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Philadelphia, USA • December 2-6
Attendee FAQs
Yes. Concession stands will be open in the ASCB Learning Center Sunday through Tuesday. Additionally, there will be food stands open in various other locations throughout the convention center from Saturday through Wednesday.
No. However, the abstract submission and registration fees are reduced for ASCB Members. Click here for information about member savings.
No. The ASCB | EMBO Meeting meetings do not offer CEUs or CMEs.
Yes. If you have a disability or a special need that may affect your participation in the Annual Meeting, please check the appropriate box when registering. ASCB staff will contact you before the Annual Meeting to discuss your requirements. The ASCB cannot ensure the availability of appropriate accommodations without prior notification of need. The Pennsylvania Convention Center and most of the ASCB hotels are accessible to persons with disabilities.
You may leave a message for your colleague on the message board in the Message Center located near the Registration area in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, or send them an email. Unfortunately, the ASCB or our Official Housing Partner, onPeak, cannot provide this information for privacy reasons.
Abstracts will be available on the 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting website in a searchable PDF and via an itinerary planner in mid-November. They will also be accessible via our mobile app three to four weeks prior to the meeting.
Please click here to visit our page regarding International Travel to the U.S.
Customized letters of invitation can only be issued to confirmed meeting registrants. During the registration process, you will have the option to request a letter of invitation. The letter will be automatically generated via a link in your registration confirmation. If you did not select this option during registration, or if you have any questions, please contact Alison Harris. For more information on International Travel, including passports and visas, click here.
The 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting Program will be available on our meetings website approximately one month before the meeting. The Program will also be available for pick-up along with your meeting badge and lanyard in the Registration Area (Broad Street Atrium), of the Philadelphia Convention Center during the meeting.
The ASCB also has a mobile app with the ability to view the program and create an itinerary. This mobile app will be available approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the meeting.
We are anticipating over 6,000 scientists and over 250 exhibiting companies.
The ASCB has member and nonmember pricing for abstracts. Please note abstract submission fees are nonrefundable and are separate of registration fees.
The fees for regular abstracts submitted by the August 1 or August 31 deadlines are:
- $80 for members
- $110 for nonmembers*
The fees for final abstracts submitted by the October 11 deadline are:
- $100 for members
- $130 for nonmembers*
Click here for more information about abstract submission fees and deadlines.
*Nonmembers should strongly consider becoming an ASCB member since you can save on registration fees as well. Please click here for member vs. nonmember savings.
You will be able to obtain a replacement badge onsite for a fee of $15 at the Badge Replacement counter during registration hours. If you lose the second badge and need a third, you will need to re-register for the meeting and pay the onsite registration fee. A photo ID is necessary in both cases.
Yes, you still have to pay for meeting registration. Submission of the abstract fee does not include registration for the 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting.
The ASCB does not provide childcare onsite.
Onsite childcare services may be available through your hotel concierge. Individual or group sitters may be arranged to provide in-room hotel childcare. Please check with your hotel well in advance of your arrival date.
Note: The ASCB does not screen any of the childcare services and assumes no responsibility with respect to these services and accepts no liabilities.
If you are having difficulty finding a babysitter, perhaps you can look on Care.com. Please note the ASCB or EMBO have no affiliation with them, but they offer babysitting matching services.
For more information on our Children Policy, please click here .
Children must be accompanied by a parent or a guardian during Learning Center hours. Parents or guardians may bring children under the age of 17 to educational events provided the children do not disrupt the event. Badges will not be issued to children under the age of 17. Under no circumstances are children under the age of 17 allowed in the ASCB Learning Center (Exhibit Hall) during set-up and dismantle times. Click here for more information on our Children Policy.
Yes, the 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting will have a mobile app available for downloading a few weeks prior to the meeting. Check the website in mid- to late-November for more information.
Yes. The Speaker Lounge is located in Room 125 of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. All Subgroup, Keynote, Symposia, Minisymposia, and Microsymposia speakers are strongly encouraged to visit the Speaker Lounge to check their presentation and take care of any issues that may arise before their talk.
The hours of operation are:
| Saturday, December 2 | 7:30 am-6:00 pm |
| Sunday, December 3 | 7:00 am-6:30 pm |
| Monday, December 4 | 7:00 am-6:30 pm |
| Tuesday, December 5 | 7:00 am-6:30 pm |
| Wednesday, December 6 | 7:30 am-11:00 am |
Yes. The ASCB renamed our Exhibit Hall floor the Learning Center in 2014.
There is no public parking at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. However, there are several public parking garages in close proximity to the facility. For more information about parking, click here.
You may take photographs at the meeting as long as you abide by the ASCB policy and no photographs of scientific information occurs.
The Society does not permit photography or the electronic capture of scientific sessions in meeting rooms or the ASCB Learning Center (formerly called the Exhibit Hall). This policy also includes photographing colleagues against the backdrop of scientific posters on display without the express consent of the presenting author(s).
These policies will be enforced by the Society. Individuals who do not comply will be asked to leave the session or ASCB Learning Center floor and not be allowed room re-entry. Repeat offenders will have their meeting badge(s) revoked and will not be allowed to continue to attend the meeting. This policy is necessary to respect the willingness of presenters to share their data at the meeting as well as their publication opportunities. If you have any questions regarding these policies, please email the ASCB.
The Learning Center will be open for poster viewing during the following hours:
| Saturday, December 2 | 5:30 pm-8:00 pm |
| Sunday, December 3 | 7:30 am-8:00 pm |
| Monday, December 4 | 7:30 am-8:00 pm |
| Tuesday, December 5 | 7:30 am-4:00 pm |
Please click here for details.
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
1201 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
The ASCB also has many other hotels in our housing block, which you can view by clicking here.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center has three (3) onsite Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
• 200 level at 12th street east and west
• Broad Street, 2nd level
• Terrace Ballroom
Attendees can access their email accounts at our free Internet Cafe located near our Registration Area inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The ASCB also provides complimentary wireless in the convention center (excluding the Learning Center) for use on your own laptops, tablets, and/or phones. Meeting attendees who wish to use the service should bring their own laptop computer or PDA, with a wireless 802.11b/g network card installed. Set the SSID (wireless network identifier) to ASCBEMBO2017.
Onsite technical support will not be provided.
The location of specific exhibitors will be included in the 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting Program and on our Mobile App. There will also be Exhibit Locator Maps just inside the Learning Center (formerly called the Exhibit Hall) entrances.
Message Center is located in the Registration Area in the Board Street Atrium of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. There will be a board set up where you can leave messages.
An Infant Lounge will be located in Room 112B of the Street Level of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The room has tables and chairs, electricity, and water. The semi-private lounge, available for nursing mothers and parents with infants, provides a comfortable and secure environment. Parents and guardians are responsible for providing infant care supplies. The infant lounge is unsupervised, and ASCB & EMBO are not responsible for any accidents or injuries that may occur.
The infant lounge is opened whenever the Pennsylvania Convention Center is opened.
You can print your own Certificate of Attendance at the “Certificate of Attendance” Counter in the Registration area of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting Program and Poster Guide will be available online approximately one month before the meeting. The Annual Meeting Program and Poster Guide will also be available for pick-up along with your meeting badge and lanyard in the Registration area at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Boarding passes may be printed in the Business Center of most hotels, and onsite at the Internet Cafe, located near the Registration Area of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Guests are welcome to explore the Pennsylvania Convention Center, but cannot enter meeting rooms or the Learning Center without a meeting badge.
You may request badge corrections at the Badge Replacement Counter in the Registration Area during registration hours.
A First Aid Room is located in Hall D of the Learning Center.
The First Aid Administrator will be on duty:
| Saturday, December 2 | 7:00 am-10:00 pm |
| Sunday, December 3 | 7:00 am-8:00 pm |
| Monday, December 4 | 7:00 am-8:00 pm |
| Tuesday, December 5 | 7:00 am-8:00pm |
| Wednesday, December 6 | 7:00 am-5:00pm |
There is a FedEx business center that offers a wide range of supplies, services, and shipping, high-volume copying, large image printing, faxing, etc., on the 2nd level of the convention center between Halls B and D.
215-925-1218
Hours:
| Thursday, November 30 | 1:00 pm-4:00 pm |
| Friday, December 1 | 8:00 am-5:00 pm |
| Saturday, December 2 | 8:00 am-5:00 pm |
| Sunday, December 3 | 8:00 am-5:00 pm |
| Monday, December 4 | 8:00 am-5:00 pm |
| Tuesday, December 5 | 8:00 am-6:00 pm |
| Wednesday, December 6 | 8:00 am-1:00 pm |
The lost and found is located in the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the ASCB Meeting Management Office. Please turn in any item found throughout the convention center to this room. Items are kept throughout the meeting until Wednesday, December 6 at 12:00 Noon.
If you believe you lost an item at the Pennsylvania Convention Center during the 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting, please visit the ASCB Meeting Management Office.
Please note, the ASCB Meeting Management Office is open during the following hours:
| Saturday, December 2 | 7:30 am-7:00 pm |
| Sunday, December 3 | 7:30 am-6:00 pm |
| Monday, December 4 | 7:30 am-6:00 pm |
| Tuesday, December 5 | 7:30 am-6:00 pm |
| Wednesday, December 6 | 7:30 am-1:00 pm |
If it is before or after hours, please turn anything you find into the building security guards you see and they will bring it to our office during operating hours.
The meeting will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, located at 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
The poster sessions for early and late abstracts, and the Microsymposia sessions will be held in the Learning Center (formerly known as the Exhibit Hall), Exhibit Halls C-E in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Poster sessions run between 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Microsymposia will run between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
All requests for meeting rooms, hospitality suites, and social functions must be made through ASCB Director of Meetings, Alison Harris.
No, the ASCB does not mail badges or Annual Meeting Programs prior to the meeting.
PDFs of the Annual Meeting Program will be available online prior to the meeting, in addition to an itinerary planner and the mobile app. Physical copies of the Annual Meeting Program can be picked up at the Registration Area in in Board Street Atrium of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Badges will be available for pickup in the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the Registration Area, as well. All registrants will receive an email one week before the meeting. Print and bring this email with you. It will contain a bar code for you to scan to print your badge. If for any reason you do not receive an email with the barcode before the meeting or you misplace it, you can bring your registration confirmation or look up your registration onsite. A photo ID must be presented to pick up your badge.
No, ASCB & EMBO do not provide shuttle buses; however, all hotels are within walking distance of the Convention Center. Attendees must make their own transportation arrangements to and from the Meeting.
A Coat/Poster/Luggage Storage is located in the Registration area.
The cost is $3 per item, depending on its size.
Note: Luggage may not be taken into meeting rooms. Also, please do not store your luggage at your poster board when you are not present.
| Saturday, December 2 | 8:00 am-10:30 pm |
| Sunday, December 3 | 7:30 am-8:00 pm |
| Monday, December 4 | 7:30 am-8:00 pm |
| Tuesday, December 5 | 7:30 am-8:00 pm |
| Wednesday, December 6 | 7:30 am-1:00 pm |
You may make changes to or cancel your hotel reservation online at onPeak or by clicking the link in your confirmation email until November 9, 2017. You may also call onPeak directly at 800-220-9540 within U.S./Canada. International participants may make changes online at onPeak or call 1-800-220-9540.
Beginning on November 17, individuals must contact hotels directly to change/cancel reservations. To avoid any penalties, please be sure to change or cancel your reservation at least 72 hours in advance of arrival.
For more information on International Travel, including passports and visas, click here.
- Price: We’ve secured the lowest available hotel rates.
- Choice Hotels: Hotels have been hand-picked to meet your needs.
- Convenience: A one-stop travel shop is at your service.
- Support: We’re your advocate before, during, and after your stay.
- Reputation: The housing block illustrates the ASCB’s value to the city.
If you find a published rate cheaper at a hotel that is in our housing block, please contact Alison Harris.
1201 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
The ASCB also has many other hotels in our housing block, which you can view by clicking here.
The deadline to reserve a hotel is November 9, 2017. After that date, rooms are not guaranteed at the negotiated rate.
The ASCB and onPeak have negotiated special rates and added-value incentives with hotels that are fully competitive with online offerings. Moreover, reserving rooms in the ASCB Housing Block offers attendees important benefits. Click here to see more information regarding hotels.
The other career development sessions are open to all attendees on a first-come, first-serve basis with no preregistration required.
After you have registered, within your confirmation you will find a Web page link that automatically generates your customized letter of invitation.
For security purposes, letters of invitation cannot be sent if you have not registered for the 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting. If you have questions, please email them to: aharris@ascb.org.
For more information on International Travel, including passports and visas, click here.
Fees do not include any meals.
Children who are 17 and under will be admitted (at no cost) if accompanied by a paying scientific registrant. No badge is needed for children who are 17 or under.
Early Registration: Registration must be received by October 4, 2017, for registrants to qualify for the early registration rate. There is a significant discount for early registration (see below). Registration is nontransferable. Participants are not registered for the meeting until their registration fees are paid in full. Note: Abstract submission fee payment does not include meeting registration.
Regular Registration: Although early rates for registration are available only through October 4, 2017, registration for the meeting at the regular rate will be available from October 5 through the end of the meeting. Registration is also available onsite in Philadelphia from December 1-6 at the regular registration rates listed below.
Member Rates* |
Early Registration(Through October 4) |
Regular Registration(Starting October 5) |
| ASCB Regular Member/Applicant* | $290 | $375 |
| ASCB Postdoctoral Member/Applicant* | $265 | $345 |
| ASCB Graduate Student Member/Applicant* | $95 | $140 |
| ASCB Undergraduate Student Member/Applicant* | $45 | $90 |
| ASCB Emeritus Member | $100 | $130 |
Nonmember Rates |
Early Registration(Through October 4) |
Regular Registration
|
| Regular Nonmember | $525 | $650 |
| Postdoctoral Nonmember | $480 | $550 |
| Graduate Student Nonmember | $230 | $275 |
| Undergraduate Student Nonmember | $95 | $135 |
| High School Teachers | Free | Free |
| Community College Instructors | Free | Free |
Member Rates*
*To become eligible for the Member Applicant rate, applicants must first apply for membership and pay the appropriate membership fee for their category. Click here for member savings.
Once your registration is submitted, a receipt will be emailed to you.
In addition, an official receipt can be printed from the registration site, or you can go to the Membership/Attendee Services counter in the Registration area of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
No, meeting registration is nontransferable. If for any reason the registrant cannot attend, that registration must be cancelled, and the replacement person must register for the meeting.
Meeting registration is nonrefundable after November 17. The ASCB will honor requests for refunds if they are in writing and are received by the ASCB no later than November 17. Please note that cancellations are subject to a processing fee of $20 for students and $40 for all others. No refunds will be issued for requests received after November 17.
Please Note: Registration refunds will not be issued after November 17 for denied visas.
| Saturday, December 2 | 8:00 am-7:00 pm |
| Sunday, December 3 | 7:30 am-6:00 pm |
| Monday, December 4 | 7:30 am-6:00 pm |
| Tuesday, December 5 | 7:30 am-6:00 pm |
| Wednesday, December 6 | 7:30 am-11:30 am |
Please click here for a list of what the 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting registration fee includes.
Please note: No meals are included with the 2017 ASCB | EMBO Meeting registration.
Meeting registration is nontransferable. Meeting registration is nonrefundable after November 17. The ASCB will honor requests for refunds if they are in writing and are received by the ASCB no later than November 17. Please note that cancellations are subject to a processing fee of $20 for students and $40 for all others. No refunds will be issued for requests received after November 17.
Please Note: Registration refunds will not be issued after November 17 for denied visas.
The ASCB does not sell guest badges. A guest is a nonscientist family member or nonscientist friend of a registered scientist.
If a registered scientist would like a family member or friend to see his/her invited talk or their poster presentation, the registered scientist must contact Alison Harris, Director of Meetings, and provide the date and time his/her guest would like to attend.
To request a guest badge onsite, please go to the ASCB Meeting Management Office. The guest badge will only be valid for the date and time selected.
No, the ASCB does not mail badges or Annual Meeting Programs prior to the meeting.
PDFs of the Annual Meeting Program will be available online prior to the meeting, in addition to an itinerary planner and the mobile app. Physical copies of the Annual Meeting Program can be picked up at the Registration Area in the Board Street Atrium of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Badges will be available for pickup in the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the Registration Area, as well. All registrants will receive an email one week before the meeting. Print and bring this email with you. It will contain a bar code for you to scan to print your badge. If for any reason you do not receive an email with the barcode before the meeting or you misplace it, you can bring your registration confirmation or look up your registration onsite. A photo ID must be presented to pick up your badge.
If you are applying for a travel award, you must submit an abstract for presentation. You will need the abstract submission ID number to complete your travel award application.
Our application system will not allow you to apply for a travel award unless you have submitted an abstract.
You do not need to register for the meeting prior to submitting a travel award application. However, you will need to register for the meeting in order to attend the meeting.
Please note: The abstract submission fee is separate from the meeting registration fee.
Abstract submission fees are nonrefundable.
If you wish to cancel your registration, you will be refunded the registration fee, less the cancellation fee, if requests are received by the November 17, 2017 cancellation deadline.