Dear PPE Conference Speakers and Attendees,
A lot of people have responded to our recent poll. Thank you! I also want to express my deep gratitude for all the thoughtful communications I’ve received while our team works hard to make sound decisions regarding next steps for our upcoming Fifth Annual Meeting. There is much to consider; thank you for your patience with us!
We’ve already received responses from 80% of the people on the program, which was extremely useful in helping us move to the next step: trying to make the conference happen. The poll results showed that a substantial percentage of program participants still plan to attend in person (which we know is conditional upon several factors). With that information at hand, we will try to make this conference happen in person.
The next important task is to get accurate session information from each of you who is planning to attend, so that we can adjust the program.
For those of you planning to attend, we are asking you to fill out THIS FORM confirming your attendance. We need this form back within 48 hours, by 5:00 pm on January 20, to confirm your slot on the program. If we do not receive this form from you by that time, we cannot guarantee your slot. And if we do not receive enough attendee confirmations, we will not be able to proceed in person at all. If you are not a speaker, please just type “moderator” or “attendee” in the session title or notes field.
This form will serve two purposes:
- With some attendees not being able to come, we will need to re-organize the program. Anyone on the original program who is still planning to come will have a guaranteed spot to present—except for Author Meets Critics sessions that have cancelled speakers, as we feel those require all participants. The form will help us know who is remaining and how to reconfigure sessions. Note: we plan to keep the updated agenda as close as possible to the original program.
- We need to know who exactly is coming and who has yet to book on our discounted room block. Please note that there are still several rooms left on the room block, HERE. This block closes on January 24, so if you are planning to come, please consider booking your room using this link or by calling the hotel, asking to book on that room block. The rate is $179/night. Note: the hotel has a very flexible 72-hour cancellation policy, in case you need to pivot your plans in the days before the conference starts.
We will have several safety protocols in place, including the city’s required proof of full vaccination or negative COVID-19 test and required masking indoors—including restaurants and bars. There are useful apps that can display your vaccination card (let us know if you’d like recommendations). More information can be found here. Nothing is certain, of course; things can swiftly change (as we have seen in the past), but at least we now know how to proceed—cautiously.
Again, we’re very grateful to have your feedback and flexibility while we deal with a challenging situation. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best,
Kori Hensell
PPE Society Coordinator
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IMPORTANT LINKS:
ATTENDEE CONFIRMATION FORM – Complete by 5:00pm ET, January 20.
BOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOM – Book your room at venue hotel on the discounted room block by January 24.
NEW ORLEANS SAFETY PROTOCOL – This now includes required proof of full vaccination or negative COVID-19 test and required masking indoors, including bars and restaurants.