ABM Australia/New Zealand Regional Conference 2021
FAQ about transitioning to an online only conference
Why is ABM Australia/New Zealand Regional Conference 2020/21 not going ahead face-to-face?
In March 2020 the ABM Australia/New Zealand Regional conference committee made a decision to postpone the conference scheduled for May 2020 until February 2021. Sadly, COVID19 has had a far more significant impact that anyone may have predicted and for now, there is no end in sight. The conference committee has again been faced with a difficult decision to transition to a solely online conference. We have done so because of closed international borders, restricted interstate travel and restrictions on gatherings, as well as increased work demands and risk of infection with COVID-19 on medical practitioners and other health professionals who would attend the conference. It was felt we needed to reduce the risk to the women and children whose health we are dedicated to protect and improve, as well as that of our broader global community, and to minimise financial impact to our conference and conference registrants.
Is the ABM Australia/New Zealand Regional Conference 2020/21 cancelled?
No. Members of the ABM Australia/New Zealand Regional Conference committee have arranged for the conference to be held in an online environment. Although we will not be able to meet in person, this format will allow you to view the presentations over a much longer period of time (until May 31st 2021), and allows the conference to increase the number of presentations we can offer. The conference will be held over the weekend of the 20-21st February (the weekend proposed when the conference was postponed in March 2020). As people no longer have to travel, and rather than hold the workshops the day preceding the conference, the workshops will be held over the previous weekend (13th and 14th February). This does enable people to attend both workshops if they wish.
How is the online conference different to that previously planned?
In transitioning to an online conference, we will still be offering a full conference program to our registrants. However, in addition we are now able to offer bonus presentations, which can be accessed at any convenient time. These bonus presentations cover a large range of topics, from local and international speakers and address the effect of Covid–19 on breastfeeding medicine. This has enhanced our program and we have evolved our offerings to address current issues affecting practitioners worldwide.
Our workshop dates have moved from the day preceding the conference to the weekend before, to allow for more flexibility for our registrants. This also allows registrants to attend both workshops if desired.
We will still be offering networking opportunities virtually, with more details to come and will be facilitating sub group interactions. We will also be facilitating Q&A with our presenters during the main conference days.
What happens to my registration for the ABM Australia/New Zealand Regional Conference?
All existing registrations for the 2020 Conference will be automatically transferred to the online conference in February 2021. Existing registrants do not need to do anything to confirm their attendance. There will be a refund for those who have already registered to attend the dinner, or registered extra guests for the welcome event.
People who have not yet registered, will be able to register for the online February 2021 conference up until the 16th May 2021. Workshop registrations will be open until 31st January 2021.
What happens if I can’t access the online conference in February 2021?
All conference presentations (pre-recorded and recorded live) will be available for you to access until May 31st 2021. Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to record the preconference workshops due to their interactive nature. A refund for the workshop part of the registration can be negotiated if you are not able to attend the workshop on the dates proposed. These are 13th February 2021 for Breastfeeding Essentials for Medical Practitioners and 14th February 2021 for Beyond the Essentials: Advanced Topics in Breastfeeding Medicine. If you would prefer to cancel your registration, a full refund minus $50 for administration charges will be available until the 30th November 2020.
What happens about the presentation I was due to give at the ABM Australia/New Zealand Regional Conference 2020?
We will contact you about options for your abstracts/posters shortly.
What happens to my accommodation booking for the ABM Australia/New Zealand Regional Conference 2020?
For accommodation arrangements booked directly with The Rydges Melbourne, please contact the Reservations Team at the Hotel on +61 3 9662 0511 or reservations_rydgesmelbourne@evt.com who will assist in cancelling your booking. Your accommodation will be fully refunded. If your accommodation has been booked via a third-party booking provider, you will need to contact them directly for assistance.
If you have any questions about the conference, please contact us at abmausnz@gmail.com , or rachel@meccaconcepts.com.au