Conference and Online Event Policies

Yes, the 64th Annual Drosophila Research Conference is officially continuing as planned as an in-person and virtual conference, as decided by the GSA Executive Committee.

To help minimize risks and promote a safe environment at the in-person conference, some policies have been adapted or added to reflect current best practices:

• In-person attendees will be required to be fully vaccinated and boosted (if eligible) against COVID-19. (The previous policy did not mandate a booster.)
• In-person attendees must provide proof of a negative PCR test or recent recovery from COVID-19.
• In-person attendees will be required to wear a mask in all meeting spaces. GSA will have a limited supply of complimentary N95 and KN95 masks onsite.

Yes, all in-person attendees must be fully vaccinated, including a booster for those who are eligible*, at least 14 days prior to the start of the meeting on March 1, 2023. We have adopted this policy to ensure that in-person attendees are as optimally protected against COVID-19 as possible, in accordance with current CDC guidance. If you are unable to meet the vaccination requirement, we invite you to join as a virtual attendee and participate in the streaming, online, and on-demand programming.

*If you are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster by February 15, 2023 because of limited access in your country of residence, time since your second vaccine dose, or a documented medical exemption, please contact sbrown@genetics-gsa.org with the subject line “#Dros23 booster exception” to request an exception.

Please check our Conference Policies to learn more.

Yes. GSA requires all its in-person attendees to be fully vaccinated, including a booster, except under some circumstances*. We have adopted this policy to ensure that in-person attendees are as optimally protected against COVID-19 as possible. If you are registered as an in-person attendee and have not yet received a booster, you must receive a booster no later than March 21, 2022. If you cannot meet the vaccination mandate, you may change your registration type to virtual attendance.

*If you are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster by February 15, 2023 because of limited access in your country of residence, time since your second vaccine dose, or a documented medical exemption, please contact sbrown@genetics-gsa.org with the subject line “#Dros23 booster exception” to request an exception.

If you are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster by February 15, 2023 because of limited access in your country of residence, time since your second vaccine dose, or a documented medical exemption, please contact sbrown@genetics-gsa.org with the subject line “#Dros23 booster exception” to request an exception. Alternatively, you may register as a virtual attendee, or, if you had previously registered to attend #Dros23 in person, you may change your registration type to virtual attendance and will receive a refund for the difference in price.

GSA cannot accommodate exceptions to the vaccination requirement, except for those who are not eligible for a booster.* If you are unable to meet the vaccination requirement, we invite you to join as a virtual attendee and participate in the streaming, online, and on-demand programming.

*If you are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster by February 15, 2023 because of limited access in your country of residence, time since your second vaccine dose, or a documented medical exemption, please contact sbrown@genetics-gsa.org with the subject line “#Dros23 booster exception” to request an exception.

No. Only fully vaccinated people will be able to access the meeting area.

No. In-person registration will close on February 15, 2023. You will still be able to register for virtual attendance.

No. All in–person attendees must be registered by February 15.

GSA requests all attendees to take a rapid antigen test within 12 hours before departing for the conference and to stay home if they test positive.

Unfortunately, if you have registered as an in-person attendee and test positive within 72 hours of the meeting start date on March 1, 2023, you will not be able to attend the meeting in person. You may change your registration type to virtual attendance, which will provide access to streamed sessions, presentation opportunities, and networking events. You will receive a refund for the price difference between in-person and virtual registration.

If you would not like to attend virtually, you may cancel your registration.

Yes, GSA will require all in-person meeting attendees to wear a mask while in the meeting space. Masks should fit snugly against the face and must completely cover the nose, mouth, and chin.

Attendees should wear the most protective masks they can, ideally N95s or KN95s. If you do not have access to a high-quality mask, GSA will have a limited supply of complimentary N95 and KN95 masks at the registration desk in the Ballroom Promenade on level 4.

If you do not have access to a high-quality mask, GSA will have a limited supply of complimentary N95 and KN95 masks at the registration desk in the Ballroom Promenade on level 4.

Please visit the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk’s website for complete information about the venue’s COVID-19 protocols.

Due to changing pandemic conditions, we recommend waiting to book transportation as long as possible, choosing refundable or transferable fares when possible, and considering purchasing travel insurance.

While GSA has taken steps to create the safest possible in-person meeting environment, COVID-19 can be contracted anywhere at any time. All in-person attendees should complete a daily self-assessment while at the meeting using CDC’s COVID-19 Self-Checker. If you experience any symptoms before picking up your conference materials or develop symptoms at any time while onsite, do not enter the conference space.

If you test positive during the event, please:

• Do not return to the event.
• Notify anyone with whom you have had close contact that you tested positive.
• Notify Suzy Brown at sbrown@genetics-gsa.org.
• Contact the hotel front desk by dialing 0 on your room telephone or email GSAConferences@genetics-gsa.org if you need assistance.

We encourage attendees to bring rapid antigen test kits for self-testing during the conference. If you do not have rapid tests and experience symptoms while onsite, you can request to have a rapid test delivered to your room by dialing 0 from your guest room phone and emailing gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org.

The hotel has reserved a limited number of single rooms for attendees who need to isolate onsite. Please contact the hotel and gsasconferences@genetics-gsa.org to arrange a transfer to these rooms.

If you require immediate medical attention, dial zero from any hotel phone.

All in-person attendees will be sent an e-mail with a link to their badge. Please print your badge and bring it with you. Once on site, you will be asked to show your badge to enter the meeting. After presenting your badge, you will be able to pick up your badge holder and enter the meeting space.

To enable the organizers to finalize the program, we ask that you please carefully consider how you will attend the meeting and register no later than January 17, 2023 to confirm your participation. Selecting your registration format—in-person or virtual—is crucial to helping us finalize the program.

Your presentation assignment (oral or poster) will not change based on how you will attend the meeting, and you may change your registration type if your circumstances change.

If you can no longer attend the meeting in person, consider changing your registration type to virtual attendance. Virtual attendance will provide access to streamed sessions, presentation opportunities, and networking events.

However, if you would not like to attend virtually, you may cancel your registration by January 3, 2023 without a cancellation fee. All conference registration cancellations received between January 4, 2023 and February 1, 2023 will incur a $50 cancellation fee. Registration cancellations received on February 2, 2023 or later will not be eligible for a refund. Please check our Conference Policies to learn more.

If you can no longer attend #Dros23 in person for any reason, you may request to change to virtual registration at any time. However, so that we may plan accordingly, we would appreciate changes to be made no later than January 3, 2023. Please check our Conference Policies for more information.

If you were selected to present a talk or poster in person, you may present virtually instead. Please contact Suzy Brown at gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org as soon as possible to discuss virtual presentation options.

If you cancel your registration, please ask a co-author to present on your behalf and send the replacement information to Suzy Brown at  gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org as soon as possible.

For the safety of your fellow attendees, please remain in your room if you begin to feel symptoms and contact the hotel by dialing 0 on your room’s telephone. Email gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org to request a rapid test, which will be delivered to your room. Notify sbrown@genetics-gsa.org with your test results for further guidance.

If you are not experiencing symptoms, you may enter the meeting space. Please continue to wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask (complimentary N95 and KN95 masks are available at the registration desk in the Ballroom Foyer, if needed), socially distance when possible, and complete a self-assessment daily while using CDC’s COVID-19 Self-Checker.

If your roommate tests positive while at the meeting, a hotel attendant will arrange for you to move to another room. Your room will be cleaned by hotel staff.

As long as you are not experiencing symptoms, you may enter the meeting space. Please continue to wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask (complimentary N95 and KN95 masks are available at the registration desk in the Ballroom Foyer, if needed), socially distance when possible, and complete a self-assessment daily while using CDC’s COVID-19 Self-Checker.

If you begin to experience symptoms, please remain in your room for the safety of your fellow attendees. Contact the hotel by dialing 0 on your room’s telephone and gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org to request a rapid test, which will be delivered to your room. Notify sbrown@genetics-gsa.org with your test results for further guidance.

We understand that making plans is difficult these days. If your circumstances change, you can change your registration from in-person to online attendance or vice versa at any time. However, so that we may plan accordingly, we would appreciate changes to be made no later than January 3, 2023. Please check our Conference Policies to learn more.

Conference registration cancellation requests received by January 3, 2023 are fully refundable and will not incur a cancellation fee. All conference registration cancellations received between January 4, 2023 and February 1, 2023 will incur a $50 cancellation fee. Registration cancellations received on February 2, 2023 or later will not be eligible for a refund. Please check our Conference Policies to learn more.

Yes, you will be able to submit your question in real time through Zoom. It is up to the session chair to select questions to ask the presenter, so yours may not be included in the limited amount of time available for live Q&A. You can also submit a question to the presenter through the Conference App to be answered later. The presenter will be notified of the question and may answer it as he/she/they are available (Please note that we cannot guarantee that a presenter will answer your question). Recordings will also include questions that were asked during the live session.

You can also ask questions in the Conference App. Questions and answers in the App can be moderated, published for all to see, or kept private.

Poster presenters will be asked to upload a PDF of their posters and record an audio overview, which will be available in the Conference App. You will be able to ask a question of the poster presenters in the App. In addition, we are encouraging poster presenters to include a link to their preferred calendar scheduling tool (Calendly, Google Meet, etc.) so that attendees can set up appointments for virtual poster discussions.

Workshops held online will be open to all registrants. Select workshops will be recorded and made available through the Conference App. Workshops held during the meeting will be available to in-person attendees only. Please check the schedule for more information.

Program and Abstract Books will not be printed and available onsite, but they are available to download or view digitally.

Your log-in information is not transferable. Those who cannot attend in person but would like to participate virtually or watch recordings may do so by registering as a virtual attendee.

One advantage of attending any in-person meeting is the ability to spontaneously connect with others, including those who are job hunting, hiring, looking for collaborations in your same field of research, etc. However, we realize that it may not be possible for some to attend in person due to travel restrictions, financial limitations, family responsibilities, or other circumstances. Select oral sessions will be streamed live and recorded for on-demand viewing. Virtual attendees will also be able to participate in all online professional development events and networking events.

Yes. Exhibitors will be listed on line and in the Conference App.

Yes. Abstracts will be evaluated solely based on their scientific content and relevance to this meeting and the associated topics, not the author’s registration type. You do not need to attend the meeting in person to be selected for a talk; virtual presentation options will be available.

Sessions will be developed based on review of the submitted abstracts. Overall diversity across location, institution, gender, race/ethnicity, and career stage will be considered as well. All talks will be presented live. If connectivity or other factors impact your ability to present live, an uploaded recording may be possible.

No, live poster sessions will not be held virtually. However, in-person and virtual attendees will be able to view your poster PDF and audio overview and ask questions through the Conference App.

Live poster presentations will only be available in person; however, all poster presenters will be able to upload a PDF of their poster and record an audio overview to accompany it, which will be available to all registered attendees through the Conference App.

If your abstract has been selected for an oral presentation and you are attending in person, please see the In-Person Oral Presenter Guidelines for instructions.

Please see the Online Oral Presenter Guidelines.

If your abstract has been selected for a poster presentation and you are attending in person, please see the In-person Poster Presenter Guidelines for instructions.

If your abstract has been selected for a poster presentation and you are attending virtually, please see the Online Poster Presenter Guidelines for instructions.

Live poster presentations will only be available in person; however, all poster presenters will be able to upload a PDF of their poster and record an audio overview to accompany it, which will be available to all registered attendees through the Conference App.