By registering for the APHA 2023 Annual Meeting, you acknowledge that you have read the policies and disclaimers described below and that you will comply with these meeting participation policies and the APHA Code of Conduct.
You must be registered for the Annual Meeting to participate in meeting activities and events.
Anti-Harassment and Discrimination
APHA has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment against anyone regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, national origin or immigration status. Attendees must respect common-sense rules for public behavior and personal interaction. Be considerate and respectful of differing perspectives. Any APHA member may submit any concerns, issues or complaints regarding violations of the APHA Code of Conduct (together "Concerns") to the Executive Board through any of the following channels:
- Electronically filing a report using this link.
- By regular mail addressed to American Public Health Association, Attn: Conduct Compliance Liaison, 800 I St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.
- By email addressed to the conduct compliance liaison at: conductcompliance@apha.org.
- If the Concern involves the conduct compliance liaison (APHA chief of staff), then the reporting member may submit the Concerns directly to the APHA director of human resources at ilka.cameron@apha.org.
CANCELLATION AND SUBSTITUTION POLICY
Notice of registration cancellation must be received, in writing, by APHA no later than Sept. 29, 2023.
No refunds will be processed after that date. Email your written cancellation to apharegistration@spargoinc.com.
- Membership is non-transferable, non-refundable and non-tax-deductible.
- Ticketed events and contributions to Help Us Help Them are non-refundable.
- Substitutions are permitted with a $100 transfer fee and written authorization from the original registrant. If the original registrant is a member, the substitute must also be a member or pay the membership fee. There are no refunds for a change in membership category.
In-Person Attendees
- A $100 cancellation fee will be deducted from each Annual Meeting registration ($50 for students, discounted member categories and guests), plus a $75 fee for each Learning Institute.
- For international participants, if the cancellation is due to a visa denial, requests for refunds must be supported by official documentation. After the cancellation deadline, no refunds will be issued.
- If you wish to convert your in-person registration to a digital meeting registration, log back into your record using the link in your confirmation email. If you have difficulties, contact apharegistration@spargoinc.com. No refund will be given for switching to the digital meeting.
- Any mailed badges must be returned by Nov. 27, 2023 to receive a refund and must be received before a refund can be processed. APHA and its registration management partner are NOT RESPONSIBLE for lost, late, illegible, mutilated, postage-due or misdirected badges being returned so that a refund may be completed. Mail badges to: APHA c/o Spargo, Inc., 11208 Waples Mill Road, Suite 112, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Digital Meeting Attendees
- No refunds will be provided for the digital meeting.
- If you wish to convert your digital registration to an in-person registration, log back into your record using the link in your confirmation email. If you have difficulties, contact apharegistration@spargoinc.com. You will be required to pay the difference between the cost of a digital meeting registration and an in-person registration at your member category.
Digital Meeting Code of Conduct
By registering for APHA’s Annual Meeting & Expo, you agree not to:
- Copy, transmit, forward, lend, sell or modify any session recordings.
- Use social media to defame, harass, stalk or attack attendees, participants, APHA Parties or vendors.
- Post or otherwise use APHA’s online platforms for self-promotion, advertising or any other commercial messages without prior written permission of APHA.
- Send spam or any other form of junk e-mail to any other participant.
- Copy or take screen shots of Q&A or any chat room activity.
- Livestream sessions or events on any media platforms such as Zoom, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.
- Take screen shots or record for blogging or distribution.
- Use APHA’s online platforms for offensive, incendiary or defamatory material of any kind.
- Post or disclose anyone’s personal information without permission.
Families
- Children Under 16 - Supervised children 16 and younger are welcome to attend the meeting for free and are welcome in all areas of the Annual Meeting during open times. However, if children begin to make noise in scientific sessions, it’s critical that parents remove them immediately so as not to disturb the session. Children are not permitted for any reason in the Expo Hall during set-up and tear down. Children must be vaccinated.
- Children older than 16 - Children older than 16 who want to attend sessions should register for the meeting as students.
- All children must be under the control of their parents/supervisors at all times.
Spouses/Parents
- Presenters are allowed to have one spouse or parent attend their session for $30. This can be added during the registration process. If you would like your spouse to accompany you to multiple sessions and events, you must register them as a guest. Guests cannot be public health professionals.
Flyers and Handouts
Flyers and handouts may not be posted on any hotel or convention center walls as APHA will be fined and will be responsible for clean-up costs. For crowd control, safety and consideration of all attendees, no flyers or handouts can be distributed directly outside of meeting rooms or exhibit halls.
Health and Safety Policy
COVID Policy: APHA is requiring all in-person attendees to provide proof of being up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Up to date is defined as a completed full primary series (two shots of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine or one shot of the Johnson and Johnson product; or a comparably approved vaccine if you are an international attendee) plus one updated booster (also called the bivalent booster) since Sept. 2, 2022 for people aged 12 years and older. By registering for the event, you agree to be up to date on your COVID-19 vaccination by October 27. Guests who are unable to show proof of vaccination will not be allowed to enter the event.
Mask Policy: As of June 5, masks are encouraged, but not required. However, this policy is subject to change based on local/state/federal public health guidelines at the time of the meeting.
Healthy Meetings
APHA has signed the Healthy Meeting Pledge, recognizing that creating a culture of health and wellness in meetings and conferences is an important way to help people eat well and be physically active, foster healthier work environments and cultivate social norms around healthier choices and behaviors. It is our goal to provide our attendees with healthy food choices, to offer a smoke-free meeting environment, to encourage physical activity and to make our meeting more sustainable by reducing waste and promoting recycling whenever possible.
Media Waiver
APHA staff or news media may photograph or record an event or session. By participating, you consent to being recorded during and in connection with the Annual Meeting and consent to the use or publication of such recordings, or your likeness therein, in connection with any promotional, educational or professional purposes.
Oral scientific sessions will be recorded and posted to APHA’s Digital Meeting platform. Presenters must agree to being recorded in their Speakers’ Corner.
Only APHA’s authorized vendors and credentialed working journalists who are registered with APHA’s Press Office are permitted to video and/or audio-record scientific sessions.
Attendees, including journalists and other members of the media, may not share or republish slides, unpublished data, or presentation materials without explicit written permission from the presenter.
Smoke-Free Meetings
APHA is a long-time champion of reducing tobacco use and promoting smoke-free environments. Our dedication to that cause includes hosting a smoke-free Annual Meeting and Expo (this includes tobacco-, e-cigarettes - and marijuana-free).
In 2004, recognizing the continued harmful effects of tobacco use and wanting to reward those venues that had passed comprehensive smoke-free laws, APHA's Governing Council passed a policy that made a commitment to hold all future Annual Meetings in smoke-free cities. More recently we have expanded our tobacco-free policy to include electronic cigarettes.
In cases where APHA has contracted with cities with smoke-free laws that have obvious gaps, we have worked with our affiliated state and regional public health associations and other partners to support local efforts to adopt more comprehensive policies on tobacco use.
Weapons-Free
Morbidity and mortality related to firearms and other dangerous weapons continues to be a significant public health problem. The Convention Center is firearms-free with exceptions for uniformed officers. APHA policy prohibits concealed firearms, open carry guns and possession of weapons of any kind at the convention center and headquarters hotel where our Annual Meeting takes place in compliance with all federal, state and local laws and in accordance with sound public health practice and long-standing APHA policy statements on injury and violence prevention.
Wellness Center Disclaimer
As is the case with any physical activity, the risk of injury, even serious or disabling, is always present and cannot be eliminated. By participating, you recognize that there may be risks involved and that it is your responsibility to modify any movements to fit your limitations and level of conditioning. When participating in Wellness Center activities, discontinue an activity if you experience any pain or discomfort.
Release
You agree to expressly release APHA and its Executive Board and Governing Council members, directors, officers, employees, and agents (collectively and individually the “APHA Parties”) from any and all liability in connection with APHA’s Annual Meeting. APHA shall not be responsible for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of participants. I voluntarily and freely assume all risks and dangers that may occur pursuant to my attendance at the Annual Meeting, including the risk of injury, death, or property damage, even if caused by the negligence of the APHA Parties.
The opinions, statements, presentations, data, images, videos, documents and other information expressed or otherwise shared by presenters or other participants at the Annual Meeting are for informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by presenters and other participants are not those of APHA, unless expressly indicated otherwise.
APHA reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate in response to violation of the polices below, including immediate exclusion from the Annual Meeting without warning or refund. APHA reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any further event, virtual or in-person of any person who violates APHA’s policies.
Violation of Policies
Any participant who is found to have violated any of these policies may be removed or excluded from the Annual Meeting. APHA reserves the right (1) to issue verbal or written warnings; (2) to revoke a participant’s access to APHA’s Annual Meeting without a refund; (3) to report illegal activity to local authorities, and (4) seek injunctive relief and/or monetary damages.
YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND, AND HOLD THE APHA PARTIES HARMLESS FROM ANY AND ALL LOSS, LIABILITY, CLAIM, OR DEMAND, INCLUDING ACTUAL ATTORNEY'S FEES AND COSTS, MADE BY OR ARISING OUT OF YOUR VIOLATION OF ANY OF THESE POLICIES, YOUR USE OF APHA’S ONLINE PLATFORMS AND/OR YOUR VIOLATION OF ANY RIGHTS OF ANOTHER.