Listed below are answers to some frequently asked questions about the Midyear meeting. If you cannot find an answer to your question here, please contact us directly.
General Information
- What is the weather in December in Orlando?
- Are there opportunities for offsite activities for my family during the conference?
- Can I sign up for the individual tours only?
Convention Center
- Will there be internet access at the Convention Center?
- Does the Convention Center offer free wireless internet service?
- Can I smoke in the Convention Center?
- Does the Convention Center have parking for attendees?
- What are the parking rates at the Convention Center?
- Who should I contact for special assistance accommodations at the meeting?
Education/Continuing Education
- Will handouts be available for educational sessions?
- Will recordings of the educational sessions be available for purchase?
- Where do I go to record my CE for symposia?
- What time do the doors open for the Midday Symposia?
Exhibition
- What are the exhibit hours?
- What’s included in the cost of my booth?
- What is the booth payment schedule and where do I send payment?
- When will I receive my Exhibitor Service Kit?
- Who attends the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting?
- What is the attire for the Summer Meeting?
- Are there height restrictions for booths?
- Who do I contact if I need to move into my booth early?
- What if I’m using a contractor other than Freeman Decorating?
- How do I schedule VIP demos or meetings in my booth pre or post official show hours?
- How do I register exhibitor staff attending the meeting?
- How many badges will an exhibitor receive? What if I need CE?
- Do you have a room that I can use for staff or client meetings?
Hotel
- What are the headquarter hotels?
- What is the tax on hotel rooms?
- Do the hotel rates include internet access?
Registration
- When (and what day) does registration open?
- How do I register for the Guest Program?
Travel
- What is the closest airport to Orlando?
- How far is the airport from the Hotels and Convention Center?
- What is the taxi fare from the airport to the Convention Center?
- Will shuttle service be provided to the meeting?
- Will shuttle service include airport transportation?
Events
- Can a guest attend the Opening Session on Monday?
- Can a guest attend the Thursday Networking Luncheon?
- Can a guest attend the Wednesday Evening Party at Universal Studios Florida?
General Information
1. What is the weather in December in Orlando?
| Month High/Low |
High/Low (C) |
Rain |
Humidity |
| December 73 / 51 |
23 / 11 |
2.2 |
57% / 88% |
2. Are there opportunities for offsite activities for my family during the conference?
Yes, guest of meeting attendees are invited to register for the Guest Program or register for the daily tours offered on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Please visit the “Events” section of the meeting web site for details. In addition, guests and attendees can purchase tickets to the numerous Central Florida world-famous attractions under the “Discount Attraction Tickets” section on the “About Orlando” page.
3. Can I sign up for the individual tours only?
Yes, new this year, you can sign up in advance for a single tour. Registration is only available on-line or by calling ASHP Customer Services at toll free: 866-279-0681 (United States and Canada only). International Callers: 001-301-664-8700. Hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. To guarantee availability and pricing, you must register by November 24, 2008.
Convention Center
1. Will there be internet access at the Convention Center?
Complimentary access to the internet will be available at the designated ASHP Network Connection Stations located throughout the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center.
2. Does the Convention Center offer free wireless internet service?
No, the Convention Center’s Business Centers have a number of computer terminals available for email and internet browsing at a small fee. WiFi is also available throughout the Convention Center at hourly and daily rates.
3. Can I smoke in the Convention Center?
No, the Convention Center is smoke-free.
4. Does the Convention Center have parking for attendees?
Yes, for attendees who plan on driving to the Orange County Convention Center, there are designated parking areas for both buildings: the West Concourse parking lot and the North/South Concourse parking lot. Event-specific parking areas will be listed on overhead electronic (Dynamic Message System) signage on International Drive and the surrounding area. Parking is available on a first come, first served basis, including handicap-accessible parking.
5. What are the parking rates at the Convention Center?
Currently, the fee for parking at the Convention Center is $10.00 per car per entry and $15.00 for oversized vehicles, i.e. buses, per entry. After 5:00 p.m., the charge is $6.00 per car per entry and $10.00 per oversized vehicle per entry. The Convention Center accepts cash, traveler's checks, American Express, MasterCard and Visa.
6. Who should I contact for special assistance accommodations at the meeting?
Contact Paul Wong at pwong@ashp.org or call 301-664-8616 by November 14, 2008.
Education/Continuing Education
1. Will handouts be available for educational sessions?
Online access to educational session presentation slides, speaker bios, and abstracts will be made available free to all pre-registered meeting attendees approximately 2 weeks prior to the meeting. Pre-registered attendees will receive an email with the URL and login information. Anyone registering on-site can go to the Meeting Information Center for access information.
2. Will recordings of the educational sessions be available for purchase?
Audio-synched downloads of educational sessions will be free to all full-time registered attendees after the meeting. Full-time registrants will be notified by email.
3. Where do I go to record my CE for symposia?
Information on how to record your CE will be given out at the symposia. If the CE provider is ASHP Advantage you may record your CE from the same site as the other ASHP educational sessions. For other providers, please follow the directions given out at the symposia. If you have any questions, contact names and phone numbers are provided on the symposia listing.
4. What time do the doors open for the Midday Symposia?
Doors open at 10:45a.m.
Exhibition
1. What are the exhibit hours?
Monday, December 8, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 9, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
New! Wednesday, December 10, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
2. What’s included in the cost of my booth?
Each inline 10’ x 10’ booth comes with 8’ high drape, 3’high side drape, and an identification sign with your company name if ordered by advance deadline. Each exhibitor is also provided with four complimentary booth personnel badges per 10 x 10 booth. Other items such as carpeting, electrical, and other services must be ordered separately from service providers (refer to your Exhibitor Service Kit for details).
3. What is the booth payment schedule and where do I send payment?
Fifty percent of the booth balance is due with your contract. The balance is due within 30 days of receipt of your invoice. All booth balances must be paid in full prior to installation of your booth onsite. Checks must be mailed to the ASHP lockbox address. This address does not accept FedEx deliveries. Please do not mail checks to the ASHP’s Wisconsin Avenue street address in Bethesda. Make checks payable to ASHP and mail to: ASHP, P.O. Box 75571,Baltimore, MD 21275-5571.
4. When will I receive my Exhibitor Service Kit?
The service kit will also be accessible online in September and Freeman offers online ordering.
5. Who attends the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting?
Midyear Clinical Meeting registrants typically provide services for acute care patients and work in hospitals with 400 or more beds. Attendees practice most commonly in community (not for profit) hospitals, university hospitals and integrated health systems. The majority of attendees are female (65%). The mean registrant age is 49 with 25 years of practice experience. Total expected attendance is over 18,000 attendees.
6. What is the attire for the Summer Meeting?
The attire at ASHP national meetings is business casual.
7. Are there height restrictions for booths? There are no height restrictions for island booths. In-line booths the height restriction is 8 feet.
8. Who do I contact if I need to move into my booth early?
Exhibitors with large booths may be able to get an early start installing their exhibit. To do so, contact Dayna Evans at 301.664.8762.
9. What if I’m using a contractor other than Freeman Decorating?
All contractors, other than the official exhibitor contractor, must fax the Non-Official Contractor Badge form (included in this service kit) and proof of insurance to the ASHP Exhibits Manager, 301-664-8895, by November 3.
10. How do I schedule VIP demos or meetings in my booth pre or post official show hours?
If you’d like to invite attendees to your booth pre or post official show hours, send a list of the date, time and meeting attendees to devans@ashp.org prior to the meeting so that we can coordinate with meeting security. In addition, you will need a company representative outside the exhibit hall to escort attendees to your booth. The official pre and post exhibit show hours are:
Pre Show Times Post Show Times
Monday, 8:00 a.m. – 11: 00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. – 11: 00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. – 11: 00 a.m.
12. How do I register exhibitor staff attending the meeting?
All badge requests must be submitted online using the Badge Request Form. (NOTE: The request form will be live in October)
This tool allows you to request all of your badges (for booth personnel as well as those requiring make necessary edits/changes. You’ll need to login with your ASHP Customer ID number and password. Your ID number is on your contract and also printed on your invoice (under the date). Your password is the same as the ID number. Contact mtyler@ashp.org for assistance.
13. How many badges will an exhibitor receive? What if I need CE?
Exhibitors receive four (4) complimentary exhibit badges per 10' x 10 'booth for exhibitor personnel staffing your booth. These complimentary badges will permit access to the exhibit hall and include a full registration. Additional exhibit badges may be obtained for a fee of $75.00 each badge issued which is above the (4) complimentary badges; no registration will be included for these additional badges.
Exhibit personnel who want to register and receive CE, but exceed the complimentary badge allotment, will be required to pay the applicable meeting registration rates. ASHP members will pay the member rate, non members will pay the nonmember rate, and all early and onsite registration rates will apply.
14. Do you have a room that I can use for staff or client meetings?
ASHP uses all available meeting room space at the convention center for educational sessions. If you’d like to reserve private meeting space at the convention center, you can rent an Executive Suites for a flat fee of $7,000. Each suite is 264 square feet and will have an 8’ high fabric-covered hard wall, wall-to-wall carpet, one conference table, six conference chairs, and a sign with the company name on the door. For additional fee, suites can be customized with additional furnishings, equipment and catering. For more information, contact Dayna Evans at devans@ashp.org.
Hotel
1. What are the headquarter hotels?
The Peabody Orlando and the Rosen Centre Hotel.
2. What is the tax on hotel rooms?
Currently, the tax rate is 12.5% for all hotels, except the Peabody Orlando and the Rosen Hotels. It is 13.5% at these hotels.
3. Do the hotel rates include internet access?
Access to the internet and the cost, varies from hotel to hotel. Please check with the hotel description located on the on-line hotel reservation section of the meeting web site or with each hotel individually.
Registration
1. When (and what day) does registration open?
Registration opens on Saturday, December 6 at 7:30 a.m.
2. How do I register for the Guest Program?
You can register your guests for the Guest Program at the same time you register for the meeting, either on-line or on the registration form. If you need to register a guest after you have registered for the meeting, please contact ASHP Customer Services at toll free: (866) 279-0681 (United States and Canada only). International Callers: 001-301-664-8700. Hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. Registration for the daily guest tours is available on-line only or by calling Customer Services. To guarantee availability and pricing, you must register by November 24, 2008.
Travel
1. What is the closest airport to Orlando?
Orlando International Airport (MCO). For two consecutive years, it was named by the International Air Transport Association survey as the number one airport in North America and number one in the world for overall passenger satisfaction for airports serving more than 30 million passengers annually. More than 32 scheduled airlines and 11 charters provide nonstop service from 72 U.S. destinations and 13 international cities as well as direct service to more than 100 cities worldwide.
2. How far is the airport from the Hotels and Convention Center?
Orlando International Airport is 13 miles from the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) and International Drive (I-Drive). The drive time is approximately 15 minutes.
3. What is the taxi fare from the airport to the Convention Center?
The average fare is $28-$30 one way. Mears can provide vouchers as well for airport transportation. Coupons are available under the Hotel & Travel section or they can be picked-up at the Guest Services Booth at the Convention Center.
4. Will shuttle service be provided to the meeting?
Yes, shuttle service will be provided Sunday, December 7 through Thursday, December 11 from all official meeting hotels to the Convention Center (with the exception of The Peabody Orlando and the Rosen Centre Hotels. They are within walking distance.) Please check the web site in November for an official schedule.
5. Will shuttle service include airport transportation?
No, shuttle service will be provided from the official meeting hotels to the West Building of the Orange County Convention center and back. It will also be provided from the official meeting hotels to Universal Studios Florida® for the Wednesday Evening Party.
Events
1. Can a guest attend the Opening Session on Monday?
If your guest is registered for the Guest Program or the Monday guest tour, he/she may attend the Opening Session. All individuals wishing to attend the Opening Session must be have a badge. Badges can be purchased in Registration.
2. Can a guest attend the Thursday Networking Luncheon?
Yes, tickets for the Luncheon can be purcashed in advance of the meeting on the registration form or on-site in the Registration area. Tickets are $35 and must be purchased by 3:00p.m. on Monday.
3. Can a guest attend the Wednesday Evening Party at Universal Studios Florida?
A: Yes, guests can attend. If a guest purchased the Guest Program, he/she will receive a coupon when they pick up his/her badge. Additional tickets may be purchased in advance of the meeting or on-site in the Registration area for $75. Coupons for the event must be exchanged for a ticket by 11:30 a.m. on Monday. Tickets are required for entrance into the party.