2022 AIA/SCS Hybrid Annual Meeting: August Update
In early August, AIA and SCS staff visited the Hilton Union Square, San Francisco. We selected rooms for AIA and SCS sessions and discussed detailed AV and technology requirements for the hybrid meeting. Overall we were pleased that what we are envisioning and planning for the hybrid meeting is feasible. The only disappointment was that it became clear, after consulting with AV staff, that roundtable sessions, which unlike paper sessions, workshops, and panels, are characterized by totally free-form discussion, would be incredibly complex and expensive in terms of equipment with in-person and virtual participants. We have, therefore, decided that roundtables will be all-virtual or all in-person. Of four roundtable sessions on the draft SCS program, three organizers have elected virtual roundtables, while one set of organizers will be running an in-person and a virtual roundtable in parallel.
It was also clear during our visit just how quickly guidelines and mandates are changing owing to the delta variant. Just the day before we arrived, the city of San Francisco instituted a mask mandate in indoor, public settings. On August 12, after our visit, the city department of health changed their regulations to require proof of vaccination to enter many indoor settings, including large meetings and conferences of over 1,000 people. It is likely that our conference will also be subject to other department of health guidelines, and as these are likely to change between now and January, we will be collaborating closely with both the department and the hotel.
Once registration opens, now scheduled for late September, we will post frequent updates on the latest requirements on the AIA and SCS websites, and also alert attendees of any changes via email as the meeting draws closer.
We will publicize the SCS schedule of draft sessions and panels very soon, once we have addressed a few scheduling conflicts in the current draft.
Thank you for your patience as you bear with us during this incredibly complex conference planning process.
