Speakers

We are pleased to offer all faculty and presenters access to the newly developed Faculty Best Practices Training in the ASTRO Academy. The purpose of the trainings is to help ASTRO speakers organize their presentations, create effective visual design of content and slides and prepare their presentation delivery following recommended best practices and ASTRO guidelines. All faculty and presenters have already been added to the training which takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes total to complete. Each training includes printable quality checklists, the slides and scripts from the narrated presentations and additional resources. Get started now!

• Presentation Organization – the narrated presentation is 20 minutes plus self-assessment quiz and additional resources – ~ 30 minutes
• Presentation Delivery – the narrated presentation is 20 minutes plus self-assessment quiz and additional resources – ~ 30 minutes
• Presentation Visual Design – the narrated presentation is 11 minutes plus self-assessment quiz and additional resources – ~ 20 minutes

If you are unable to access the faculty training please email the education department for assistance.

In an effort to improve practice around using respectful language regarding patients and colleagues ASTRO Leadership has developed Culture of Respect Guidelines that we ask all presenters to review and adhere to during their presentations at the Annual Meeting and all ASTRO meetings. The language addresses the importance of using professional introductions, correct pronunciations of names and correct use of pronouns, as well as respectful language around patients. The guidelines provide examples of appropriate and inappropriate language that you will find helpful as you prepare your presentation.

Submit your recorded presentation instead!

If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting in person and still wish to participate you may submit a recorded presentation which will be played at the in person meeting in place of your live presentation.

Please be sure to email the Annual Meeting team so that we are aware that you will not be at the meeting in person. Failure to notify staff could result in your presentation not being played during the session.

Steps to Record and Submit your Presentation:

• Notify ASTRO staff that you are submitting a recorded presentation by emailing the Annual Meeting team.
• Develop and build your presentation in PowerPoint or Keynote.
• Recordings are due by Tuesday, October 5.
• Log in to the Speaker Center to get more information and to upload!

Format

Oral scientific sessions are labeled as “SS 01, SS 02,” and are either 60 or 75-minutes in length. The session will contain either six or seven abstracts depending on the scheduled session time. Each speaker is given seven minutes to present their abstract followed by a three-minute question and answer period, for a total of 10 minutes per abstract.

Abstract presenters who are unable to travel to Chicago must pre-record their portion of the presentation. The recording will play during the in-person meeting. Please see the Speaker Center for details on audio recording and to schedule a technical appointment with our AV provider, if needed.

Deadlines

All abstract authors presenting in person in Chicago must submit their slides ahead of time. Slides can be submitted virtually through the Speaker Center until Friday, October 22, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. Central time. All in-person speakers must also review their slides with ASTRO AV technicians in the Speaker Ready Room once you arrive on-site. If you are unable to upload before Friday, October 22 at noon Central time you may upload directly in the Speaker Ready Room. We highly encourage all presenters to upload before the deadline in order to ensure there are no AV concerns during your session and to allow your moderator time to review your slides prior to the session.

If you will be unable to present in-person in Chicago, then you must pre-record your presentation. This recording must be submitted through the Speaker Center no later than Tuesday, October 5, 2021. If you do not submit your recording by this date, then your abstract will not be included as part of the oral scientific session. Please be sure to email the Annual Meeting team so that we are aware that you will not be at the meeting in person. Failure to notify staff could result in your presentation not being played during the session.

If your session has a Discussant, you must submit a second set of summary slides for the Discussant (more information is included below). The Discussant slides are due no later than Friday, October 1, 2021. If you fail to meet this deadline, your abstract will not be included in the Discussant's presentation.

Moderators

Each session is assigned two moderators to keep time and assist speakers with the question-and-answer period. Presenters will be able to see their session Moderators in the Speaker Center.

Discussants

Scientific Sessions may also include a Discussant to provide a background to frame the presentations, emphasize the key points or provide an alternative point of view of the presented abstracts. IF your session has been assigned a Discussant to discuss your paper, you will be notified in a subsequent email to forward three to four summary slides and a "take-home" message in PowerPoint by Friday, October 1, 2021. Your slides will be given to the Discussant prior to the Annual Meeting to aide them in the preparation of their presentation and slides.

Presenters will be able to see their Discussant in the Speaker Center.

Format

Quick Pitch sessions are 60-minutes long. Each session will include six presenters who have 5 minutes and five slides to present the highlights of their study and a “take-home” message. These sessions will include time for Q&A with the two moderators and six presenters.

Deadlines

All quick pitch abstract authors presenting in person in Chicago must submit their slides ahead of time. Slides can be submitted virtually through the Speaker Center until Friday, October 22, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. Central time. All in-person presenters must also review their slides with ASTRO AV technicians in the Speaker Ready Room once you arrive on-site.

If you will be unable to present in-person in Chicago, then you must pre-record your presentation. This recording must be submitted through the Speaker Center no later than Tuesday, October 5, 2021. If you do not submit your recording by this date, then your abstract will not be included as part of the oral scientific session. Please be sure to email the Annual Meeting team so that we are aware that you will not be at the meeting in person. Failure to notify staff could result in your presentation not being played during the session.

Moderators

Each session is assigned two moderators to assist speakers with the question and answer period. Presenters will be able to see their session Moderators in the Speaker Center.

Nearly 1,500 digital posters will be available to view both at the in-person meeting, and on the virtual meeting platform. All poster presenters must record an audio narration to be used as your presentation. This will allow both in-person and virtual meeting attendees to view all poster presentations.

Posters will be available for viewing and listening on kiosks at McCormick Place West and within the virtual meeting platform, as well as through the conference planner, MyASTROapp and ASTRO website via the Virtual Poster Library. Posters will be available to view throughout the meeting and beyond. Poster Q&A Sessions will be scheduled based on disease sites throughout the meeting dates (October 24 – 27, 2021). During the schedule Poster Q&A Session time, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions to specific poster presenters. Poster presenters are required to attend the Poster Q&A sessions to answer questions from the audience.

The Digital XP (virtual) program will also include several virtual Poster Q&A sessions for those who are unable to attend the Annual Meeting in person. Spots in the virtual sessions are limited so be sure to update your travel status in the Speaker Center now if you are unable to attend and still want to participate. Spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis based on your travel status indication in the Speaker Center.

Presentation Deadline and Requirements
All posters MUST be narrated and received by October 8, 2021. For more details on your poster requirements, including deadlines, fees, etc., please visit the Speaker Center and navigate to the presentation tab. If you are unable to meet the submission deadline, please decline your role in the Speaker Center and withdraw your abstract.

Steps to Create, Build and Narrate Your Poster

• Review the Poster Building Guidelines
• Create Your Poster using one of our two poster templates
  • Download both poster templates (zip file)
• Deadlines and Fees: The deadlines for the digital upload fee are as follows
  • By August 14, 2021 – $60
  • By September 11, 2021 – $70
  • By October 8, 2021 – $80
• Pay for your Poster: In order for you to have access to the poster builder to upload your poster you must pay the upload fee for your poster in the Speaker Center. Once you have paid the fee you will have access to upload your poster below.
• Upload Your Poster: Log in to the Speaker Center, click on my presentations, then your poster presentation title, "Go to Poster Builder" button and build/narrate your poster prior to October 9, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.
  • Please note: You may upload a draft version of your poster at anytime using the button below and you will have access until the deadline to go in and make any edits or changes to your poster.
• Record Audio Narration: After your poster is finalized, you must record audio narration for each section of your poster.
• Additional Information can be found in the ASTRO Poster Builder Guidelines document.

Watch a video tutorial on how to record your audio narration.

• If you have technical questions specific to creating, uploading or narrating your poster, please contact our digital poster vendor partner, MultiLearning, for assistance by emailing support@multieposter.com.
• If you have logistical or content related questions about your session or presentation, please email Annual Meeting team for detailed assistance.

Abstract presenters are required to pay the registration fee, attend the Annual Meeting and upload their presentation before the deadline. If circumstances prevent you from participating, you must arrange for the abstract to be presented by a co-author and notify ASTRO immediately by declining your role in the Speaker Center. You will have the option to select a co-author to present on your behalf.

Requests to make changes or withdraw abstracts from the program must be submitted by midnight July 1, 2021, by emailing the Annual Meeting team. After this date, the abstract will be published as originally submitted.

To remain in compliance with the ACCME guidelines, ASTRO must avoid any commercial bias in the scientific and educational programs at the Annual Meeting. Vendor names or names of commercial products or services will be removed from all abstracts, at ASTRO's discretion. The presenting author will be notified of any edits.

Should your abstract be selected for presentation at another meeting or published prior to the ASTRO Annual Meeting, please notify the Annual Meeting team. Depending on the publication details and size of the other meeting, your abstract may be withdrawn from the ASTRO meeting in order to maintain the integrity of our scientific program.

All abstracts submitted to the ASTRO Annual Meeting are embargoed until the date and time of presentation unless otherwise noted by ASTRO. The submitting author is responsible for conveying this information to all co-authors. All abstracts accepted for presentation at the ASTRO Annual Meeting may be highlighted in ASTRO’s Press Program. All submitters agree to cooperate in the publicity of their study. For questions regarding the embargo or press policy, please contact ASTRO’s media relations team.