upcoming events.

4. Session & presentation guidelines

4.1. Where can I view my lecture schedule?

Your lecture schedule is available at all times through your speaker account. Login to your personal account here, and head to the 'Lecture schedule' of the corresponding congress.

NOTA: for remote presentations, timings feature both a "local congress time" and your "speaker local time".

4.2. How do I upload my presentations?

1. Onsite talk

Presentations must be uploaded through the speaker account starting 2 weeks prior to the conference, or onsite at our Speaker Preview Room at least 2 hours before the session starts.

IMPORTANT:
• Direct plug-in of a USB drive or a laptop is NOT ALLOWED in the conference rooms.
• If you are speaking within the first morning sessions, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you retrieve your badge and upload your presentations the day before the congress opening (an early Preview Room will be set up for you).


2. Live remote talk

Presentations are live-streamed in real-time, and remote speakers must follow the below steps: 

  a/ At least 2 weeks prior to your live presentation, have your material ready:
• Our AV team will schedule an appointment with you to test your remote connection and give you detailed instructions for the live. 
• Our Scientific Secretariat will ask you to submit the presentation file through your speaker account.


  b/ On the day of your live presentation: connect at least 30 minutes before your session starting time. 

4.3. What are the requirements for my presentations?

Presentation tips:
Remember readability is much more important than style, so keep it simple and clear.

• Language: presentations must be written and presented in English.
• Format: we support Keynote(.key) or Powerpoint (.pptx) formats (only post 2007 version of PowerPoint). Widescreen (16:9) is the recommended ratio, however standard (4:3) ratio is also allowed. "Presenter mode" will not be available during your presentation.
• Font: prefer Arial or Calibri rather than Times New. Narrow fonts are not recommended.
• Font size (remote lecture): font size should be 20 minimum. To check: look at your screen from from 6 ft (2m) away, and then from 12 ft (3,5m)
• Font size (onsite lecture): font size should be 28 minimum. To check:look at your screen from 5 ft (1,5m) away, and then from 6 ft (2m)
If you cannot read it your audience will not either!
• Slides (remote lecture): they will be launched by our AV team at the beginning of your lecture, and you will be given remote control to play them yourself. Avoid loud animations or transitions to have a smooth flow of your presentation.
• Color: choose a color that is easily readable.
• Bullet points: we recommend them to convey your message. If charts are necessary, then make them as clear as possible
• Patient privacy: you must ensure that the confidentiality of the patients that appear in any and all of your materials remains intact.

Technical requirements (for remote lectures ONLY):
• A minimum of 10 Mbps of upload speed from your internet connection: test it here
• A wired connection instead of WIFI (if possible)
• Zoom application up-to-date: download it here
• A headset with microphone, connected to your computer
• A webcam (or the embedded camera of your computer) and good lighting in front of you.
During the live, your presentation will be launched by our AV team and you will be given remote control to play them yourself. Even if you only see your slides in the Zoom window, participants will see both your webcam and the slides: so don’t forget to smile!

4.4. Who can see my presentations?

With our conferences going hybrid, attendees are able to follow the content either physically or virtually on our AOP Live platform.

All lectures are displayed both in the conference rooms (for physical badges) and online (for virtual badges). Whether attendees have a physical or virtual badge, the same strict policy is applied for badge accesses.

As a security measure, multiple simultaneous logins are disabled on AOP Live.

4.5. What is the role of the chair of a session?

Chairs are selected by the Scientific Board to moderate one or several sessions at the conference.

Each chair is entrusted with the following missions:

• Ensuring all lectures end on time – You are entitled to stop speakers
• Keeping the content unbiased within the scientific sessions*
• Making transitions between lectures and animating the panel discussions

As a final task, chairs will be asked after the congress to rate each presentation of the session(s) they have chaired with the following criteria: presentation clarity, quality of content and level of English.

*If biased content is shown, chairs should ask the speaker to move on to another part of the presentation or to be comparative.

4.6. What is an e-poster and how does it work?

An e-poster is an electronic version of a traditional poster board. It presents scientific research with pictures, graphs and tables in a nice layout.

Read the Abstract Guidelines for more details.

• Format:
- References must be included within the e-poster.
- Product and/or company logos are not allowed on e-posters, except for industry-related lectures.
- The disclosure slide will automatically be shown before the e-poster presentation. If disclosure of commercial support is not included, the e-poster will not be accepted.

• Submission: e-posters must be submitted on our website through our abstract submission page.

• Display: e-posters are accessible on interactive touch screens with an active display area of H1018.1 mm x W572.7 mm within the e-poster exhibition area of each physical congress, and within the dedicated tab of AOP Live platform. They are accessible to all participants allowing them to search and read the e-posters that are of their interest.

5. Registration & grants

5.1. Once I have submitted an abstract, do I need to pay the registration fees or am I already registered?

Abstracts submitted spontaneously must first be reviewed by the Scientific Board. Read this chapter on how to check if an abstract has been included within the scientific program.

Once an abstract has been accepted, registration to the congress remains mandatory. Please register through our online portal.

5.2. What are the different types of speakers?

The diversity and excellence of our speakers has become our trademark. The congress welcomes 3 types of speakers:

• Faculty speakers: selected and invited by the Scientific Board, and speaking strictly within non-sponsored scientific sessions.

• Contributing speakers: selected by the Scientific Board upon spontaneous submission of an abstract, and speaking strictly within the contributing sessions. Contributing speakers must cover their registration fees.

• Industry speakers: selected and invited by an exhibiting company, and speaking strictly within sponsored sessions that are clearly identified as such. Industry speakers must cover their registration fees.
Industry speakers may be considered by the AOP Scientific Board to speak or to chair in other scientific session(s). AOP considers that such scientific sessions do not enter in conflict with any sponsorship agreement and that speakers should not be restricted to speak only within designated sponsored sessions.

5.3. I am lecturing in a sponsored activity (symposium, live demonstration, industry guest lecture), do I need to pay the registration fees or am I already registered?

An "Industry speaker" badge is automatically provided for industry speakers invited by an exhibiting company. That badge grants access to the sponsored sessions and the exhibition hall only.

Should industry speakers want to have access to the scientific sessions, an additional registration is mandatory. The company can register industry speakers for a full-access badge directly through their online company account.

5.6. How can I book my hotel?

Faculty speakers with granted nights should submit their hotel preferences through their speaker account. Instructions are sent by the Scientific Secretariat a few months prior to the conference. The number of granted nights is based on speaker status, country of residence and number of lecturing days. It is visible at all times in the grant policy section of the speaker account.

5.7. Where do I pick up my badge?

You can retrieve your badge at the dedicated Speaker desk onsite.
Please bring the following with you:

• Identity proof (e.g. ID card, passport, driving license etc.)
• Business card (if applicable)

Refer to the chapter "Key moments" under "Plan your trip" tab on our website to learn more about the welcome desk opening hours.

6. Accreditation

6.1. How do I obtain my certificate of attendance?

It is necessary to login to your account and complete the 'online evaluation' form that will automatically become available once the congress ends. When the evaluation is completed, you will receive an email with a link to your certificate of attendance. Your certificate will also be available for download through your AOP account in the ‘Participations’ section here.  

If CME credits are applicable for a given congress, the procedure to obtain your CME credits will be sent along with your certificate of attendance.  

NOTA: please note that each congress has its own accreditation system.

6.2. How do I obtain my speaker certificate?

It is necessary to login to your account and complete the 'online evaluation' form that will automatically become available once the congress ends. When the evaluation is completed, your speaker certificate will be available for download through your AOP account in the 'Participations’ section here.

AOP issues speaker certificates for scientific sessions only, therefore we do not issue speaker certificates for industry speakers. In this case, please contact your sponsoring company to obtain a certificate.

6.3. How can I get my CME credits?

AOP conferences are commonly accredited at several levels according to the conference location. The number of CME credits that we offer varies according to the duration of the congress and the organism of accreditation, given that the evaluation differs from one country to another.

If the conference you have attended is accredited, the procedure to obtain the corresponding CME credits will be sent along with your certificate of attendance (refer to the above chapter).

Find more information regarding accreditation in the "Accreditation" tab found within the congress page of the congress you are interested in.

6.4. What about conflict of interest (COI)?

AOP insists on transparency in all scientific courses, therefore each speaker is required to disclose whether or not their presentations contain any commercial bias or financial support received.

The COI policy applies to anyone who is a speaker during the congress; this includes all members of the Scientific Board, all Faculty members as well as contributing and industry speakers.

If you are a Board member; we kindly ask that you to fill in and update your COI every year. Please refer to your speaker account dashboard under the chapter 'Scientific Board COI disclosure' to download the corresponding COI form and submit it.

7. AOP Academy

7.1. How can my presentations be published on AOP Academy?  

All speakers must submit a speaker consent form for each lecture, either through their speaker account, or on-site at the Preview Room. If the answer submitted is "I approve", the speaker authorizes AOP to publish his/her presentations on AOP Academy platform. Presentations will be published online a few weeks after the congress ends.

More information about AOP Academy here.

8.1. Cancellation policy

If YOU cancel your participation due to personal reasons: our "Terms and Conditions of Sale" in our Attendees FAQ prevails. We shall assume no further obligation to refund any travel or accommodation expenses incurred in that case.

If YOU cancel your participation due to travel restrictions imposed by your (or the hosting) country government, please check with your travel agency or airline for cancellation terms:
> for "Contributing" or "Industry" speakers, we shall assume no further obligation to refund any travel or accommodation expenses incurred in that case
> for "Faculty" speakers, you will be entitled to submit your reimbursement request in strict respect with the Grant Policy applied

If WE cancel the conference because of a Force Majeure:
• For "Contributing" or "Industry" speakers:
    > we shall assume no further obligation to refund any travel or accommodation expenses incurred in that case, and our "Limitation of Liability" chapter generally applies.

• For "Faculty" speakers:
    • If cancellation occurs more than 60 days before the event:
    > you will not be eligible for any reimbursement
    • If cancellation occurs less than 60 days before the event and you have agreed with your Grant Policy through your speaker account:
    > you will be entitled to submit your reimbursement request in strict respect with the Grant Policy applied

In case the congress needs to be rescheduled or postponed, the Grant Policy remains binding and all speakers will automatically be entitled to participate to the rescheduled congress without any further refund right.

In case the conference format switches from "presential" to "virtual", your participation will be automatically switched from physical to virtual.