From ASTR President Marla Carlson, About Conference 2021

At its bi-annual meeting on April 17, ASTR’s Executive Committee made three important decisions about the 2021 conference: (1) to hold the conference in person in San Diego; (2) to require proof of vaccination for those who attend in person; and (3) to convene a small number of virtual working sessions curated specifically for those members who are unable to travel to San Diego because of COVID-19 health concerns and international travel restrictions. I’m writing to explain the reasons for these decisions and to provide more information about what they entail. Above and beyond the budgetary considerations that I highlight here, the EC discussed at length the tremendous value of gathering in person to support our scholarly community and the organization.

(1) The Vice President for Conferences and the Executive Director extensively researched costs for different conference formats. The staffing and technology required for a hybrid conference, with some sessions in person and others online, would increase our deficit for the year by roughly 300% and threaten the Society’s long-term as well as immediate fiscal health. To cancel our hotel contract at this time and hold the 2021 conference fully online would produce an even larger deficit, given the cancellation fee we would be contractually obligated to pay. In addition, we found it troubling that several other learned societies experienced a 50% drop in attendance when they held virtual conferences. The only financially feasible option for ASTR is to hold an in-person conference in San Diego, CA.

(2) After much consideration, we have decided to require, with limited exceptions, everyone who attends the conference in San Diego to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The public health department in the state of California currently requires this safety measure, and the decision to extend this precaution to our meeting in October rests on three principles:

• the health and safety of our community is our top priority,
• science informs and guides our public health strategies, and
• the wellbeing of our community should not be put at risk by personal preferences.

Religious and health-related exceptions will be allowed, and we have budgeted for the expenses associated with privacy compliance.

(3) Unfortunately, the internet capacity at the conference site will not permit members of current working sessions to attend remotely. As you know from previous correspondence, all 2020 working sessions have been invited to continue. Participants will have the choice of remaining with their current working session or applying for a new one, and new participants to most working sessions are welcome. As a pilot program to explore possible avenues for future conferencing and in order to include those who cannot join us in San Diego for reasons related to the pandemic, we will also convene a few virtual working sessions alongside the in-person conference. Information will be included in next week’s call for participants. The number of such sessions is limited to what our existing staff can facilitate at the same time as they manage the in-person conference, as well as the capacity of our budget to support the technology and platforms associated with running online sessions. As I mentioned earlier, we cannot afford to hire additional staff, and we want to make sure that everyone has the best conference experience possible. These virtual sessions will be not be drawn from the 2020 program but, rather, are new working sessions added specifically for those subject to travel restrictions.

As part of our decision to hold an in-person event, ASTR is committed to producing an engaging and convivial experience for attendees with safety and well-being at the forefront of our planning. ASTR will be monitoring the current best practices from organizations such as the CDC, WHO, and the California Department of Public Health, and will provide updates during the months leading up to the conference. The current situation will require some design changes in the program and during the onsite execution of the conference. As a member of our conference community, we ask that you please review our future communications regarding policies around safety and well-being and that you be part of the solution in executing a safe and responsible event.

Warmly,

Marla Carlson
ASTR President