GENERAL INFORMATION | Helpful Hints
All activities for American Transplant Congress will take place in the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre unless otherwise noted.
Registration
All attendees must register for all events they wish to attend during the meeting. Registration is located in the lobby of the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre.
The hours of registration are:
| Friday, May 30 | 2:00 – 7:00 pm |
| Saturday, May 31 | 7:00 am – 7:00 pm |
| Sunday, June 1 | 7:00 am – 6:00 pm |
| Monday, June 2 | 7:00 am – 6:00 pm |
| Tuesday, June 3 | 7:00 am – 6:00 pm |
| Wednesday, June 4 | 7:00 am – 12:30 pm |
Program Distribution
The American Transplant Congress Program (supplement to American Journal of Transplantation), mini-program and meeting bag will be available in Program Distribution. Program Distribution is located in the 600 level of the South Building of the Convention Centre. Please present the ticket enclosed in the registration packet to obtain your program, bag and badge holder. You must present the ticket to receive your materials.
Pre-Meeting Symposia
This year there are eight Pre-Meeting Symposia, six full day symposia (Transplant Immunology for the Clinician, Clinical Updates, Transplant Nurse and Coordinator Course, Hepatitis C and Liver Transplantation, HRSA and OPTN: Current Issues and Initiatives and Updates for the Clinician-Scientist), and two afternoon only symposia (Pediatric Transplantation and Infectious Disease). If you pre-registered for any of the symposia, a ribbon is included in your packet of meeting materials. You must affix the ribbon to your badge in order to attend the course. If you have not pre-registered and wish to do so, you can easily add this event at registration.
Sunrise Symposia
If you pre-registered for the Sunrise Symposia, there is no fee for the symposia but we request that you register so that there will be appropriate seating available. You may register onsite for any symposia. Continental breakfast will be available each day at 6:30 AM outside the meeting rooms.
Early Morning Workshops
Thirty-two Early Morning Workshops are offered. These are small focused sessions with eight each day, Sunday – Wednesday. If you registered for Early Morning Workshops, tickets for these events are included in your packet. If you do not find tickets for these events, this means that your selection or alternate selection was filled to capacity. If you registered by credit card, your card was not charged. If you registered by check, a refund will be sent to you after the meeting. These are limited attendance events and once a luncheon is filled, we will not increase the number. You cannot enter the workshops without a ticket. Please check at the registration desk for availability of workshops. All Early Morning Workshops will take place in the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Center.
Exhibits
The exhibits are located in Exhibit Hall on the 800 level of the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre. The exhibits are an integral part of the complete educational experience featuring the latest in technology and research in the field of transplantation medicine. Detailed information on the exhibits is included in the final program.
Exhibit hours are:
| Saturday, May 31 | 5:30 – 7:00 pm |
| Sunday, June 1 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm |
| Monday, June 2 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm |
| Tuesday, June 3 | 9:30 am – 2:00 pm |
Refund Policy
Requests for refunds must be submitted by May 31, 2008 to be reimbursed. There is a $75.00 processing fee for all refunds. Registration badge and receipt card must accompany requests. Refunds are not processed until after the meeting. Refund requests after May 31, 2008 are not honored. There is no refund for breakfast tickets.
Lead Retrieval
Your badge is printed with a readable code that can be scanned by the exhibiting companies during show hours to capture your name and address for follow up information.
CME Credits for Physicians
The American Society of Transplantation is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.
The AST designates this educational activity for a maximum of 34.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Pharmacists
Amedco, LLC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Successful completion of this program qualifies for up to 34.0 contact hours.
Nursing
This program is co-sponsored by the AST and Amedco. Amedco, St. Paul, MN. is an approved provider of nursing continuing education by the Wisconsin Nurses Association Continuing Education Approval Program Committee, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 34.0 contact Hours.
Transplant Coordinator
Category 1 Continuing Education Points for Transplant Coordinators have been applied for through the American Board for Transplant Coordinators.
Online Evaluation Completion
The American Transplant Congress has online program evaluation and CME certificate. You can access the evaluation at any email station in the Cyber Cafe by clicking on www.cmehelp.com. Follow the easy instructions for completion. There are no paper evaluations so be sure to go online and complete your evaluation.
American Journal of Transplantation
Blackwell Munksgaard Publishing, the publisher of the American Journal of Transplantation, has a booth in the exhibit hall. All attendees are encouraged to visit Booths 801, 803, 805 to pick up a free sample copy.
Member Services
There are membership booths for both the ASTS and AST located on the 600 level of the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre. Membership, future meeting information, public policy information, and society literature as well as computer demonstrations of the ASTS and AST Home Pages will be available. Members and non-members are encouraged to stop by to find out about the many benefits of ASTS and AST membership.
Information/Satellite Symposia and Restaurant Reservation
An Information/Satellite Symposia/Restaurant Reservation desk, located on the 600 level of the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre, will be available during the hours of registration
Press Room
There is an American Transplant Congress Press Room located in Room 802B
This room is open during the following hours:
| Saturday, May 31 | 12:00 – 6:00 PM |
| Sunday, June 1 | 8:00 am – 5:30 pm |
| Monday, June 2 | 8:00 am – 5:30 pm |
| Tuesday, June 3 | 8:00 am – 5:30 pm |
| Wednesday, June 4 | 8:00 am – 12:30 pm |
Speaker Ready Rooms (Slide Preview)
The Speaker Ready/Slide Preview room for all presenters is located in Room 803B of the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre. Please be sure to check in your slides 24 hours before your presentation.
Poster Sessions
All posters are setup and viewed during the following hours, Saturday, May 31:
| Setup | 2:00 – 4:00 pm |
| Viewing Time | 4:00 – 7:00 pm |
| Presentation | 5:30 – 7:00 pm |
Sunday- Tuesday, June 1 - 3:
| Setup | 7:00 am – 8:00 am |
| Viewing Time | 8:00 am – 6:00 pm |
| Presentation | 5:00 – 6:00 pm |
Posters are to be removed immediately following the end of poster viewing. Any poster left on the board will be removed and can be picked up at the Freeman desk in back of the hall. Any posters not picked up at the end of the meeting are discarded. All poster sessions take place in the Exhibit Hall, located on the 800 level of the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre.
Cyber Café/ Message Center
So you can keep in touch with home and office, complimentary email stations are available on the 600 level of the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre. This area is open during registration hours. There are sufficient stations open for checking your email; however, you are limited to 15 minute sessions.
As a special servide to ATC attendees, there is a free “WIFI” area on level 600 to access the internet via your personal compter.
Shuttle Bus
There is complimentary shuttle bus service provided between the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre and the outlying hotels. Service begins on Saturday, May 31, at 6:30 am and continues every 10 minutes during peak hours (6:30 – 10:00 am) and every 20 minutes during off peak hours (10:00 am – 7:30 pm). Check the lobby of your hotel for a bus schedule.
Cell Phones
As a courtesy to other attendees, please turn off your cell phone during sessions.