Sep 07 2021

Know Before You Go to ISHI 32

You’ve waited for almost two years, and now the International Symposium on Human Identification is back and better than ever before! ISHI promises to deliver both educational and networking opportunities. Our hope is that after the conference you return to the office with a renewed sense of passion for the important work that you do. There’s lots of great information for those attending in-person or virtually, so make sure you read to the end. Now, dust off your old ISHI tees and pack the sunglasses and comfy walking shoes. It’s time to take over Disney’s Coronado Springs!

Check in and Material Pick up

ISHI will be held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort located at 1000 W Buena Vista Drive. The Exhibit Hall and General Sessions ballroom are right next to each with exhibits in Veracruz ballroom and the presentations held in the Fiesta ballroom. Don’t worry about getting lost – there will be plenty of signage and staff to help you find your way. Your badge will be required to attend all functions, so be sure to keep it with you.

Speaking of your badge, check in for ISHI by visiting the self-service kiosks. Enter the first few letters of your last name to print out your badge. Your badge will serve as access to any workshops. All you need to do is tap it to the iPad outside the door as you enter.

After printing your badge, collect your conference bag at the information desk. If you still need to make a payment or have questions, staff at the information desk are ready to assist.

Note that registration lines are longest on Monday and Tuesday mornings. Plan to allow yourself plenty of time at registration prior to any workshops or the General Sessions.

The ISHI Information Desk will be open during the following hours:

Sunday, September 12 – 7:00am – 2:00pm

Monday, September 13 – 7:00am – 6:00pm

Tuesday, September 14 – 7:00am – 4:30pm

Wednesday, September 15 – 8:00am – 4:30pm

Thursday, September 16 – 8:00am – 12:00pm

Safety Provisions

The ISHI Organizing Committee is closely monitoring the situation in Florida. We have put the following provisions in place:

All attendees have affirmed that they are fully vaccinated against COVID and will follow the meetings guidelines.
All vendors contracted through Promega (Freeman, video crews, Cvent staff) have agreed to be vaccinated and follow the safety guidelines.
Masks are mandatory indoors at the conference venue. They may be removed only when actively eating/drinking and seated at a table.
Additional space will be added between seats in all meeting rooms.
Banquet rounds will be set for 4-5 people per round.
Additional space has been built into the exhibit hall to reduce the number of people in each exhibit.
Buffet meals will be plated by Disney staff
Registration check in will be done at free standing kiosks and will be touchless.
Badges will be enabled with RFID/NFC technology so we can monitor the number of attendees in the general session/workshops/exhibit hall.
Conference attendees will receive disposable masks and sanitizing wipes in their conference bags.
The welcome reception and offsite event will be held outdoors.

Speaker presentations, Exhibitor Information, Poster Listing, Maps and More

Whether you’re attending in-person or virtually, almost everything you need to know about the conference can be found on the ISHI 32 mobile application, which can be downloaded here. Those attending virtually can link to a web version of the app through the Freeman platform.

The Crowd Compass app includes a schedule of the talks, presentation slides, poster information, speaker details, exhibitor information, and attendee messaging. You can even share pictures that you’ve taken during the event by tapping on the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines to the upper left of the screen) and then navigating to the Activity Feed. Share a comment or picture by clicking on the + in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

If you like to take notes during the presentations, be sure to print out the presentation slides to bring with you before you leave home. Presentations can be downloaded from the conference website by clicking into the individual sessions from the agenda page or from the session detail page within the virtual platform. Poster abstracts can also be accessed from our website. You can also find the abstracts and presentations on our mobile app.

Do you have a question for our speakers? Submit a question through the ISHI app. Simply navigate to the session you’re attending through the ‘Schedule’ icon, scroll down to ‘Live Q&A’ and submit your question! Moderators will be able to see the questions you’ve submitted.

Networking

Plan to join a Table Talk during lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll have specially marked tables in the Monterrey rooms set aside for these discussions. The following topics will be discussed:

Tuesday, September 14

Forensic Genetic Genealogy – Best Practices and Success Stories

Managing COVID in the Forensic Lab – Share Your Experiences and Lessons Learned

Differential Extractions and Other Challenging Samples – Share Your Best Tips

Wednesday, September 15

Forensic Genetic Genealogy – Best Practices and Success Stories

Tips for Improving Morale in the Forensic Lab

Validation Plans – Share What Your Lab is Planning to Work On

If you are curious about these topics, be sure to join the conversation. Space will be limited, so we encourage you to register beforehand. To add a table topic to your registration, please email ISHI@promega.com. A facilitator knowledgeable on the subjects will be leading the discussions.

Those attending virtually have options to network as well. We’ve created a number of topic specific chat channels to help you out. Along with those, we’ve also created a channel specifically for technical difficulties.

ISHI Passport Game, Photo Opportunities and ISHI Social Media

Are you up for a challenge? Check your conference bag for the Exhibitor Passport. We’ve hidden Disney characters around the ISHI exhibit floor. Visit with vendors to see which character they have in their booth and list them in this passport. Locate at least 20 characters to be qualified for the drawing. Turn in your completed passport at the ISHI registration desk to win a FREE registration for ISHI 33. The winner will be announced during the morning break on Thursday, September 16. You do not need to be present to win.

BONUS: Have your picture taken at the ISHI 32 Photo Wall outside the exhibit hall during the poster breaks on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons to be entered into a drawing to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Fill out your information on the back of the passport and turn it in at the photo wall.

We’d love to see your photos from the event! Share your photos with your colleagues back home on social media using the hashtag #ISHI32! For the latest ISHI information, follow our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Feeling Thirsty?

Answer the “Question of the Day’ at ISHI Central in the back of the Exhibit Hall during the poster break on Tuesday and Wednesday and receive a $5 Starbucks gift card just for sharing your thoughts.

Off-Site Event at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park

For those joining us in Florida, the off-site event will be held at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. Below is a schedule of the event:

5:15p.m. – Busses will be loading at Coronado Springs with the last bus leaving the hotel at 6:00pm. Tickets to the park will be passed out as you hop on the bus and your ISHI lanyard will be required to access the private event later in the evening.
Park arrival – 7:30pm – You’ll have full access to enjoy the park
7:30 – 9:00pm – Heavy appetizers and entertainment awaits you in the Harambe Theater District
9:00 p.m. – 12:00am – Head over to Pandora – The World of Avatar for the after-party. Skip the lines and ride both the exciting “Flight of Passage” and other worldly “Na’vi River Journey”, then enjoy dessert and dancing.

Busses will circle through the evening, leaving the hotel at the bottom of the hour and departing from the park at the top of the hour. For return to the hotel, plan to head to the front entrance of Disney’s Animal Kingdom to meet the busses.

For Those Attending Virtually

The question that is likely at the top of your mind is “how do I access the platform?” It’s easy- the ISHI 32 conference is now live and can be accessed at https://ishi32.onlineeventpro.freeman.com/ (no www). In order to login, you will need your registration confirmation and the email address you used to register for the event. This confirmation number is unique to you and should not be shared with colleagues. If you’ve forgotten your confirmation number, there will be a link to recover it on the log-in page.

Virtual Exhibit Hall

Visit with vendors in the virtual exhibit hall. Click on exhibitor booths to connect with vendors, view videos of their offerings, and download PDFs with additional information. To start connecting early, head on over to the exhibit hall: https://blueprintpro.freeman.com/?show=5rumSAAJKd28FvJTR.

All Sessions Available On-Demand for at Least 30 Days

All sessions (including the workshops) will be available on-demand for at least 30 days following the close of the meeting. For those attending in-person, you can add on-demand access to your registration for $75. Those who have signed up to attend workshops that are also offered virtually will receive complimentary access to view the recordings on the virtual platform.

Last but not least

Whether you’re attending in person or virtually, certificates of attendance will be sent out after the conference using the email address you provided when registering for ISHI. To guarantee that you receive your certificate, double-check your registration to ensure that we have an accurate email address on file.

If you have any questions before you arrive, please email us at ISHI@promega.com. We look forward to greeting each and every one of you!

P.S. Summer has not yet ended in Florida. We anticipate some hot and humid weather during ISHI week. Meeting rooms will be air conditioned, so plan to bring a jacket or sweater just in case the meeting rooms get chilly.