Handbook for Workshop Organizers

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WELCOME

Congratulations on the approval of your workshop. Your workshop provides an important opportunity for our members to collaborate, learn, and grow.

We created this document to guide you through the workshop planning process. Please read this handbook carefully to understand what is permitted and what is prohibited.

Your ISMRM Contacts

Jennifer Clark
Director of Meetings
jennifer@ismrm.org

Responsible for:

  • Workshop logistics (venue selection, A/V, catering, poster boards, signage)
  • Budget
  • Registration

Rhiannon Pinson
Director of Education
rhiannon@ismrm.org

Responsible for:

  • CME/CE compliance
  • Abstracts & stipends (collection, correspondence)
  • Faculty invitations & correspondence
  • Program

Katrina Watson
Meetings Coordinator
katrina@ismrm.org

Responsible for:

  • Exhibitor & sponsor correspondence (after commitment)
  • Invoicing

✔   WORKSHOP PROPOSAL APPROVED

1. Meet with ISMRM Contacts

The Director of Meetings will contact you once your workshop is approved to arrange a meeting with your primary ISMRM contacts and to review the items outlined in this handbook.

2. Confirm the Organizing Committee

The Director of Education will confirm the organizing committee members with the workshop chair(s) in case of any changes since the proposal was submitted. Once confirmed, ISMRM will reach out to the committee and ask them to submit a disclosure form. They will review and mitigate any potential conflicts.

Should ISMRM determine that a disclosed financial relationship(s) is relevant, ISMRM will begin a series of steps to mitigate the relevant financial relationship(s) and identify what action, if any, is necessary. Mitigation may require that the chair or a designated organizer without a Conflict of Interest (COI) ensure that the planning process is free of commercial bias or influence. The Education Department will supply all necessary materials to document this. Only when the relevant financial relationship(s) has been mitigated may the individual participate in the activity.

"Any member of the organizing committee for a CME‐accredited workshop who is an employee or owner of an ACCME‐defined ineligible company (any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re‐selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients) will not be allowed to participate in planning the accredited portion of the program nor the abstract review process. These members may be asked to participate in another role."*
Do you agree to abide by the following statements?

3. Abstract Submission Deadline

The Director of Education will propose an abstract submission deadline for your approval set for at least three months prior to the workshop. This deadline will take into account other ISMRM programs, priorities, and in attempt to give enough notice to presenters who may require a visa.

✔   12 – 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE WORKSHOP

1. Venue Selection

The selection of a venue significantly impacts your workshop both financially and logistically. If you do not already have a confirmed location for the workshop, the Director of Meetings will coordinate with area hotels, conference centers, and other appropriate venues to secure a suitable location.

Considerations for using an institutional venue (e.g., university campus):

  • These provide significant savings compared to a hotel. Costs for room rental, audiovisual equipment, and poster boards are often free or available at a reduced rate.
  • Although ISMRM will handle all workshop logistics, successful coordination with a designated point of contact at the institution is essential.
  • Please share any travel and transportation tips for arriving at your institution. If you have special rates at nearby hotels, let us know so that we can share that information with attendees.

Considerations for using hotel or other external venues:

  • These venues offer more flexibility for last-minute changes (e.g., room setups, audiovisual needs) and provide highly attentive staff during the workshop.
  • Some options, particularly hotels, can incur significantly higher costs because of additional service charges for items like audiovisual and catering, resulting in higher registration fees.
  • Hotel accommodations required for the use of their meeting space will be added to the budget as an expense, resulting in higher in registration fees.
  • Resorts and certain locations (e.g., Venice, Las Vegas) will not be considered due to high costs and issues with Ethical MedTech compliance.
"Please refrain from contacting any hotels to arrange meeting space or accommodations. ISMRM will handle all aspects of selecting external venues, including research, contracting, and payment. "Please note that no workshop will be allowed at least 1.5 months prior to the annual meeting. Example: If the annual meeting falls in mid‐May, then there will be no workshops scheduled past 31 March."*
Do you agree to abide by the following statements?

2. Preliminary Program and Website Launch

ISMRM’s Education Department will build the workshop program based upon the initial proposal, ensuring our standards are met, and submit it to you for review. Please note that you may be asked to adjust the timing of your sessions to ensure enough time is allotted for breaks and lunch.

ISMRM will create a dedicated webpage for the workshop, featuring the organizing committee, educational objectives, the preliminary program, abstract deadline and submission instructions, supporters, and when available, confirmed speakers, registration, and travel information.

"The Education Department will contact faculty to obtain their disclosures. All speakers and moderators will be listed as TBA until they have formally confirmed their participation with the Education Department, have returned their disclosure form, and have had any financial relationships mitigated properly. "If either the organizing committee or invited speakers increase in size by more than 10% from the original proposal, the workshop will require re‐approval from the Executive Committee."*
Do you agree to abide by the following statements?

3. Marketing the Workshop

ISMRM will create a one-page promotional flyer for your workshop. Due to European Ethical MedTech guidelines, how we promote the workshop can directly impact industry support. As a result, no photos focusing on or promoting the location (other than the institution), any recreational activity therein, or any luxury dining, accommodations, or tourism will be permitted.

Additionally, any receptions or dinners must be considered networking events and be located sensibly within or near the workshop location and should not be at a "luxury" venue.

Ethical MedTech prohibits any entertainment (music, performances, dancing, games/recreational activities) during both the workshop and any networking dinners/receptions.

4. Securing Industry Support

ISMRM has an approved list of support tier offerings for the workshop. While securing workshop funding is the responsibility of the organizers, industry support is not required to hold a workshop. However, obtaining funding before the budget is finalized can reduce registration fees.

After securing a commitment from an industry supporter, please forward the communication to Meetings Coordinator Katrina Watson (katrina@ismrm.org). She will manage the invoicing and payments with the supporter and obtain any Letters of Agreement (LOA) that are required.

If you plan to include an industry session in the program, please ensure the following:

  • Each participating industry entity must be a supporter of the workshop.
  • The length of their presentation should be proportional to their support level, with Tier IV supporters receiving the most time and Tier I supporters receiving the least. Exhibitor-only support is not eligible to participate.
"Please refrain from promising any benefits or arrangements to industry supporters that fall outside the workshop support tier offerings without prior approval. If a potential supporter has a specific request, ISMRM will review to determine if it is negotiable."*
Do you agree to abide by the following statements?

NIH (R13) grant funding may be applied for the workshop. However, if approved, ISMRM requires that your institution (that receives the funding) manage any reimbursement process, including communicating to stipend recipients and obtaining their receipts for NIH reconciliation.

5. Budget and Registration Fees

ISMRM aims to create a budget-neutral event, where registration fees are calculated to cover all expenses, ensuring the total balances to zero. As ISMRM bears the financial risk for this workshop, it is crucial to carefully evaluate any additional expenses intended to enhance the workshop experience.

  1. Registration Rates
    There are five primary registration categories:
    • Members
    • Non-members: fees must be at least US$220 higher than member fees to incentivize membership.
    • Trainee members: fees must be no more than 75% of the member fee, with ISMRT attendees in consideration of this rate.
    • Trainee non-members
    • Faculty/Invited speakers: Speakers may be required to pay a nominal fee (US$100-275) to cover meals and associated costs. A speaker is considered to be someone who presents for 20 minutes.
"If you desire a discounted registration fee for your invited speakers, the total amount of speakers to be reimbursed should equal what was included in your proposal. "ISMRM does not offer discounted rates or waived registration for moderators or organizing committee members, even if members of the organizing committee participate in multiple roles, including as an invited speaker."*
Do you agree to abide by the following statements?
  1. Industry Support
    • Any amount committed and invoiced will be factored into the budget to reduce registration fees.
    • Any amount committed and invoiced after the budget is approved will go towards the overall cost of the workshop to offset any deficit.
"Tread carefully with corporate members who are already elected to commit generous support to the scientific and educational activities of the Society. If they decline to sponsor your workshop, please do not pursue additional support from them."*
Do you agree to abide by the following statements?
  1. Audiovisual
    • The ISMRM Board of Trustees has mandated the recording of the audio and slide presentation for all workshops. The workshop budget will account for the venue's audiovisual capabilities to record, as well as any additional equipment and labor required to support these recordings.
  2. Attendance and Accommodations
    • Previous workshop history will be considered in estimating expected attendance.
    • Hotel accommodations under contract will be treated as an expense and included in the registration fee calculations. Options for no accommodations and shared accommodations will also be offered.
  3. Administrative Fees
    • ISMRM charges a fixed administrative fee of US$14,000, plus costs for one staff member to attend. This is based on a workshop with 75-200 attendees and 15-30 speakers. If the workshop exceeds these numbers, the administrative fee may be adjusted. Other additions (including an R13 grant) may also require an adjustment to the fee.
    • ISMRM does not pay for local organizers or institutional staff for coordination.
  4. Awards and Stipends
    • Prizes for awards should be workshop-focused to award achievements for the best papers. Budgets for awards typically range from US$400-$500. Higher award amounts require ISMRM approval.
    • There is an ISMRM Research & Education fund of US$5,000 that offers stipends to submitting authors. It is separate from the workshop budget. The Director of Education will coordinate with you on who receives these stipends. You may decide the individual stipend amounts and for whom.
  5. Speaker Reimbursements and Honoraria
    • Speakers should not be promised any reimbursement or honoraria for their participation.
  6. Meals
    • Workshops must include morning and afternoon coffee breaks with snacks and lunches on all days.
    • You may host a reception in conjunction with your workshop, provided they are kept at the same venue. ISMRM adheres to the compliance of educational events with the MedTech Europe Code. All workshops will be submitted to Ethical MedTech’s conference vetting system for approval.
"If a workshop is not deemed compliant by Ethical MedTech, European supporters will need to withdraw their funding for the workshop, and any additional European companies that could potentially consider support would be prohibited from doing so."*
Do you agree to abide by the following statements?
  1. Other Activities
    • ISMRM does not encourage any tourism or recreational activities and will not coordinate these items or post on the workshop webpage. It's preferable to allow these things to unfold naturally among the attendees.
    • If you wish to unofficially organize a tour, ISMRM will finance the item only if the workshop generates a profit. You'll be responsible for reaching out to the attendees and securing their RSVPs. ISMRM will not be responsible in organizing the tour or any recreational activity, and it will not be listed as part of the official program.
"Any additional expenses to the budget will not be approved unless the workshop has netted a profit to cover these items, regardless if you have exceeded your industry support goal. "If a budget was created as part of the proposal, this will be taken into consideration when ISMRM creates its own version. The proposal budget should not be considered to be the final and approved budget."*
Do you agree to abide by the following statements?

✔   6 – 5 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE WORKSHOP

1. Speaker Invitations Sent

The Education Department will collect a list of speakers, talk titles, and their preferred email addresses from the committee chair/s. The Education Department will send official invitations, collect disclosures, and communicate relevant deadlines for accreditation materials (e.g., syllabus). For CME accredited workshops, any speaker who is an employee or owner of an ineligible company cannot have their talk accredited unless they meet an exception where the content of their talk is fully unrelated to the business lines of the company. We will request that a chair or other designated organizing committee member without a COI review the content these speakers will present and fill out a content review form provided by the Education Department.

2. Registration Opens

Approximately 4 – 6 months prior to the start of your workshop, registration will open.

The ISMRM Marketing Department will create a marketing plan consisting of targeted communications to attract abstract submissions and registered attendees.

ISMRM will provide you with a weekly registration report, including the names of all registered participants. We will keep you informed of any speakers or abstract presenters missing from registration.

All presenters, including those for industry sessions, are expected to complete their registration in order to present. The ISMRM registrar will apply the appropriate registration rate to each speaker in our database and will then send an email with instructions on how to register.

✔   4 – 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE WORKSHOP

1. Abstract Deadline and Stipends

The Education Department will collect all abstract and stipend submissions along with all relevant materials. Within three business days, the Education Coordinator will send all abstract and stipends to the workshop chairs for review. The review process guidelines, instructions, and deadlines will be communicated at this time. We typically ask that the initial review process be completed within two weeks of receiving the abstracts. The final order will need to be sent to the Education Department within two weeks of receiving the initial results (4 weeks after the abstract submission deadline).

2. Moderator Invitations Sent

The Education Department will collect a list of moderators, sessions, and their preferred email addresses from the committee chair/s. The Education Department will send official invitations, collect disclosures, and mitigate any financial relationships before they are formally added to the web page. We ask for two moderators per session and that they MUST be current ISMRM/ISMRT members.

3. Conflict of Interest (COI) Review

The Education Department will send the chair/s, or other designated organizing committee member without a COI, all content review forms and submitted content from speakers with financial relationships that need to be mitigated. The Director of Education will communicate any necessary program changes to accommodate any accreditation requirements based on the content reviews.

4. Ethical MedTech Submission

The ISMRM Central Office will submit your workshop for conditional approval to MedTech Europe via their Conference Vetting System (CVS) approximately 50-60 days prior to the start of the workshop.

Please review the 2024 MedTech Promo Guidelines to familiarize yourself with what MedTech Europe deems as compliant. Failure to abide by these rules can result in a supporter withdrawing their commitment to the workshop.

✔   2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE WORKSHOP

1. Publication of Final Program

The ISMRM IT Department will publish abstracts, disclosures, and syllabi on the webpage. Abstracts and syllabi will only be accessible to registrants. The Education Department will communicate to all registrants that these items are available and will provide login information.

2. Final Presentation Details Sent

The Education Department will communicate guidelines, poster number (if applicable), and final presentation details to all abstract presenters and invited speakers, as well as session details to moderators.

3. Final Attendee Communications Sent

The Meetings Department will send all attendees an email to confirm their participation, including any hotel accommodations as well as helpful travel and transportation details.

4. All Logistics Finalized

ISMRM will be working diligently behind the scenes to finalize all aspects of the workshop, including the PDF of the final program, badge printing, catering, audiovisual, and more.

ISMRM will produce a set of branded walk-in slides showcasing the organizing committee, session room etiquette, acknowledgement of industry supporters, and any highlighted ISMRM programs or initiatives. We will also produce two poster signs for display during the workshop and print the name badges as well as any drink tickets.

The Director of Meetings will inform you of your onsite contact, who will assist with registration and oversee all setups and logistics at the venue.

✔   WORKSHOP BEGINS

1. Setup Day

We highly recommend meeting with your onsite ISMRM contact before the start of your workshop to review the flow of the meeting and manage any last-minute issues.

If the workshop is being held at your institution, we would need access the day before for setup. If the workshop is being held at an external venue like a hotel, we will secure the setup time directly with them.

ISMRM will bring all the name badges as well as poster numbers for the bulletin boards. Please note that ISMRM staff will bring a limited number of supplies with them. Staff will not bring a printer with them, and printing on site is not guaranteed.

2. Workshop Days

During the workshop, ISMRM will staff the registration table, manage catering elements, and troubleshoot any logistical challenges that may arise. Organizers will work directly with the audiovisual team in the room for the presentation and flow of the session.

If the workshop is hosted at your institution, you might consider requesting student volunteers to assist during the event. While this is not mandatory, having volunteers on hand (as mic runners and human arrows) can be especially beneficial on the first day.

✔   WORKSHOP ENDS

1. Recordings Made Available

Approximately 2-4 weeks after the workshop, the ISMRM IT Department will post the recordings to the workshop website. Only registered workshop attendees will have access. Recordings become freely available to the entire membership after 1 year. Any presenter not giving permission to broadcast will not have their presentation posted.

2. CME and Certificate of Attendance

All registered attendees will be able to claim CME credits (if applicable) and a certificate of attendance after completing the workshop survey. This may take up to a week after the workshop to be made available.

3. Financial Reconciliation

Once all final invoices have been paid, we will conduct a review of all income and expenses and provide a detailed financial report to the ISMRM Board of Trustees. Any surplus funds from the workshop will not be reserved to offset the costs of any specific future workshop or study group but will instead remain with ISMRM to strengthen our overall financial position and to provide support to workshops in need.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your ISMRM contacts with any questions you have or topics that may not have been covered in this handbook.

Thank you for helping to make ISMRM’s workshops a success!

I, the undersigned, have read and understood the contents of this handbook, as well as MedTech Europe's guidelines.*
Your full name as electronic signature*
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