What You Need to Know About APA’s Annual Meeting Platform
By now, you may have already participated in professional online meetings, but here’s a general description of what you can expect from the platform that APA will be using for its meeting.
It is hard to believe that it’s been almost two years since APA held its last in-person Annual Meeting, but APA is excited to offer you a top-quality meeting online this year and create a communal event where members can learn from recognized experts and interact with each other. To host the meeting, APA has selected a meeting platform that is designed to give you an enjoyable engagement experience that is easy to navigate as you participate in scientific sessions, connect with exhibitors in the Virtual Exhibit Gallery, attend Product Theater Showcases, experience networking opportunities with colleagues, and compete for great prizes with “gamification.”
As you can see in this issue of Psychiatric News, highlights of the meeting include the Opening Session, Convocation of Distinguished Fellows, a closing plenary session, and an exceptional lineup of expert speakers covering the depth and breadth of psychiatry and discussing issues that are vitally important to psychiatry today. About 10,000 attendees are expected to tune in from around the world.
To get the most out of the online meeting, the first step to take is scheduling your time as if you were attending the Annual Meeting in person. You are balancing heavy work demands while meeting family obligations, so it’s helpful to plan your days in advance to take full advantage of the scientific program and exhibit events planned.
Pre-Conference Expo Day
A pre-conference expo day has been scheduled for Friday, April 30, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This day gives attendees an opportunity to become acclimated to the online platform and provides exclusive time for attendees to attend the Virtual Exhibit Gallery and meet with exhibitors about their latest products and services. There will also be a Product Theater Showcase with product and company presentations and the APA Publishing Bookstore.
Throughout the meeting, attendees are encouraged to have quality engagement with exhibitors by scheduling informal meetings with them and participate in other exhibit events (like the Product Theater Showcases and sponsored events) to earn points to win daily prizes, including the grand prize of a Peloton bike. A leaderboard will track attendees’ progress in earning points throughout the meeting.
How to Access the Meeting
Registrants will be sent a link to the meeting platform by April 26. The homepage for the site will lead you to the various meeting features, such as Sessions, Speakers, Exhibitors, Networking, and Poster Sessions.
Profiles and Schedules
Your profile will be preconfigured based on your meeting registration data; you can then customize your profile by uploading a photo and modifying your networking settings. You can populate your “favorites list” of preferred speakers, sessions, posters, showcases, and exhibitors, as well as meetings you have scheduled with exhibitors.
Session Page
There will be 135 scientific sessions offering 13.5 CME credits over the three-day meeting, with three sessions scheduled in each time block. The page for each session will include the speaker’s name, photo, session description, biographical information, and available materials for download. Sessions will be 90 minutes in length and include a live question-and-answer period.
Exhibitor Listing/Search Feature
If you are looking for a particular exhibitor or exhibit based on product category, use the search feature to filter through exhibitors. You will then be able to interact and engage with exhibitors through chat or video or leave a virtual business card with contact information.
Exhibitor Page
Each virtual exhibitor page will provide the following information based on the booth type: company name and logo, description, website links, contact information, social handles, content downloads, video content, and business card drop.
Networking
The main networking page allows attendees to connect with fellow colleagues and exhibitors through video, voice, and chat.
Chatbot
For many of you, an online meeting platform may be a new experience, and if you have questions or encounter difficulties, help is always available. Look for the chatbot on the various pages of the site for 24/7 support. The chatbot can answer over 93% of all event-related questions instantly.
The online platform is your connection to all things Annual Meeting. Meeting information will be updated and expanded, so continue to visit the APA Annual Meeting website for information here. ■
Biographies
Vernetta Copeland is associate director of exhibits and sponsorship sales in APA’s Department of Meetings and Conventions.
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Psychiatric News
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Published in print: March 1, 2021 – March 31, 2021
Published online: 2 March 2021
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