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.

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 and how can I check if my abstracts have been included in the scientific program?

The abstract submission deadline is announced on the abstract submission page and varies for each congress. Abstracts received after the deadline are not considered.

Once you abstract is submitted, you are given access 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. You must check your speaker account regularly to follow up on your abstract submission status.

Here are the abstract statuses you might find and their meaning:
• received: pending decision = your abstract has been received and will be reviewed shortly
• under review = your abstract is currently being reviewed by the Scientific Board
• resubmit: incomplete or not complying with guidelines = you must edit your abstract to comply with our Abstract Guidelines and Conflict of Interest Policy
• refused = 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
• accepted = your abstract has been selected by the Scientific Board and your lecture is scheduled in the program

As a general rule for spontaneously submitted abstracts that are selected by the Scientific Board, registration to the congress is mandatory.

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.

4.2. How do I upload my presentations?

1. CONGRESS LECTURES

It is mandatory to upload your presentation materials in the congress server (direct plug-in of a USB drive or a laptop is not allowed in the conference rooms).

Two options are available:
> the Online Preview (on your speaker account) which is open for 1 to 2 weeks prior to the congress start
> the On-Site Preview (at the congress venue) which is open on all congress days

How do I upload my talks through the Online Preview?
-Login to your speaker account
-Open the speaker account dashboard of the congress
-Click on the "Lecture schedule" menu
-Upload your file(s) for each lecture where it is applicable from the column "Presentation file"

Online Preview guidelines:
-Please only upload *finalized* presentations
-PowerPoint (.pptx) and Keynote (.key) are supported
-Files must be under 2 Go

Once the Online Preview is closed, all talks must be uploaded directly at the congress venue.

2. WEBINARS

Presentations are live-streamed, and remote speakers must follow the below steps: 
  • 1 to 2 weeks prior to the webinar, 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.
• On the day of your live presentation: connect at least 30 minutes before the 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 webinars 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?

Unless otherwise specified, all congress lectures are available for replay on AOP Live for 2 weeks after the conference. After that, they are published permanently on our e-learning platform AOP Academy (upon agreement of each speaker).

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 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.