The conference will be Wednesday, November 11 - Friday, November 13.  This is the same week as the previously schedule in-person conference, but the dates were shifted to avoid the weekend.

All conference sessions and events will be hosted on Zoom.  Concurrent sessions will use the 'meeting' format so that all audience members can use video and audio.  Plenaries will use a 'webinar' format where audience members' cameras and microphones are disabled.

The conference will also utilize a Slack platform for 24/7 networking throughout the event.

Registration will open the second week of August.

All submitters should receive an email on July 22 allowing them to withdraw their proposal if they do not wish to participate in a virtual conference.  They will have until July 29th to withdraw their work.  If you submitted a proposal but did not receive this email, please contact Samantha Oliver Thomason, soliver@appam.org.  

APPAM will send acceptance and rejections during the second week of August.  

Registration rates have been significantly discounted for the virtual conference, as shown below.   Additionally, we will have a day-pass option available for all professionals.  Students may only register for the full conference.  

Full access to session recordings will only be given to attendees with full registrations.  Day-pass attendees will not have access to recordings.

The conference's concurrent sessions will look different than our typical conference sessions.  The virtual sessions will be 55-minutes in length and will run every hour starting at 11:00 each day of the event.

These condensed sessions will feature short paper presentations followed by ample time for discussant feedback and audience Q&A.  In a survey related to the conference and its format, we found that most respondents preferred these shorter sessions as they're easier to follow and stay engaged.  All paper presenters will also have the opportunity to record and upload a full-length video of their presentation to the publicly available Online Porgram. 

Poster sessions will also be different.  Poster presenters will be asked to upload slides or a PDF (and optionally but encouraged video recordings) of their presentation prior to the conference.  During the conference there will be two live Q&A sessions with poster presenters where audience members are encourage to ask questions and provide feedback to the presenters.

The 55-minute sessions should largely focus around discussant feedback and audience interaction.  Paper presenters will be limited to 3 slides and 5 minutes of presentation but will also have an option to upload a full-length video of their presentation to the online program.

Sessions must follow the timing example below:

Recognizing that a virtual conference cannot replicate the networking and hallway chatter opportunities that come with an in-person event, APPAM has taken several steps to maximize networking in a virtual setting.

There will be two plenaries during the conference with organized Q&A afterwards to help facilitate discussion and make new connections with peers.

There will be Policy Area Receptions on Thursday evening of the conference.  These 15 receptions will be organized by the policy areas for the conference and will include breakout rooms so attendees within the same areas can discuss the topics at the forefront of their field.

Finally, we'll have a Slack-based platform available leading up to and during the conference to allow for 24/7 networking.  Attendees will be able to participate in more general discussions but also narrow participation by policy area/interest or direct message other attendees for closer conversations. A link to join this platform will be sent to registrants prior to the conference.

All session Zoom links will be located in the Online Program.  A few minutes before the scheduled start time, a 'Join Now' button will appear next to the session title in the program.  Clicking that button will prompt you for a password that will be sent to all registrants a few days prior to the conference.

Speakers and attendees will follow this same process for joining sessions.

Sponsorhip opportunities will now be limited to digital options.  Organizations that have already purchased packages, sponsored items, advertising, or exhibits will be contacted in late July with refunds and remaining opporunities.

Yes, all online sessions will be recorded and made available to attendees registered for the full conference after the event.

Day pass registrants will not have access to recorded sessions.

All concurrent sessions will be hosted in a 'meeting' format meaning that the audience's video and audio will be open.  The sessions will have a good amount of Q&A time and audience members are encouraged to be highly active.

If you aren't able to pose your question during the live session, the newly designed online program will have a Q&A feature that will send your questions directly to the presenters.  Their responses will be posted in the online program as well.

We will not have the traditional pre-conference sessions leading up to this year's conference.  Instead, we're working to schedule various networking or special events that normally take place during the conference on this pre-conference day.  more information will be released soon!

You can access all Zoom Meetings using the links in the Online Program.  Ten minutes before each session's designated start time, a 'Join Now' button will appear below the title of the session in the program.  You will be placed in a waiting room until the host allows the audience into the room at the beginning of the session.

You will automatically be muted upon entry to the meeting room.  We ask that you remain on mute unless you are asking a question during the session's Q&A time.  

All speakers will be required to use their camera but it is optional for attendees.  We do highly encourage attendees to use their cameras though as it best replicates an in-person event.

If you have a question that you’d like to ask before or after the session, please submit it through the Q&A function in the Online Program. Conference panelists will monitor the Online Program Q&A from November 4 – November 18. You must create an Online Program account in order to participate in the Online Program Q&A. Questions posted in the Online Program Q&A before the session will not be asked during the live session.

You will receive an email a few days before the conference with a personalized password. This password will be the same throughout the conference and regardless of your role in a session.