Industry Symposia Manual

Forms

Please see here important forms for symposium organizers at WCN. Not all forms are mandatory to complete. Please read through this manual carefully to see which forms apply and by which deadline.

Important dates

Package

The rates charged to organize an industry symposium includes:

• Rental of the room and standard set up (theater style, stage, lectern, speaker table and chairs)
• Standard AV equipment and technician support
• Advertisement of program displayed on congress website in symposia e-book (A4-sized design provided by sponsor) – E-book separated from scientific program
• Opportunity to use digital signage in exhibition hall (Design provided by sponsor)
• Use of the speaker preparation room
• Use of congress logo on invitations and promotional documents (after approval of artwork by organizer)
• Session streamed live to online audience around the world
• Ability to stream in virtual speakers to live session for presentation and Q&A
• Five (5) symposium-only passes to access your symposium

The rate does not include:

• Catering orders

• Travel, accommodation or registration of industry symposium faculty

• Rehearsal slot

Schedule

Lunch slots: 13:00 – 14:00
Evening slots: 17:00 – 18:00

What is the current industry symposia schedule?

You may find the most up-to-date schedule here

How long is the session?

The slot are either 45 or 60 minutes long. We recommend a structure of 30 or 45 minutes of presentations followed by 15-minutes of Q&A.

When will you have access to the room?

Companies will have only access to the symposium room 15 minutes before the assigned starting time for set up and/or rehearsal. Technical staff will be available for support at that time only.

Companies must strictly adhere to the indicated start and ending times of the reserved time slot. Extensions beyond the assigned timings are not allowed under any circumstances.

The symposium venue should be completely vacated immediately after the end of the symposium. Companies are responsible for removing all materials, waste, etc. from the room. Any costs for removal will be charged to the symposia organizer. It is compulsory that the organizers communicate to their attendees to use the bins located in the room.

Can we provide intermission slides for the 15 minutes before the symposium?

Due to a very strict schedule the intermission slides will be ISN/WCN looping only.

Audio visual

Equipment available in session rooms*:

• 2 x handheld microphones
• Sound system
• 1 x comfort monitor on stage (2 for bigger capacity rooms) – Timer + Presentation for presenter view
• 1 x speaker lectern
• 1x iPad at headtable for Q&A purposes
• 1 x clicker
• 2 x tables
• 4 x chairs
• 1x camera

Symposium organizers may use the audio visual equipment that the congress uses in each room at no extra costs. Symposium organizers are however not permitted to move or take away any equipment that is used by the congress for its scientific sessions. Please note that the lectern and speaker table will have WCN branding by default.

*Please note that the equipment can vary with the size/capacity of the rooms

Can the AV set-up be changed?

Due to the strict schedule, it is not possible to adapt the equipment and AV and/or hire alternative equipment for the symposium.

Can speaker(s)/chair(s) attend WCN virtually?

It is strongly recommended to have in-person chairs/speakers but if needed chairs/speakers can be live streamed. Please let us know by January 23, 2023 if a chair/speaker will be joining virtually.

Q&A and polling

Due to high demand, the ISN will make Sli.do available for each WCN’23 industry symposium for Q&A and, if needed, polling.  You will need to inform us of the moderator and the collaborator. As standard, the technicians will display a slide with the Q&A link (with QR code) at the beginning of each symposium and in-between presentations. If you prefer a different order, this can be arranged with the technical team during your slide upload in the speaker preview room and/or during your technical rehearsal. Questions and polling is accessible by virtual delegates also. One handheld microphone is always available in the room in case preferred.

By March 13: please confirm your session moderator and collaborator to [email protected]

Moderator This person will receive the iPad on-stage with Sli.do questions coming in from the audience to ask/answer. No action required pre-symposium.	Provide name	Provide email
Collaborator This person will receive access in advance to: Turn on/off moderation Set-up any polls (optional) Download the QR code/link (if you want to embed in your own slides) Moderate questions on-site (must bring laptop/device with them)	Provide name	Provide email

 

Rooms

Rooms allocation

Live-stream/recording

Symposia will be livestreamed on the virtual congress platform. Your logo will be featured on the congress platform.

Symposia will also be recorded and uploaded on the virtual congress platform and available on open-access. Register here to watch the open-access sessions.

The recorded symposia videos will be made available on open-access on the ISN Academy post-congress.

Companies may request a copy of the recording for internal use only. Companies are not allowed to post or share recordings outside of their organization. Please place your request after the congress via email to [email protected].

Program

What is the deadline to submit symposia program proposals?

You must submit the program of your industry symposium for approval by January 23, 2023.

How do I submit?

Submission is made via the online symposium form. Please submit one form per symposium.

❗Please check the availability of your speakers before submitting your program.

What information is required?

Session information

• Session title (max 25 words)
• Date
• Start time (GMT+7)
• End time (GMT +7)
• Session duration (in minutes)

Chair(s)

• Title
• First name
• Last name
• Institute
• Country
• Email
• In-person/virtual

Speaker(s)

• Presentation title
• Title
• First name
• Last name
• Institute
• Country
• Email
• Start time
• Duration (in minutes)
• In-person/virtual

Who are the programs approved by?

The content of industry sessions must be submitted for review and approval by the WCN Congress Organizing Committee (COC) who will ascertain the scientific value of the program. Approval or suggestions for changes by the COC will be communicated and these recommendations must be taken into consideration. Changes cannot be made without approval. Please get in touch with ISN Team if you need to make changes to your program.

When will we know if the program is approved?

You will receive feedback on your program by February 14, 2023.

Are there any other considerations?

In line with the ISN Position Statement on Diversity, we ask that industry symposia programs are diverse from a gender, ethnicity and cultural perspective.

NEW: Leaflets at Industry Symposia station

This new exhibition hall feature will promote your symposia by looping your A4 brochure on screens. Companies have the opportunity to bring and place A5-size leaflets under the screens in the flyer boxes.

E-Program Book

All industry symposia have the opportunity to provide a brochure visual/symposium invitation to be placed in the symposia program e-book. The e-book will be displayed on the WCN congress website for delegates. There is no extra fee for this.

Specifications: A4 size (210 x 297 mm/8.3 x 11.7 inches)

Format: PDF

Deadline to submit: March 1, 2023 by email to [email protected]

Communications from the ISN

All symposia organized at WCN will be promoted on the meeting website and on various pre-congress communications. All symposia bookings include one collective social media post to promote the sessions. The post will include symposia topics, companies logos and sympo dates/times.

Promotion at Congress Venue

Companies are authorized to bring one (1) self-standing roll up banner to be placed outside the symposium room. Otherwise, only one (1) standard sign stand would be made available by the Congress organizer. Companies are requested to place the roll up banner themselves 30 minutes before the symposium and dismantle immediately after the symposium ends.

Symposium organizers are asked to refrain from leaving unused invitations, posters or symposium material at the congress venue. In the instance of non-adherence to this rule an additional cost will be charged for removal.

Promotion at Congress Hotels

Promotional leaflets, poster boards or branding hotel key cards / door drops to advertise your symposium is not allowed outside of the official WCN’23 sponsorship option. You may promote your symposium at your own booth, in the main foyer or on level 1 public areas of the venue only on the same day as from AM until end of symposium. Violation of the regulation may result in expulsion without any indemnity.

Giveaways

Gadgets that are distributed to participants should be professional in nature and should not exceed a maximum value of 5 USD per item. Sharp, pointy or dangerous objects are not allowed. The organizers reserve the right to request invoices of the gadgets at any time. Symposium organizers are asked to refrain from leaving unused giveaways at the congress venue. In the instance of non-adherence to this rule an additional cost will be charged for removal.

Promo Pack

We have prepared a promotional pack to assist in your communications on WCN’23. You can download it here:

What is included in the pack?

• Congress banners
• Congress presentation slide
• WCN logo in various formats
• Official WCN hashtags

Catering

Companies may order catering for their symposium. It is not mandatory to order catering. Companies will be able to order catering directly through the venue. To book please fill out the catering form below and return it to [email protected] by March 1, 2023. Please note that the venue prohibits external catering.

Several catering options are available for your symposium. Please see below for rates and menus.

Breakfast symposium:

• Continental Breakfast Set – THB. 850 per box
• American Breakfast Set – THB. 950 per box

Lunch symposium: 

• Grab and go lunch box menu – THB 700 per box
  Sandwiches/wraps, fruit or desert, bottle of water
• ASEAN Executive Lunch Box Menu – THB 950 per box
  Asian cuisine, 3 food items with salad, desert, juice and bottle of water
• Thai Lunch Box Menu – THB 850 per box
  2 food items with jasmine rice, desert, juice and bottle of water

Evening symposium: 

• Lunch boxes options can also be ordered for dinner symposia
• “Welcome reception” package – THB 1000 per person
  8 snacks hot/cold selection with chips & nuts, desert, inclusive free flow of soft drinks
• Pre-dinner reception package – THB 700 per person
  4 light snacks with chips & nuts, inclusive free flow 

Food will be delivered 15 minutes before the beginning of the symposium. Delegates will be able to collect food whilst entering your symposium from the food station located just at the entrance of the room. Venue staff will be present to assist. For more information please contact [email protected].

In general we advise not to order catering for the maximum room capacity – e.g. for MR symposia rooms we advise to make an order for 250. 

Podium branding

Fee $250 USD

The lectern will have WCN branding by default. It is possible to customize the lectern with your own company branding. Each symposium room will be provided with one (1) speaker lectern. To order, please send you branding to [email protected] by February 15, 2023.

Specifications: 1080 x 1920 px – PDF or JPEG file

Badges scanning devices

To provide symposium organizers with a fast way to scan participants at the entry of the session hall, you may hire a badge scanning device. For your convenience, the services entail both the hardware and the manpower for the operation. Scan results contain full contact details (if consented) of the delegate as made available by the congress organizer and will be provided after the congress.

To order badges scanning devices please fill out the form below and return it to CDM at [email protected] by March 1,2023.

Rehearsal slots

Fee $1,000 USD

You may book a rehearsal slot for your industry symposium. To book, please get in touch with ISN Team before February 15, 2023.

A limited number of rehearsal slots is available on Friday March 31 and Saturday April 1. Slots will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Date	Time	MR 111 ABC	MR 110 ABC	MR 109 CD HG	MR 109 AB EF	BR 1	PL 1
March 31	10:15 – 10:45	Booked	Available	Booked	Booked	Available	Available
April 1	10:15 – 10:45	Available	Booked	Booked	Booked	Available	Available

Ad in Congress Newsletter

Fee: $5,000 USD

Specifications: 190 x 600px  GIF/animated images are not recommended as can affect quality. 72 DPI is optimal for all web artwork.

No specific product advertising allowed.

Please submit your design via email to [email protected].

Please note the template is subject to change slightly depending on content. There are two ad spaces available per newsletter of equal size.

Ad on Congress platform 

Fees: $4,000 USD

Dimension: 700px x 950px
File Type: JPEG, JPG, PNG
File Size: within 1 MB
No specific product advertising allowed.

Presentations

How to upload presentations?

All speakers are requested to upload the presentation file to the speaker preview room at least 2 hours prior to your session. Please bring your presentation file on a USB memory stick.

Can speakers present from their personal laptops?

Managing presentation(s) from personal laptops directly in the session rooms is not allowed.

❗Speakers give ISN consent to share their presentations with delegates when they upload their presentations in the Speaker Preview Room

Presentation Preparation Guidelines

Format

All presentations are held in Microsoft PowerPoint on a PC running with Windows. Please note that the congress computers in the session rooms are being supplied with Microsoft Office 2019 or higher. If you are using other software than Microsoft PowerPoint on a PC running Windows (example: OpenOffice, PowerPoint for Mac, Keynote) please make sure your presentation is converted to Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows PCs. Please give your file name an extension ‘.PPT’ .PPTX’.

Technical instructions

• 16:9 (wide screen) ratio
• Preferred page setup is landscape orientation
• Use high-contrast colors: light text on dark background or vice versa
• It is not recommended to use time-controlled transitions
• Recommended to use a font size of minimum 28
• If including videos in your presentation, please make sure to check that they work in the speaker preview room at least 2 hours prior to your session.
• The lighter (in size) your PowerPoint presentation is the easier to handle

Important information for Mac users

In order to use a Mac presentation on a PC-compatible computer, please note that you need to prepare it according to the instructions below, before bringing it to the speaker preview room.

1. Use a common font, such as Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana, etc. (special fonts might be changed to a default font on a PowerPoint-based PC).
2. Insert pictures as JPG and PNG files (and not TIF, or PICT – these images will not be visible on a PowerPoint-based PC).
3. Use a common movie format, such as AVI, MPG, and WMV. MOV files from QuickTime will not be visible on a PowerPoint-based PC

Speaker Preview Room 

The speaker preview room is MR 101. See floorplan below. Symposium staff and speakers are welcome to use the room to preview the presentation(s) at least two (2) hours before the beginning of the symposium, throughout the congress. Technicians will be present in the room to assist you.

Speaker preview room operation hours:

March 30: 7:00 – 20:00
March 31: 7:00 – 18:00
April 1: 7:00 – 18:00

Instructions on the day

Assemble in your session room at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the session.

• Ensure that you sit near the front of the room with easy access to the stage.
• Ensure that you keep to the time allocated to you, as it will cause disruption to sessions if you run over your allotted time.
• If there are any changes or corrections required to the presentation details, please let the technician know as soon as possible.

Full-congress registrations

Companies may receive a number of complimentary full-congress registrations depending on your booking.

Full-congress registrations allow access to all WCN except pre congress courses.

A registration group will be created under the main contact of the booking form as your group leader. It’s not possible to change the group leader. Any complimentary registrations will be automatically added to this group. Group leader will receive instructions from the WCN Registration team on how to upload delegate names on the online registration module. Please note that all names should be uploaded by March 14, 2023. Only the group leader should facilitate the group registration and will receive information and updates from the WCN Registration team.

Any name changes received after the deadline are subject to a fee. These registrations are intended for use only by the company.

Symposium-only pass

Each company will receive 5 symposium-only passes for every industry symposium that they are organizing. These allow access only to the room during your specific breakfast, lunch or evening symposium time. These access’ are intended for use only by the company or for speakers who may not wish to register to the full congress to give their presentation. Only the name of the company and symposium date/time will appear on these passes.

All symposium will be live-streamed on open access on WCN’23 virtual platform for more information on open-access session registration please see: https://www.theisn.org/wcn/registration-online-participation/#open-access 

How to provide names for registrations?

A registration group will be automatically created with your complimentary registrations included in your package. Each group will have a main contact who is responsible for uploading the names online. The main contact is taken from the booking form. Please advise us in advance if this should change. It is not possible to change group leaders later on. Please note that all names should be uploaded by March 14, 2023. 

Please check that participant’s names are entered correctly (example format: John Smith).

Any name changes received after the deadline are subject to a fee. These registrations are intended for use only by the company.

How to order extra full-congress registrations

1. Go to online registration module and click on My Group Registration button
2. Click on Add Fee button and follow the instructions
3. Select the registration type and quantity. Click Next.
4. If you have selected a registration with a fee, you will be prompted to complete the payment.

How to collect your badges on-site

Group leaders (or an authorized representative) will be contacted in February to arrange a collection appointment.

This person is responsible for distributing badges to everyone in their group. Appointments are available on:

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 between 14:00 – 18:00

Thursday, March 30, 2023 between 10:00 – 15:00

Friday, March 31, 2023 between 7:00 – 12:00

Live demos

A series of webinars will be organized for our industry partners to ask their questions live to the team. 

The webinars will take audiences through various elements of exhibition and industry symposia set-up. The dates for each webinar will be shared soon. 

Webinars have been arranged at varying times to accommodate for different time zones. All webinars will be recorded and posted here shortly after. 

Travel

We are pleased to recommend Thai Airways for your travel arrangements. Thai Airways is the national airline of Thailand. Book your flight to the ISN World Congress of Nephrology on this link and benefit from a special fare rate with the following event code: TG2303007.

Accommodation

Conference & Destination Management (CDM) is the official and exclusive housing agent for the World Congress of Nephrology 2023 and appointed by the ISN. CDM is providing a booking service for delegates participating in WCN’23. Please find here a list of recommended hotels. CDM can also assist in other travel arrangements that may be required.