48th ASH™ Annual Meeting and Exposition
December 9-12, 2006

Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida

Registration Information

Here's how you can register for the 2006 ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition:

• Online

• Complete the Attendee On-Site Registration Form and send it either by:

• Register on site. ASH Registration will be held in the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center beginning Thursday, December 7, at 12:00 noon.

Questions? Contact the ASH Registration Center:

Agents are available to help you from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday. Please note that the ASH Registration Center will be closed on weekends and holidays (prior to the meeting).

Early-Bird Registration

July 18 – August 7

• FOR ASH MEMBERS ONLY
• ONLINE ONLY

ASH members who have paid their dues for 2006 are eligible for early-bird registration. Early-bird registration is only available online; registration forms cannot be faxed or mailed. Please note: You must register for the annual meeting before making a hotel reservation.

The deadline for online early-bird registration is August 7. Please be sure to enter your ASH membership ID number and type your name as it appears in the ASH membership directory. Beginning August 8, members and non-members can register for the annual meeting and make hotel reservations online, by fax, or by mail.

Advance Registration

August 8 – November 6

ASH encourages meeting attendees to register online or by completing the Attendee Advance Registration Form and sending it by fax or mail. Please note that wire transfers will not be accepted.

To qualify for the advance registration fees, registration forms and full payment must be received by November 6. Registration forms received after November 6 will be charged on-site registration fees.

All registrants will receive a confirmation either by fax, mail, or e-mail within 72 hours of receipt. Meeting badges and the Program and Abstracts Book will be mailed to all early-bird and advance registrants in mid-November.

On-Site Registration

After November 6

Registration forms received after November 6 will be charged on-site registration fees. On-site registration will begin on Thursday, December 7, at 12:00 noon in the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center.

Registration Hours

To avoid long lines at the on-site registration counters, ASH encourages you to register for the meeting in advance.

Registration Categories

Applications for Active or International membership received between now and the meeting will not be processed in time for applicants to receive status as an ASH member at the 2006 annual meeting. Please consider applying to become a member in time for the 2007 annual meeting. Associate membership applications, which are reviewed on a rolling basis, must be received by November 15, 2006, in order to be eligible for reduced member meeting rates. Please note that membership applications will not be processed at the Membership Desk during the meeting.

ASH Active Member

Any person with a doctoral degree or its equivalent, who is a permanent resident of any North American country (Canada, United States, and Mexico), and who has manifested a continuous interest in any discipline important to hematology as evidenced by work in the field, original contributions, and attendance at meetings concerning hematology, is eligible for Active membership. Applicants who file an official application form and who are sponsored by a member of ASH will become members upon election by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. In addition, the Executive Committee may, in special circumstances, elect as Active members by majority vote persons who do not meet all of the eligibility requirements set forth above. Active membership applications are voted on twice per year, in April and December. Applications must be received by either March 1 or August 1; applications received after these deadlines will not be reviewed until the next application cycle.

ASH International Member

Individuals who have made a contribution to the field of hematology and who do not reside in a North American country may be elected to International membership upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee. Applicants who file an official application form and who are sponsored by a member of ASH will become members upon election by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. International membership applications are voted on twice per year, in April and December. Applications must be received by either March 1 or August 1; applications received after these deadlines will not be reviewed until the next application cycle.

ASH Associate Member

Post-doctoral fellows with an MD or equivalent medical degree who reside in Canada, Mexico, or the United States and are in approved hematology or oncology training programs are eligible for Associate membership. The Associate membership concludes after the completion of the fellowship (maximum of four years). Students who have received a PhD degree and are in a post-doctoral position or a training program in a hematology-related field are also eligible to be Associate members for the first fours years after the degree has been awarded. Subsequently, the Associate membership is automatically converted to the Society's Active member status. Associate membership applications are reviewed on a continuous basis; shortly after a complete application is received, notification of the membership decision will be sent to the applicant.

ASH Honorary Member

Non-members active in the Society may be proposed for this distinction in recognition of outstanding contributions to any discipline of importance to hematology and are elected by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

ASH Emeritus Member

Any member of the Society at age 65 or upon professional retirement, or any member who by reason of permanent disability or undue hardship has been rendered unable to continue Active membership, may request transfer to the status of Emeritus membership by written application to the Secretary of the Society.

Non-Member in Training

• Advance Registration Only!

The $150 non-member in training fee will be honored only for those who register in advance using the Attendee Advance Registration Form. (Please note that you cannot get the discounted rate if registering online.) Any resident, post-doctoral fellow (MD or PhD) in a recognized hematology training program, or medical/graduate student may register as a non-member in training.

The deadline for registering for this category is November 6. To register for the non-member in training category, please follow these steps:

• Complete the Attendee Advance Registration Form.
• Provide an original letter on the institution's letterhead and signed by a training program director confirming that the individual is a trainee.
• Indicate the name of the program that the individual is enrolled in, the length (in years) of the training program, and when the trainee will complete the training program.
• The letter must also include the school stamp. The original letter, advance registration form, and the $150 non-member in training fee must be mailed to:

  American Society of Hematology
  Attn: Meetings Department/Non-Member in Training
  1900 M Street, NW, Suite 200
  Washington, DC 20036

  Fax copies will not be accepted.

Please note that these materials must be received by the ASH Meetings Department by November 6 in order to be processed at the non-member in training rate for the 2006 ASH Annual Meeting. Non-members in training who register after November 6 or on site will be charged the ASH non-member fee of $625.

Individuals will be registered for the meeting once ASH confirms the training status. Confirmation letters will be sent within two weeks (three weeks for international registrants) of receipt.

Allied Health Professional

Individuals qualified for this category include: medical technologists, nurses, physician assistants, and pharmacists. To register for this category, an individual will need to provide evidence of status as an allied health professional. This could be evidence of membership in another association, such as a nursing association, provision of an institutional identification card with the registrant's name and professional title, or an original letter on department letterhead written by the director confirming the registrant's status as an allied health professional. Individuals with an MD or PhD degree generally will not qualify for this category.

Allied health professionals may register for the meeting online; however, they must pick up their name badges on site and must provide proof of status as an allied health professional at the special Allied Health Professional counter, which will be located in the registration area of the Orange County Convention Center. Registrants who do not have proper identification on site will be charged the ASH non-member registration fee.

Spouse/Guest

Spouses and guests are welcome to register for the ASH annual meeting. Spouses and guests will receive a badge that will entitle them entrance to the exhibit hall and all ASH-sponsored social events. This registration rate does not include entrance to the Education and Scientific Program sessions, and registrants will not receive the Program and Abstracts Book or the Education Program Book.

Registration Fees

Registration fees can be paid by credit card or by check.

What is included in the registration fee?

• One copy of the two-volume Program and Abstracts Book**
• Hematology 2006 (Education Program Book)**
• Annual Meeting Abstracts on CD-ROM **
• On-Site Program Book**
• Admission to the Special Lectures, Special Interest Sessions, and Education, Scientific, Oral, and Poster Sessions**
• Admission to the exhibit hall
• Receptions in the exhibit hall and poster hall
• Daily coffee breaks

** Not included for spouse/guest registrants.

Cancellation Policy

Registration cancellations must be submitted to the ASH Registration Center in writing by November 20 to receive a refund, less a $25 processing fee. Refunds will not be granted after November 20.

Registration Badges

Badges will be mailed to online early-bird and advance registrants beginning the week of November 13. If you do not receive your badge by the last week of November, please contact the ASH Registration Center at 703-449-6418 or via e-mail at ashregistration@jspargo.com.

Meeting Materials

The Program and Abstracts Book will be mailed to all online early-bird and advance registrants in mid-November. Please bring your Program and Abstracts Book to the annual meeting. Additional copies of the Program and Abstracts Book will be available for purchase on site at a cost of $60 for ASH members and $70 for non-members.

Group Registration

If planning to register a group of 15 or more attendees, please contact the ASH Registration Center at ashregistration@jspargo.com.