Request for Satellite Symposium Proposals

Download the RFP form.

ISSCR is making space available for satellite symposia to take place the morning of Wednesday, June 16, preceding the start of the 8th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA, USA.  The space will be available for any non-profit organization with a connection to stem cell research who would be interested in organizing a symposium focused on a topic of interest to ISSCR attendees. In holding satellite symposia, ISSCR’s goal is to increase the representation of topics at the annual meeting that are of interest to constituencies within ISSCR but which are difficult to adequately represent within the main scientific program.

Requirements for Organizers
The organizer of a satellite symposium must be a current ISSCR member in good standing. The organizer must organize and moderate the satellite symposium program, which will be subject to Program Committee approval.

Event Requirements

• Satellite symposia must have relevance to the attendees of the ISSCR Annual Meeting and must be open to any Annual Meeting registrant that wishes to attend. 
• The available rooms will be preset theater style.  The organizers must assume any cost involved in switching to a different arrangement. 
• The organizers are responsible for AV costs for the symposium.
• The organizers are responsible for any catering or ancillary costs for the symposium, if there are any.
• The time for the symposia is limited to 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.  All symposia must be completed by 12:30.
• The ISSCR Program Committee will review all satellite symposia request forms and event descriptions.  A limited amount of space is available for satellite meetings. The Program Committee will select proposals based on their level of interest and value to Annual Meeting attendees as well as the level of organization evident in the proposal. The decisions of the Program Committee are final.

Prohibited Actions
Demonstrations and/or displays of commercial products and/or literature are not permitted during satellite symposia. Distribution of commercial products and product literature is prohibited during satellite symposia as well. Satellite symposia speakers may refer to a product as a reference tool during presentations, but a complete demonstration or display of the product is not permitted. For exhibit information, contact mcarson@isscr.org or call +1 847 509-1944 ext 286.

Do not distribute promotional literature as door drops in hotels. Broadcast faxes or e-mails to attendees to advertise satellite symposia are not permitted. Satellite event organizers cannot conduct drawings or award gifts to meeting attendees.

Organizers cannot use the ISSCR acronym in Web site URLs or e-mail subjects.

Fees
A $100 fee is required when submitting a proposal.  Satellite symposia will be listed in the Second Announcement, Final Program, ISSCR Itinerary Planner, and on the ISSCR Web site. An additional late fee of $150 will be charged for all events submitted after the Second Announcement deadline date of Friday, January 29.  The organizer is responsible for any and all other expenses pertaining to their event, including, but not limited to, catering, AV and room set-up.

Refunds
If a satellite symposium is canceled prior to the printing of the Second Announcement, the fee is refundable. If a satellite symposium is canceled after the event has already been printed in the Second Announcement, but early enough for the event listing to be omitted from the Final Program, $50 of the fee is refundable. If a satellite symposium is canceled after it has already been printed in the Second Announcement, Final Program, and ISSCR Itinerary Planner, the fee is non-refundable. Cancellation and late fees are non-refundable regardless of cancellation date.  If a satellite symposium is declined inclusion a full refund will be given.

Force Majeure
ISSCR reserves the right to terminate satellite symposia, without liability or any cancellation charges or any liquidated damages, and with the return of all fees contingent on the production status of the ISSCR Itinerary  Planner, Second Announcement and Final Program, because of the happening or existence of any force majeure condition including but not limited to acts of God, war, strikes, government regulations or advisory (including travel advisory warnings by the government of the United States of America or the World Health Organization), civil disturbance, terrorism or threats of terrorism in the state where the annual meeting is scheduled or in adjacent states as substantiated by United States of America's governmental warnings or advisory notices, curtailment of transportation, epidemics, disaster, fire, earthquakes, hurricanes, shortages or disruption of the electrical power supply causing blackouts or rolling blackouts, or any other comparable conditions or circumstances occurring in the state where the Annual Meeting is scheduled or in countries/states of origins of at least thirty percent (30%) of the attendees or along their routes of travel, making it commercially impracticable, illegal or impossible to fully perform under this agreement as the parties originally intended, the affected party may suspend this Agreement as to that particular annual meeting, without liability, upon written notification to the other party.

Signs
Signs for satellite symposium may only be placed outside the door entrance to the event. Each sign must state that "This event is not sponsored by the International Society for Stem Cell Research." Directional signage for satellite symposium is prohibited. Organizers are responsible for removing signage and meeting handouts, etc., from their assigned rooms at the conclusion of the symposium. Organizers will be assessed a cleaning fee for any materials left behind.

Marketing Opportunities
Satellite symposium organizers can rent ISSCR's pre-registration mailing list. For more information, contact Michael Hagedorn at mhagedorn@isscr.org.

Updated January 19, 2010