No Stone Left Unturned

The first ASH annual meeting convened in 1958 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the participation of approximately 300 individuals. Now, 63 years later, preparations for the 63rd ASH Annual Meeting taking place December 11-14, are in full swing. This Herculean task takes a village to be sure but is coordinated by the creative mastermind Bill Reed, ASH's Chief Event Strategy Officer, in addition to a staff team that spans the organization and has worked tirelessly to make our meeting the world-class event that it has become. Last year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 62nd ASH Annual Meeting was held only on a virtual platform. Despite the novelty and complexity of converting an in-person meeting for more than 30,000 attendees to an all-virtual event, it was a resounding success by all measures.

After careful deliberations and given progress in strategies to address the pandemic, ASH's Executive Committee has decided to proceed with organizing a hybrid meeting with both an in-person and a virtual component. The decision was based on several factors including meticulous research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, and local Georgia laws. Furthermore, to assist in this decision ASH conducted four surveys between December 2020 and June 2021 to gauge the membership's level of interest in an in-person meeting. While in the span of those 6 months member confidence in our ability to carry out an in-person meeting grew significantly, the Delta variant presented another challenge with which ASH had to contend in the following months. ASH leadership recognized the importance of offering the hematology community the option of virtual and in-person attendance to reflect both the progress that has been made for the benefit of our collective health and safety, as well as the fact that we are still not quite “out of the woods.” While we do not expect a pre-2020 level of attendance, there is still a significant portion of the community that is enthusiastic about a return to in-person meetings, and we are confident that we can deliver that experience in a safe and thoughtful way. ASH plans to implement comprehensive health and safety protocols at the Georgia World Congress Center, which will apply to all locations holding ASH-sponsored events during the annual meeting.

No stone will be left unturned in the efforts to ensure a safe in-person meeting. Visit www.hematology.org/meetings/annual-meeting/attendee-resources/health-and-safety-protocols to stay apprised of all current health and safety protocols for this year's meeting.

The choice of attending the annual meeting onsite, virtually, or even some combination of the two is a highly personal one that depends on each person's own unique situation and comfort level. For this reason, everyone who registers for the in-person meeting will also have access to the virtual platform, and participants will have the choice to change their registration type from in-person, to virtual, or vice versa, at any time. This choice does not just extend to registered attendees, since ASH is also offering presenters the option to deliver their presentations on site in Atlanta or via the virtual platform. Social distancing is another critical safety measure with which we are all familiar, and during the annual meeting ASH is planning for ample space for attendees to maintain a safe distance from other colleagues. Both vaccinations and masks will be required throughout the meeting and at all ASH sponsored events.

The ASH staff is dedicated to ensuring a safe and productive meeting. Nevertheless, ASH is sensitive to the fluid conditions associated with the pandemic. ASH is prepared to adapt to changing conditions and to move to a solely virtual meeting if it becomes necessary. However, we can all agree that there is no substitute for the personal and professional rewards that accompany meeting face-to-face.

In closing, I want to say what an honor and privilege it has been to serve as president of our distinguished Society. I want to thank the Officers and members of the Executive Committee with whom it has been a genuine pleasure to work closely. Thank you to the ASH membership for their continued support during this year. Finally, thank you to the ASH staff, a group of consummate professionals who have made the ebb and flow of this past year so smooth. I know ASH will continue to flourish under the leadership of my successor Dr. Jane Winter.