EXHIBIT SPACE. Booth Space. Exhibit Space Application

Transcription

1 Booth Space The annual meeting exhibit booth space fee includes the following: Assigned exhibit booth space Linear booths Eight-foot (8 ) high back drape, thirty-six inch (36 ) high side dividers in black and white Linear booths A seven by forty-four inch (7 x 44 ) identification sign when ordered by Friday, October 16 FREE standard digital booth in Virtual Exhibition that includes: Company business card, twenty-five (25) word company profile, category selections for products and services, medical specialties, common equipment terms and basic ophthalmic conditions, and two company contacts. Exhibiting companies who populate their digital booth by Wednesday, September 16 will receive two (2) priority points. Product and service categories are used in the Final Program, Product Index and the search feature of the Virtual Exhibition. Aisle carpet and vacuuming of aisles (color of aisle carpet is red) General perimeter security The use of shuttle bus service to and from the official Academy hotels and the convention center An allocation of sleeping rooms (based on booth size) through the official housing service, Expovision Five complimentary exhibit badges for company employees for each 100 square feet of exhibit space secured Listing by company name and booth number in the Meeting Guide; if application is received by Monday, August 17 Listing by company name and booth number in the Final Program if application is received by Tuesday, September 29 Category listings in the Final Program, Product Index if digital booth is populated by Wednesday, September 16 Copies of the Meeting Guide and Final Program Access to sessions, symposia, papers and posters Ability to purchase the Academy Plus course pass onsite (Exhibitor Representatives may not register for Skills Transfer Courses Exhibit Space Application Company and Contact Information Provide the company name as it should appear in program materials and the company s headquarter address, office or customer service phone number, general address* and website. Do not provide a product name here,as the Academy does not list companies by their product(s). Provide the main meeting contact information, name, title, address, direct phone number, and personal address*. The main meeting contact receives all communications about the annual meeting via this . *Each must be unique to the Academy s Association Management System. Booth Choices Exhibit Space is assigned preferentially according to the exhibiting company s earned priority points and ophthalmic relevance rating. Indicate your six booth choices in order of preference after carefully reviewing the exhibition floor plan. Keep your priority point level in mind, and choose your booths accordingly. Review the floor plan for: Taxi and Shuttle drop off locations Entrances marked with orange arrows into the building and the exhibit halls Location of course and session rooms on all levels of the Venetian You may make selections only from the spaces that appear on the floor plan. Exhibit space may not be reconfigured. The meeting floor plan designs are based on the needs expressed by exhibitors, the Sands Expo requirements and the Academy s own complex needs. To increase the likelihood of being assigned a booth space of your choice: Avoid concentrating all choices in one area. Take into consideration your priority point status (See Priority Point Overview in the Assignment of Exhibit Space section). List additional choices on company letterhead and send along with the application. If you typically have not received one of your six choices, that have been listed on your exhibit space application, we suggest you submit additional selections. When selecting linear booths, sold in ten-foot by ten-foot (10 x 10 ) increments, provide the booth type, corner or inside, the quantity needed, and list the booth numbers in sequence. If you have special requests, such as an island booth with an adjacent ten-foot by ten-foot (10 x 10 ) booth or two ten-foot by ten-foot (10 x 10 ) booths located in separate areas of the exhibit hall, outline the request and attach it to the application. When assigning booth space, we will take into account your company s priority points, your preferred booth type, and the booth location(s) you have chosen. Every effort will be made to assign one of your booth choices. If your booth choices are not available, decisions for booth assignment are made based on the area of your booth choices and the additional information provided in the Rank Order of Importance section of the application. 5

2 Booth Types and Fees Linear Booths Inline 10 x10 booth $3,300 Corner 10 x10 booth $3,400 Island Booths Island booth $34 per net square foot An island booth is defined as a booth with all sides exposed to an aisle. To determine the cost for island booth space, multiply the size by $34 (e.g., 20 x 20 = 400 x $34 = $13,600). Informational Exhibits and Posters The Academy offers associations and organizations with the tax-exempt status of 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) the following options for distributing information: A limited number of linear and corner ten-foot by ten-foot (10 x10 ) booths in the Informational Exhibit area are available for one-half the published commercial rate shown above. Informational posters fees are $250 and include a: Forty-eight inch (48 ) vertical x ninety-six inch (96 ) horizontal poster board, sign noting the poster number and title, four foot (4 ) table and chair, and two complimentary registrations for poster presenters. Associations and Organizations must submit evidence of their tax-exempt status with their application. Sales are not permitted in the Informational Exhibit or Poster areas. Retina Subspecialty Day Exhibits The Retina Subspecialty Day exhibit space fee includes the following: Five-foot by ten-foot (5 x 10 ) exhibit space Each area has an eight-foot (8 ) high back drape and thirtysix inch (36 ) high side dividers A seven by forty-four inch (7 x 44 ) identification sign when ordered by Friday, October 16 Four complimentary badges per exhibit space purchased for representatives to staff the exhibit Company name and booth number in the Retina Subspecialty Day Syllabus The Complimentary Subspecialty Day Session Badge has been discontinued. If representatives wish to attend a Subspecialty Day meeting they may register as a Commercial Representative. Visit for registration. Fee: 5 x10 $2,200 Exhibitors are responsible for ordering carpet, furniture (tables and chairs) and required utilities. Publishers Row Each year a specific area is designated in the exhibition where a publishing company or publishing-related companies may request a booth. As an added benefit, this area is highlighted on the floor plan and is listed on the appropriate directional signage onsite. Adjacent and Shared Exhibit Space Sharing of exhibit space is permitted only for divisions of the same company and those with exclusive distributing agreements. Consideration of adjacent and shared exhibit space requests is offered only if the request is submitted as part of the space application package. Evidence of exclusive distributing agreements must be submitted at the time the request to share exhibit space is submitted. Each company s Exhibit Space Application must include a cover letter on company letterhead that describes this request and indicates that a copy of the request has been sent to the meeting contact at the other company or companies making this a mutual request. The space assignment is based on the companies averaged priority points and ophthalmologic relevance rating. Exhibitors may not sublet or assign booth spaces. Outside Management An exhibitor who engages the services of a management firm to handle exhibit details and logistics must complete a Third Party Authorization Form identifying the firm who will work on its behalf. This arrangement will not be taken into account when granting the extension of a deadline; take particular care to ensure that the management firm you engage will meet all deadlines. Request a Third Party Authorization Form from exhibitions@aao.org The third party company representative may make a Request for Third Party Authorization by completing the form posted on Exhibitor Central. The submission of the Third Party Authorization Form is not accepted in lieu of the Exhibitor Designated Contractor Authorization Form and the required certificate of insurance for contractors hired to perform a service. Please review the Exhibitor Designated Contractor section for more information. Product/Service Approval Form Identify all the products and services your company plans to exhibit, and briefly describe them on the Product/Service Approval Form. Information provided on this form is used to determine each company s ophthalmologic relevance rating. Exhibitors may display only those products and services that they regularly manufacture or sell. 6

3 Product/Service Approval Form, continued All products and services displayed by exhibitors must receive prior approval by the Academy. The Academy may withhold approval of the exhibition of products or services if it determines, in its sole discretion, that they do not further the educational, scientific, or practice needs of Academy fellows and members. At the request of the Academy, an exhibitor shall immediately remove any unapproved product or service included in a display. Approval to exhibit additional products or services not included on the Product/Service Approval Form must be requested in writing by Friday, Oct 2. Submit Application Exhibit Space Applications are considered complete when submitted with the following: Exhibit Space Application with authorizing signature Product/Service Approval Form Payment -Thirty percent (30%) deposit (required) or full payment of the exhibit space fee by the priority point deadline (two points) Full payment for Retina Subspecialty Day exhibit space(s) (Required) Be sure to sign your exhibit space application and keep the pink copy for your records To derive any benefit from your accrued priority points arrange for delivery of the completed application package to the Academy by the priority point deadline of Friday, May 1. Earn two (2) priority points by sending full payment with your exhibit space application by this deadline. If you are concerned about documenting the date the application is delivered to the Academy, send the completed application package via certified or express mail. An Acknowledgement of Receipt will be sent to confirm receipt of your complete application or to notify you of missing items that are delaying the processing of your application. Applications received after Friday, May 1, will be processed after assignments are made for the companies who return applications by this deadline. Delivery methods Send applications with check payments to: American Academy of Ophthalmology Wells Fargo Bank PO Box Dept. #34045 San Francisco, CA Send application with credit card or electronic payments by regular or express mail to: American Academy of Ophthalmology Exhibitions Department 655 Beach St. San Francisco, CA Terms of Payment Payment Methods All payments must be made by check, electronic methods*, credit card**, or draft in United States of America dollars (U.S.$), payable to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Academy negotiation of checks or other means of payment does not constitute acceptance of the application. Check Payments Checks are to be drawn on U.S. bank accounts. Checks are not accepted from international banks. Credit Card Payments Please provide: Complete account number; Type of credit card; Expiration date; Name of the cardholder as it appears on the credit card; and The address where the credit card statement is sent. **Credit card payments are limited to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). If the credit card payment is declined and you request that the payment be processed on the same credit card, a reprocessing fee will be charged to your balance. *Electronic Methods - Payment Information: Bank: Wells Fargo Bank, NA 420 Montgomery St San Francisco, CA Account Name: American Academy of Ophthalmology Account number: Automatic Clearinghouse (ACH) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Routing number: U.S. Wire Transfers ABA number: International Wire Transfer SWIFT Code: WFBIUS6WFFX 7

4 Terms of Payment, continued When using one of these electronic methods of payment, include the exhibiting company name on the documentation. Note that the payment is For benefit of American Academy of Ophthalmology. After completing arrangements for the electronic payment, forward the following information to La Shon Smith, Exhibitions Manager at Company Name Bank name Amount of money sent electronically Electronic transfer type ACH, EFT, Wire Date the funds were transferred Exhibit Space Applications received at the Academy prior to Friday, August 7 must include: A deposit of 30 percent (30%) of the exhibit space fee; and Full payment for Retina Subspecialty Day. All exhibit space fees must be paid in full by Friday, August 7. If the balance is not received by the deadline date, the company will not be listed in the Final Program or Meeting Guide until the final payment has been received. Late payment will result in priority point loss, and the Academy may reassign or cancel the company s space without notification. Deadline to be listed in the Meeting Guide is Monday, August 17 and the Final Program deadline is Tuesday, September 29. Applications received after Friday, August 7 must include payment in full. Applications will not be processed until the appropriate payment has been received. No company will be allowed to exhibit unless full payment for exhibit space has been received. Cancellation of Exhibit Space Notification of an exhibitor s decision to cancel assigned exhibit space must be submitted in writing. Cancellation of exhibit space means that the exhibitor: Forfeits access to AAO 2015; Forfeits the use of the assigned exhibit space; and Releases previously assigned hotel rooms and meeting space. An exhibitor who submitted their application by the priority point deadline may cancel its participation without penalty until Friday, June 26. The Academy s receipt of an exhibitor s notice of cancellation from Monday, June 29 through Friday, August 7, subjects the exhibitor to a cancellation penalty equal to thirty percent (30%) of the total cost of space assigned. The Academy s receipt of an exhibitor s notice of cancellation on or after Monday, August 10, subjects the exhibitor to a cancellation penalty equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the total cost of space assigned. However, in the event the canceled space is resold and the entire exhibition is sold out, the cancellation penalty will revert to thirty percent (30%) of the total cost of space assigned. The Academy s receipt of an exhibitor s notice to downsize booth space after Monday, August 10, will result in a twenty-five percent (25%) penalty on the original island booth size and fifty percent (50%) of the linear booth cost. A refund due as a result of cancellation will be processed at the time of the cancellation. An exhibitor that cancels its participation on or after Monday, August 10, and has an unpaid balance with the Academy must pay this balance before exhibiting at future meetings. Assignment of Exhibit Space In general, exhibit space is assigned preferentially according to the exhibiting company s earned priority points and ophthalmologic relevance rating. The exhibit space for the Retina Subspecialty Day program will be assigned using the following system: All companies who submit their completed applications with full payment by Friday, May 1 will be randomly selected for exhibit space. All complete applications received after Friday, May 1 will be assigned to the remaining spaces on a first-come basis. However, the Academy reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to allocate space on any other basis it deems appropriate for both the AAO 2015 and Retina Subspecialty Day. The Academy also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reconfigure the exhibit hall floor plan and reassign any exhibiting company at any time. If the affected exhibitor does not agree with the relocation and wishes to withdraw from the exhibition, all payments will be refunded. Exhibit space assignment notices will be ed on Friday, June 5. Priority Points To derive any benefit from your accrued priority points, arrange for delivery of the completed application package to the Academy by the priority point deadline of Friday, May 1. Priority points are accumulated annually and added to the cumulative total according to the following guidelines: one point for exhibiting at the current meeting one point for exhibiting at five previous consecutive meetings one point per one-hundred (100) square foot of exhibit space secured or equivalent space used at the current meeting (e.g., a 20 x 30 island would earn 6 points; a 40 x 40 island would earn 16 points, etc.) two points for sending full payment with the space application package by the priority point deadline, Friday, May 1 two points for populating the free Digital Booth by the Final Program deadline, Wednesday, September 16 8

5 Assignment of Exhibit Space, continued two points for using ninety-five to one hundred percent (95 100%) of the initial hotel room block secured through the official housing service three points for completing the entire exhibitor survey Current Priority Point Overview: 8 companies have over 1000 points 71 companies have points 105 companies have points 100 companies have points 84 companies have points 96 companies have points 130 companies have 1 10 points Contact exhibitions@aao.org with questions regarding your company s accrued points. Adjacent and Shared Exhibit Space Consideration of adjacent and shared exhibit space requests is offered only if the request is submitted as part of the space application package. Complete information can be found earlier in this section under Exhibit Space Application. Mergers and Acquisitions Companies that have merged with, have been purchased by, or have purchased another company may use the exhibit history of whichever company is most favorable, but not the combined history of multiple companies. The Academy must be notified in writing that the acquisition or merger between companies has been completed, along with the effective date of this change. The sale of a product, product line, certain technologies, or certain assets to another company will be considered in the transfer of priority points only to the extent determined by the Academy in its sole discretion. A company that decides to exhibit independently from its parent company or that undergoes reorganization, and secures individual exhibit space will retain the points accrued by the parent company. Ophthalmologic Relevance Rating The ophthalmologic relevance rating is based on how closely an exhibiting company s primary products or services relate to the science and practice of ophthalmology. Category A is composed of exhibitors of products and services exclusively concerned with ophthalmologic diagnosis, treatment and surgery. Examples of Category A products and services include intraocular lenses, surgical instruments, ocular prosthetics, operating room equipment and supplies, pharmaceuticals, physician and patient education materials. Category B is composed of exhibitors of peripheral products and services, and exhibitors displaying used equipment. Examples of Category B products and services include intercoms and answering systems, practice management services, office/facility design and furnishings, computer systems, market research, equipment finance and leasing, cosmetic products and services, frames, lenses and lens finishing. Market Research Companies Companies conducting market research are assigned exhibit space according to ophthalmologic relevance rating, Category B. 9