Poster Walks Guidelines and Application

Poster Walk Format

2023 ASH Annual Meeting Poster Walks will take place virtually and up to seven walks will be selected for this year’s meeting.

New this year: Given ASH's initiatives around hemostasis and thrombosis, and neoplasia, applications submitted in these topic areas will be considered for an in-person poster walk. Details on the in-person poster walk will be shared with qualifying applicants following the review and approval process.

In general, upon approval, both the virtual “walk” and in-person Poster Walks can contain up to six posters and should be designed to include brief overview of the selected abstracts, followed by an interactive question-and-answer period among the session organizers, abstract authors, and virtual audience. The session organizers will be responsible for moderating the discussion and selecting four to six abstracts to be featured during the session.

Each Poster Walk will devote 5 minutes to introductions (led by the Chair), 30 minutes to summarizing the selected posters (delivered by each speaker), followed by 25 minutes of audience questions and answers with the poster authors and organizers. Each virtual Poster Walk will be one hour long and scheduled to take place on December 13-14, 2023. There will be a 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) timeslot for Poster Walks each day. Each walk will be coordinated by a single organizer, who is responsible for submitting the application. If a virtual Poster Walk is approved, the recording of the walk will be made available on the Annual Meeting virtual platform until 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on Friday December 22, 2023.

Chairs and Speakers

Registration for the ASH annual meeting is a prerequisite for organizing and/or moderating a Poster Walk.

Chairs and Moderators:

Each organizer of a Poster Walk is responsible for:

• Submitting a Poster Walk application by August 4, 2023:
  • The organizer will be required to include the following as part of their application:
  • Proposed title for the poster walk.
  • Brief rationale for the Walk (in other words why is a Poster Walk on this topic relevant and how will the audience benefit from the walk).
  • Selection of appropriate abstract categories that the Poster Walk will include.
  • Up to 8 keywords that will be used to generate a report with a reasonable number of abstracts for the walk.
  • NOTE: The organizer will NOT have to select abstracts at this point in time. If an application is approved, the organizer will be given access to embargoed Annual Meeting abstracts in late September. During this time, they will select posters to be featured in the walk.
• Session logistics once a walk is approved:
  • Early September: ASH staff will send notifications to organizers of approved walks (who will now serve as Chairs).
  • Late September: Chairs will be asked to select posters to be featured in their respective walks, after which the abstract authors will be notified.
  • Mid-October: abstract authors participating in the Poster Walks will be invited and confirmed.
  • Mid-November: ASH staff will organize planning calls with the Poster Walk Chair and their featured poster presenters to discuss session details and format.

Speakers:

Poster Walk participants can participate in only one Poster Walk each year.

Oversight and Review

The ASH Committee on Scientific Affairs reviews all Poster Walk applications and makes recommendations to the Program and Executive Committees for approval. The Committee on Scientific Affairs has direct oversight of Poster Walk program content development, organizers, and speakers. The Committee on Scientific Affairs has the right to alter the program if deemed appropriate. Poster Walks are subject to annual review by the Program Committee. Each Poster Walk will be evaluated to ensure that it meets its goals and objectives.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Given ASH’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, each Poster Walk should involve people with diverse perspectives. The programs should strive for gender balance, international representation, inclusion of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and a mix of junior and senior investigators.

Professionalism and Respect

All Poster Walk participants are required to adhere to ASH’s annual meeting code of conduct policies, and to use the following guidance on professionalism, when referencing colleagues during formal sessions in the meeting:

• If you are making an introduction, please include the individual’s name, institution, location, and credentials.
• Please use professional titles (“doctor” for those with MD and PhD degrees) when introducing or referencing colleagues during formal portions of the ASH annual meeting.
• It is important to pronounce names correctly, so be sure to confirm with speakers beforehand, particularly when in doubt.
• Please advocate the same principles to the audience during question and answer periods.

ASH Embargo Policy

Poster Walk organizers may not break the Annual Meeting Embargo Policy; only data contained within the accepted abstract may be discussed. Data beyond what is already contained within the published abstract is embargoed until the time of the poster presentation at the annual meeting and may not be discussed prior to that date.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy

Poster Walk organizers and abstract presenters will complete their conflict-of-interest (COI) disclosure in the ASH online speaker management system in accordance with ASH Conflict-of-Interest Policy. These disclosures will then be displayed during the presentation in accordance with ASH's Conflict of Interest Policy.

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Continuing medical education (CME) credits will not be offered at the Poster Walks.

Sponsorship

The Poster Walks are sponsored solely by ASH. Poster Walk organizers cannot solicit additional funding from corporate partners or other external sources. ASH reserves the right to raise additional funding for the Poster Walks. There will be no honoraria, or registration remittance, for Poster Walk Chairs or speakers.

Promotion of Poster Walks

Information about the Poster Walks will be displayed on the ASH website, in the annual meeting mobile app, the virtual meeting platform, and in the annual meeting Program Book. Attendees registering for the annual meeting may be asked whether they plan to attend any of the Poster Walks to collect participants’ information and project attendance. There is no additional charge to attend the Poster Walks. ASH will promote the Poster Walks in conjunction with its marketing for the annual meeting.