What time zone will sessions take place?
The conference schedule is currently still being discussed but it is anticipated that sessions will take place during morning and late afternoon/evening hours, U.S. Eastern Time.

What is the virtual conference platform?
The virtual conference will be held using the Whova and SpatialChat platforms. Whova will host all oral and plenary presentations, and will provide attendees with a way to communicate with other attendees. SpatialChat will host all poster presentations and you will access it from the Whova platform.  The virtual platforms are browser based. If your computer is able to efficiently download and view media content such as videos on a browser, then your system is likely to be sufficient to allow you to attend the meeting. Closer to the conference, we will make available the Whova mobile app which would need to be downloaded.

Do I need to check my computer settings prior to the conference starting?
It is recommended that all conference attendees download the latest version of Google Chrome and use that as the browser to attend the conference. For Whova, you will need to enable your audio settings (Join Audio) if you will be speaking during the session.  This will be a pop-up window when entering the session or you can change this setting using the arrow key next to the microphone button.  If you are a presenter on Whova, please turn your background off because the platform does not support the virtual backgrounds.  For SpatialChat, you will want to check your microphone and video settings before joining the space.  If you do not want to be on camera while in SpatialChat, you can also upload a photo before joining the space.

How do I participate in the plenary and oral sessions via Whova?
Within Whova, click on the Agenda tab (left side navigation) to find the session(s) you are interested in attending. You can search by day, session title or presenter(s) name.  Once you find the session on the agenda and click on “View Session” to see more details or click “Add to My Agenda”. If you add it to your personal agenda, you will then be asked if you want to add it to your Google calendar too. On the day of the presentation, you will see a link to join the Zoom session being held within Whova.  When in the session, feel free to ask questions of the presenters via the chat function and the session chair will try to ask the question during the Q&A time.  Please note you can always send a message directly to the presenter using the attendee list and the “Say Hi” function.  This will send the presenter a message via the platform.

How do I participate in the poster session on SpatialChat?
Once you have joined the space, there is an informational video available for you to learn more about navigating in SpatialChat. You will select the session you would like to attend from the right-hand navigation and you will be taken into the poster room.  Once in the room, you will see a number of available posters.  You will want to move yourself to be as close as possible to the presenter of the poster and have the screen zoomed in to just see the one poster.  If your avatar is not close to the presenter circle, you will not be able to hear them speak.  Please visit as many posters as possible during each poster session.

Will there be an CRYO Expo?
Yes, the conference exhibitors have built their virtual booths on the Whova platform. There are set exhibitor hours which can be found on the SaaG.  You can also chat with the exhibitors from their booth or can ask to set-up a time to video chat within the Whova platform.  The exhibitors are an important part of the conference and we encourage all attendees to visit the booths.

How do I get access to the CEC/ICMC’21 Whova platform?
Anyone attending and presenting at CEC/ICMC’21 must register. Only registered participants with a paid status will be given access to the platform. The platform is scheduled to be made live July 14, 2021. An email will be generated with your personal login credentials. Your login credentials will create a profile on the platform, with private messaging, private video calls, and other features that should not be shared. You should take precautions to protect your login credentials.

Is there anything else I should know about the virtual conference?
You can easily access information about the Conference Sponsors, the schedule at a glance (SaaG) and the CEC Board Elections by clicking on the Resources link in the left navigation.  You can also find all the session uploads from the video gallery and documents links.  The Community Board is a good place to ask a question of the organizers or start a conversation with other attendees on topics of interest to you.  Also look here for people or exhibitors who have set-up a special meeting in the Meet-ups section.

When do I have to submit my presentation?
All presentations must be uploaded ONE WEEK PRIOR to the start of the conference to allow for screening checks. Oral presenters will submit a pre-recording of the full presentation. Poster presenters will upload a PDF of their poster. Further oral and poster presentation instructions will be made available at a later date.

Will everything be on the platform after the conference ends?
Conference material will be available 3 months after the conference via the Web App and 6 months via the Mobile App. Individual presenters may be given the opportunity to remove their talk/poster after the meeting is over, so some talks may only be accessed via the session recordings.  PDF slide decks are downloadable and session recordings are not.  All session recordings will be posted to Whova 24-hours after the conclusion of the session.