Cancellation Notice Concerning the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Andrology
The Executive Council of the American Society of Andrology (ASA) met in the evening of March 10, 2020 and considered all available information concerning the transmission of disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), risks to the health of ASA members and meeting attendees, as well as speaker and attendee travel restrictions. As a result, the ASA Executive Council, recognizing that the safety and health of the meeting attendees is our top priority, voted unanimously to cancel the 2020 Annual Meeting that was scheduled for April 25-28 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The meeting will not be rescheduled.
The ASA leadership and management have been closely following developments domestically and internationally concerning the coronavirus outbreak. We made our decision based on evidence from local, regional, national, and international public health agencies even before today’s classification of COVID-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. The US federal government’s steps to contain the disease by restricting international travelers from entering the country impacts our scientific program. In addition, the home institutions of many of our meeting participants have imposed travel and group meeting restrictions that severely affect our ability to stage a successful meeting.
In keeping with the ASA’s mission to advance discovery and education in andrology, we are presently developing plans to sponsor educational activities for the society membership over the next 12 months.
Regarding registration fees and submitted abstracts:
- Registration fees will be refunded (this may take a few weeks to process however you do not need to take any action to receive your refund).
- If you would like to use your payment toward your registration fee for ASA 2021 or make a charitable donation to the ASA Endowment Fund, please contact Michelle O’Connor at 847-752-5355 or moconnor@veritasmeetingsolutions.com.
- The publication of submitted abstracts has been halted. We are considering options that may give authors the opportunity to withdraw their abstracts or to have their posters presented in a virtual forum.
The decision to cancel the meeting was not taken lightly but was primarily based on considerations for the health of all individuals associated with the conference. We thank all of our speakers, presenters, supporters, attendees, committee volunteers and management staff for their patience and support at this time. Additional information regarding hotel reservation cancellations, registration refunds, and other logistics can be found in the FAQs drop down below. We hope you are well and that this disease does not directly affect you or your family, friends, and associates and look forward to seeing you at the 2021 Annual Meeting (details will be forthcoming soon).
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Meeting Cancellation
Why is the annual meeting canceled?
ASA leadership and management closely monitored the progression of the coronavirus (COVID-19) infections around the world, nationally in the United States, and regionally in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. Based on concerns of the health and safety of our attendees and staff, the ASA Executive Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, March 10 to cancel the meeting. Within days, the federal and state governments declared official public health emergencies so we would have been forced to cancel the meeting anyway.
What about the other workshops and symposia ancillary to the annual meeting?
The 2020 Annual Meeting Program Committee had planned an Andrology Laboratory Workshop, a Translational Symposium, and a panel discussion prior to the annual meeting. All of these events have also been canceled.
Will the 2020 Annual Meeting of the ASA be rescheduled to be held at a later date?
No. Because of the advance planning required to schedule venues and speakers, we will not reschedule the meeting.
That said, we do hope to offer some educational programming throughout the year that may include components drawn from the planned 2020 meeting program. We intend to provide these opportunities through virtual (online) programming. We envision offering continuing education credits as part of this programming. Stay tuned!
I am pre-registered. How do I go about getting a refund?
We are still working on the logistics for refunding registration fees. Please be patient as this may take a few weeks to process. However, you do not need to take any action to receive your refund. We hope to inform you of the process within the next three weeks.
If you would like to apply your payment toward your registration fee for ASA 2021 or make a charitable donation to the ASA Endowment Fund, please contact Michelle O’Connor at 847-752-5355 or moconnor@veritasmeetingsolutions.com.
I paid for the other activities such as the annual banquet, will I get a refund for those events as well?
Yes, of course. All fees paid at registration will be refunded.
I was selected for a travel award. Will I still receive that?
Individuals chosen for travel awards will receive their certificate of acknowledgement. However, compensation for travel will not be provided.
Will participants be refunded for hotel costs?
No, we will not refund hotel costs. Please contact Loews Philadelphia Hotel directly and cancel your reservation.
Will participants be refunded for airline tickets?
No, we will not refund individual airline ticket costs. Please contact your airline directly regarding ticket cancellations. If you purchased travel insurance, please contact your provider for information. Many airlines have announced new policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Will any oral talks or poster presentations be made available virtually?
We temporally halted publication of the meeting abstracts in the journal Andrology that ASA publishes jointly with the European Academy of Andrology. In the coming days, we will decide on procedures to allow some of the speakers to present their papers in a webinar format. We also hope to have some of the posters presented virtually as well.
We do intend to publish the abstracts in Andrology once we decide our steps forward. We recognize that, concerning the circumstances, some people may wish to withdraw their abstracts and present them at another meeting. As a result, abstract authors will be offered the opportunity to withdraw their abstracts or have them published.
What about the Distinguished Andrologist Award, the Distinguished Service Award, and the Matthew P. Hardy Young Andrologist Award? Will they be presented this year?
Yes! The individuals receiving these awards have been notified and will receive their awards. In addition, they will be profiled in the Andrology issue that will contain other information related to the (canceled) meeting such as the scientific abstracts. We will also publish articles about them on the ASA website and through the ASA Newsletter.
The ASA annually awards 3 merit awards to trainees for their poster presentations at the meeting. Will this be done somehow this year?
Abstracts from trainees were previously scored for merit to determine the semi-finalists for the Anna Steinberger, Lonnie Russell, and Thomas Chang Merit Awards. Our plan is to have these individuals present their work virtually and be judged at that time by the Awards Committee. The winners will be announced and they will receive their certificate and monetary award. Stay tuned for details.
What about the Annual Business Meeting of the ASA? Will that be held?
Yes. Plans are underway to hold a virtual business meeting in April. ASA members will be contacted with more information at a later date.
I have other questions not answered here. Who do I contact?
Please e-mail all questions to: info@andrologysociety.org.
ANDROLOGY (AN-DROL’-UH-JEE)
The study of the male reproductive system, which includes male sexual health. Hence, Andrology includes the study of male reproduction in all species and most of what we know about reproductive health in men started from research in other animals. In common usage, andrology pertains to men just as gynecology pertains to women.
MISSION STATEMENT
To advance discovery and education in andrology, the study of male reproductive health, through promoting cross-fertilization and integration of knowledge and expertise in the basic and clinical sciences.
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Cancellation Notice Concerning the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Andrology
The Executive Council of the American Society of Andrology (ASA) met in the evening of March 10, 2020 and considered all available information concerning the transmission of disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), risks to the health of ASA members and...
