Highlights of ASH®

Host a Satellite Symposium

The Satellite Symposia are industry-sponsored, CME-accredited symposia that are offered in conjunction with ASH specialty meetings. These events are not part of the official ASH meeting programming and are planned solely by the organizing company. Satellite Symposia should be unique and answer an unmet educational need. 

For questions, please reach out to Kelly Cade at [email protected]

Application Requirements

The application site is open and available here. Proposals must be submitted at the submission site by Friday, October 27, 2023 (by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time). There are four session opportunities available to host a satellite symposium held in conjunction with the Highlights of ASH in North America:

  • Friday, January 12, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Seattle, WA at the Fairmont Olympic
  • Friday, January 19, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Chicago, IL at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park
  • Friday, January 19, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Washington, DC at the Omni Shoreham
  • Friday, January 26, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in New York, NY at the Corad Hotel

IMPORTANT: Please retain your login credentials during the application process, as you will need them to edit the program content following the study section review and approval.

Applications must be signed by a single Organizer who accepts responsibility for the program and for following ASH’s Satellite Symposia Guidelines. Please designate one point of contact on behalf of the Organizer with whom ASH should communicate and who agrees to share information with other stakeholders.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Please be as accurate and detailed as possible, as ASH will email verbatim information contained in the applications of all accepted programs to all pre-registered attendees on three different occasions. ASH must be notified of any changes made after the submission deadline, including but not limited to, changes in the Organizer, CME provider, commercial supporter(s), speakers, topics, and the title of the program.

Satellite Symposia Opportunities

ASH will accept up to two applications from one company as a sole commercial supporter of a symposium. ASH does not limit the number of applications from a company for multi-company-supported symposia. That is, so long as there are multiple commercial supporters on a symposium proposal, there is no limit to the number of applications featuring the same Organizer, CME Provider, or Commercial Supporter.

TIME SLOTS

There are four time slots available in accordance with the time zone of the 2024 HOA meeting location. Sessions will be assigned on a first-come, first-served bases and are subject to review and approval by the Satellite Symposia Study Section:

  • Friday, January 12, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Seattle, WA at the Fairmont Olympic
  • Friday, January 19, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Chicago, IL at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park
  • Friday, January 19, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Washington, DC at the Omni Shoreham
  • Friday, January 26, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in New York, NY at the Corad Hotel

Organizers may utilize the two-hour assigned time slot as they wish. Please note, ASH will advertise time slots in the entirety, as listed above, on the website and in promotional and printed materials.

All symposium rooms will be assigned based on the location preference indicated in your application. Depending upon the meeting location selected, the venue space may accommodate between 80 and 250 attendees. For venue specific questions, please reach out to Kelly Cade at [email protected]. Once assigned, you must work directly with the hotel on your meeting space set-up requirements.

Access to the symposium rooms will be given prior to the start time for program set-up. Please work with your venue contact on timing and access needs.

Satellite Symposia Fees

A flat rate of $13,500 will be applicable for each Satellite Symposia program.

A payment must be made to the American Society of Hematology, and funding must be confirmed at the time of submission. Applicants are required to submit a funding commitment letter from all supporting companies for each company to be listed as a co-supporter in promotional materials.

ASH is not responsible for any charges incurred for the symposium. All expenses associated with approved symposia programs, such as room set-up and clean-up, food and beverage, A/V, electrical, telephone, internet, shipping, etc., are the sole responsibility of the organizer.

Additional fees may apply for special requests. If you have questions, please contact Kelly Cade, ASH FSS Manager, Consultant, at [email protected].

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Only organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) are permitted to sponsor CME activities and may award AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. These accredited providers are responsible for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of all CME-certified.

ASH does not suggest or approve content or speakers for activities for which it is not the accredited provider. ASH encourages all CME providers participating in the Satellite Symposia to review the current ACCME Standards for Commercial Support. These standards, along with tools to implement them, can be found at www.accme.org.

  • Speakers must disclose relevant conflicts of interest prior to the CME activity. A written disclosure slide must precede each presentation.
  • Speakers must provide appropriate disclosures of non-FDA approved (off-label) uses for drugs and medical devices.
  • References must be included with data and slides.
  • There must be appropriate evaluation of symposium content and speakers as well as a final attendance count. Please email the evaluation summary [email protected]. no later than 30 days after the program has ended.

Application and Scoring Process

  • A formal study section will score applications based on the quality of the program content as described in the proposal. The study section will be looking for scientific merit, audience interest in the topic, and uniqueness of the symposium (i.e., not duplicating one of last year’s sessions).
  • The study section score will determine which symposia are selected. ASH cannot guarantee the preferred location. In addition, should additional program opportunities become available, ASH cannot guarantee that the program will be scheduled unopposed by other presentations covering similar topics.
  • The study section’s scores are confidential, and the decision of the study section is final.
  • After the study section scores the applications, ASH will email acceptance notifications to the Organizer. The Organizer for each approved symposium will also receive detailed instructions about logistics (including venue room assignments, and venue contacts), as well as an invoice and letter of agreement. Notifications will be sent in accordance with the Important Dates and Deadlines section of the guidelines.
  • Please note: It is essential to retain your login credentials during the application process, as you will need them to edit program content following study section review and approval.
  • Applicants for Satellite Symposia may not contact the study section, ASH members, or the ASH Executive Committee to influence the selection(s) for the Satellite Symposia presentations.

Program Content

The proposed program content must be unique and must offer the audience information not previously presented during other forums or meetings within the hematology/oncology community.

  • The proposed program title must be indicative of the symposium content.
  • The proposed objectives should clearly meet the educational needs of the target audience.
  • The program must be presented in an objective, balanced, and scientifically rigorous manner. The program cannot promote a specific drug product or service and must meet the policies and guidelines of ACCME.
  • The content and format of the CME activity and its related materials must promote improvements or quality in health care and not a specific proprietary business interest.

Speakers

Program Speakers at the programs listed below are strictly prohibited from participating in Satellite Symposia. Disclosure information for each speaker must be submitted to ASH with the application. There are no exceptions.

Letters of invitation to the speakers must clearly state that ASH expects that speakers will not substitute participation in the ASH meeting.

Satellite Symposia Program Requirements

Program requirements include:

  • All symposium rooms assigned are final. If you wish to request changes, you must work directly with the hotel and inform Kelly Cade at [email protected], of any changes.
  • ASH requires that on-site registration (outside the symposium room) be limited to one six-foot table. It is the responsibility of Organizers to secure registration area materials, tables, easels, rope and stanchion, etc.
  • ASH requires that on-site registration (outside the symposium room) be limited to one six-foot table. It is the responsibility of Organizers to secure registration area materials, tables, easels, rope and stanchion, etc.
  • Additionally, it is the responsibility of Organizers to secure Lead Retrieval if they wish to use it as ASH is not coordinating the sale of Lead Retrieval units in conjunction with this program
  • Access to the symposium rooms will be given prior to the start time for program set-up. Please work with your venue contact on timing and access needs.
  • Symposium presentations must be contained within your assigned room. Video overflow to adjacent rooms will not be permitted.
  • Registration and food functions may not begin prior to or be held after the assigned time frame.

Audio/Visual

The Satellite Symposia organizer is responsible for arranging their audio-visual needs directly with the hotel’s in-house provider or via a hotel-approved third-party vendor. It is the organizer’s responsibility to confirm any/all outside vendors directly with the hotel.

Promotion of Satellite Symposia

ASH must review and approve all promotional materials created by symposia Organizers in conjunction with the Satellite Symposia, including invitations, announcements, fliers, websites, and signs. Please allow up to five business days for ASH to consider requests for approval.

For specific deadlines on submitting promotional and educational materials for approval by ASH, please review the Important Dates and Deadlines below.

All companies hosting a Satellite Symposium must abide by the following:

  • The ASH logo (or a graphic designed to mimic the ASH logo) may not be used on any promotion or other materials (including enduring materials) produced by companies other than ASH.
  • Use of the American Society of Hematology’s name or copyrighted material on any announcement, sign, publication, or other material requires prior written approval by ASH. To request approval, email  [email protected].
  • Because Satellite Symposia are not officially part of any ASH meeting, companies cannot reference their symposia as part of the official ASH meeting or imply that they are ASH events. It is acceptable to refer to the event as a "Satellite Symposium on [title], following the adjournment of the first day of the [ASH meeting]."

Signage Policies

All symposium signage must conform to the following specifications:

  • One (1) 38”x87” meter panel, poster, or banner with affixed box of program handouts or projection is permitted directly outside of the symposium room, next to the session’s registration desk.
  • One (1) 22”x28” directional sign is permitted at hotel-approved locations.
  • One (1) 22"x28" directional sign is permitted at the exit of the ASH meeting session rooms 30 minutes prior to program close.
  • No additional signage, nor promotional materials or structures will be allowed, including but not limited to logoed seating areas, furniture covers, gobos, video monitors, kiosks or projectors utilized outside of the meeting room to digitally promote a session. Organizers will be asked to remove additional promotional items found, or the items will be removed and discarded by ASH. Companies are not permitted to post promotional signs or literature in hotel lobbies. Sandwich boards and/or persons handing out promotional materials are prohibited. Standing in the public areas of the hotel lobby and hallway to promote your symposium is strictly prohibited. This will be closely monitored, and companies found violating these guidelines risk penalties from ASH. Management companies handling logistics are responsible for following these guidelines as well.

Please note, the Satellite Symposia Organizer is ultimately responsible for marketing and promoting Satellite Symposia programming.

PROMOTIONAL BENEFITS

As a promotional benefit to Organizers hosting Satellite Symposia, ASH will provide the following:

  • A listing of each symposium, including narrative description, location, contact information, and registration and program-related hyperlinks placed on the ASH website.
  • Email blasts to registered attendees, which will list the Satellite Symposia title, time, and location. The e-blast schedule is as follows and is subject to change at ASH’s discretion:
    • December 21, 2023
    • January 4, 2024
    • January 11, 2024
    • January 17, 2024
    • January 25, 2024
  • The pre-registration attendee mailing list for all cities will be available for purchase $1,000. ASH pre-approval of all mailing pieces is required. Sample mail pieces must be emailed along with the mailing request form to Kristin Hudson at 800-564-4220 or [email protected].

Educational Materials

A one-page evaluation summary report, including a final attendance count, must be sent to Kelly Cade, ASH Satellite Symposia Manager, Consultant, at [email protected] by the deadline outlined in the Important Dates and Deadline below.

Please keep in mind that CME enduring materials are different from syllabus materials or other printed (or electronic) records of the symposium. Enduring materials are printed, recorded, or computer-assisted educational materials that may be used over time at various locations and that in and of themselves constitute a planned CME activity. An enduring material, as a self-contained educational activity, must have its own needs assessment, educational objectives, content, evaluation instrument, and opportunity for physician learner interaction and discussion.

As a separate educational activity, an enduring material must also have its own CME credit separate from the Satellite Symposia accreditation (i.e., if an Satellite Symposia organizer obtains CME credit for the symposium, the credit for the symposium does not translate or cross over to any enduring materials produced from content presented at the symposium).

Priority Points

Every partnership is important to ASH. In exchange for your company’s support, ASH ensures appropriate acknowledgment of all contributions and assigns exhibitor priority points according to the scale below. The combination of three years of support comprises your company’s ranking. Specifically, the annual meeting ranking will be determined by points accumulated in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The ranking determines future exhibit booth placement and group housing block placement for the ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.

  • You will recieve one point for every $2,500 by supporting a symposium.

Penalties for Violating ASH Policies

Violation of ASH policies will result in the following penalties:

  • Priority points will be reduced.
  • The company may not be eligible for participation in future Satellite Symposia.
  • The company may not have access to ancillary meeting space in future years.
  • The company may not participate as an exhibitor in future years.

Cancellation Policy

All Satellite Symposia cancellations must be submitted to in writing to [email protected].

  • Any cancellation requests received on or after Wednesday, November 8, 2023, will incur a 100 percent cancellation penalty. The Satellite Symposia host will be issued no refund of any monies received by ASH for cancellation.

Cancellation of Meeting

It is mutually agreed that in the event of cancellation of this meeting as a result of strikes, acts of God, war, terrorism, disaster, government regulations or other causes that prevent its scheduled opening or continuance, this agreement will be terminated immediately. ASH shall determine an equitable basis for refund of a portion of the Satellite Symposia fee as possible, after due consideration of expenditures and commitments already made.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Friday, October 27, 2023 (by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time)

  • Deadline for Satellite Symposia application submissions. 

Friday, November 3, 2023

  • Acceptance letters emailed to accepted program organizer(s).
  • Following acceptance, please submit registration site links to ASH to post on the website at your earliest convenience to [email protected].

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

  • Satellite Symposia signed letter of agreements due to ASH to [email protected].
  • Any cancellation requests received on or after November 8, will incur a 100 percent cancellation penalty.

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

  • Satellite Symposia payment is due to ASH.

Friday, December 1, 2023

  • Last day to submit registration site links for ASH to post on the website.
  • Submission deadline for approval by ASH of promotional and education materials (invitations, eblasts, ads, etc.) to [email protected].

Friday, February 23, 2024

  • Copy of the one-page summary evaluation and final attendance count must be submitted to [email protected] by COB Pacific Time.

Questions?

Please contact Kelly Cade, ASH Grants and Satellite Symposia Manager, Consultant, at [email protected].