Welcome
Thank you for your interest in hosting an industry-supported symposium in conjunction with the 2012 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting.
The 2012 application process will open in early 2012.
If you would like to be notified when more information is available, please email your contact information to .
2012 Industry-Supported Symposium Schedule
- Sunday, November 11 after 6:30 PM (IRT members only)
- Tuesday, November 13 after 6:30 PM (IRT members only)
- Wednesday, November 14 after 1:00 PM
To host an ISS on Sunday, November 11 or Tuesday, November 13, the supporting organization must be a current ACR REF Industry Roundtable member.
Click below for a schedule of symposia for each day.
Organizer's Details
Please review these guidelines carefully. Successful proposal applicants should plan to provide the following materials and abide by the following rules.
- All sponsoring, supporting and third-party organizations, agents and presenters must abide by all of ACR's policies outlined in the 2011 Exhibitor Prospectus and ACR Abstract Embargo Policy.
- Supporting organizations are only permitted to host one symposium. Opportunities to host more than one symposium will be subject to space availability and the ACR's discretion.
- ACR representatives may attend these activities for the purposes of observation.
- Marketing Materials: Supporting organizations must design, print and distribute separate invitations for their symposium. Each organization will be responsible for providing 500 brochures and one 22' w x 28' h publicity poster (mounted on foam core but unframed) to the ACR for display at the ISS Information Booth during the annual meeting. The brochures and publicity poster must be submitted to ACR for approval prior to printing. Shipping information will be provided in October.
- Space Requests: Supporting, sponsoring or third-party organizations must coordinate space needs with the ACR and/or assigned hotel contacts and provide onsite management of the symposium.
- Expenses: Supporting, sponsoring or third-party organizations must accept financial responsibility for all aspects of the symposium, including audiovisual, catering and shipping expenses.
- Catering: Supporting, sponsoring or third-party organizations must arrange for appropriate catering, if applicable.
- Program Modifications: It is the responsibility of the applicant organization to develop and implement programs as they have outlined in their proposals. Any changes in content or faculty must be communicated to ACR in advance of the symposium and must receive ACR approval. The ACR has the right to deny any changes to the programs at any time. ACR will be unable to consider any changes to the symposia programs after June 30, 2011 when the proposal web site will close. There will be no exceptions. Changes made after June 30 will not be reflected in the ACR's official listings.
- Speaker Restrictions: The policy of the ACR prevents board members of the ACR and the REF, as well as chairs of committees and subcommittees directly involved in CME programs, from participating in ISS held during or immediately following the annual meeting. Programs submitted that include an individual from one of the above groups will not be considered final.
- Expectations for Content: All ISS are expected to present fair and balanced information relating to the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. Unless the symposium is related to a novel product that represents a new class for which there are no comparison, all symposia should include a comparison with other similar or like class agents. Presentation of data that has not been publicly released (published or presented in a peer-reviewed format, except for a serious adverse event or significant complication which may be released in a press release) is prohibited. Exceptions to this policy will only be considered if the new, non-peer-reviewed data were to have a substantial public health benefit and is non-promotional. Requests must be submitted in writing to .
- Adherence to External Guidelines: It is the responsibility of ISS sponsors, supporters and third party organizations to comply with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, policies, practices and guidelines, and all other industry guidelines, including the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals, concerning the discussion, demonstration, use and/or display of products, technologies and/or services during all symposia.
- Brand names: Medication brand names may be used in conjunction with the content of the company directed promotional programs, but must adhere to guidelines set forth as listed above in "Adherence to External Guidelines."
- Time Restrictions: See scheduling information above; no ISS outside of these times are permitted. PLEASE NOTE: The duration of each symposium may not exceed three hours. The educational component of each symposium may not exceed two hours. Meals and receptions that are modest and conducive to discussion among faculty and attendees are acceptable. The amount of time dedicated to the meal or reception should clearly be subordinate to the amount of time spent at the educational activities of the symposium.
- Industry-Supported Symposia Registration: The supporting, sponsoring or third-party organization is responsible for registering all symposia attendees. The ISS Information Booth located on-site at the annual meeting does not provide an opportunity to register attendees. Therefore, registration instructions should be included in your organization's symposium invitations and materials.
- Educational Materials: Sponsoring organizations may produce educational materials based on the activities of the symposium. However, these materials may not be associated with or reference the ACR or its Annual Scientific Meeting. All materials are the domain of the program sponsor and should be identified as such. Giveaways associated with an industry-supported symposium will not be permitted.
- Evaluation Reports: Within 45 days of the industry-supported symposium, each organization must provide the ACR with a summary report of the attendee evaluations created in conformance with ACCME requirements, as applicable for CME symposia, and a list of attendees. In addition, the organization must provide the ACR with a copy of any tapes, slides, and/or syllabus material that were made available for distribution to attendees. Failure to comply with this request may result in the sponsoring and/or the supporting organization being ineligible to submit an application for an industry-supported symposium at future ACR meetings.
Symposia Invitations and Mailers
All symposia invitations and announcements must reflect the professional tone of the ACR meeting and must be reviewed and approved by the ACR prior to printing. The ACR strongly recommends that materials not be printed prior to receiving approval.
All requests should be
Guidelines
The names, insignias, logos and acronyms of the ACR, the ARHP and the REF are proprietary marks. Use of the names in any fashion, by any entity, for any purpose, is prohibited without the written permission of the ACR.
The following disclaimer must be included on the front of each invitation, mailer and publicity sign:
This symposium is sponsored by <name of sponsoring organization> and supported by a grant from .<name of supporting organization>. This is not an official program of the American College of Rheumatology."
In addition to the disclaimer, the ACR name can only be referenced once using the following language on each mailer and publicity sign. On mailers, this reference cannot appear on external portions of the mailer (i.e. on the envelope, or on a postcard):
"This symposium will be conducted (during/at the conclusion of) the 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology."
The ACR name may not be referenced in any other manner on third-party mailers-including syllabi, reports, summaries, questionnaires, Web sites or any printed materials produced before, after, or during the meeting.
Requests for approval must be submitted in writing and include the Mailing Label Request Form and a PDF sample of the proposed mailer.
MAILING LABELS
Organizations receive three (3) complimentary sets of membership mailing labels for one-time use for issuing invitations to industry-supported symposia
The pre-registrant list may be purchased for a fee of $1,000.
Each set of labels is for one-time use by the organizer for issuing invitations to the symposium. Mailing labels are only sent to licensed and bonded mail houses. ACR may request documentation.
All proposed invitations and mailers must be reviewed and approved by the ACR in order to receive mailing labels. To request complimentary mailing labels, send the Mailing Label Request Form and a PDF sample of the proposed mailer to , no later than October 21, 2011. Please allow 15 business days from processing to the time of request.
Complete information about mailing labels, including demographics and guidelines, can be found on the ACR website.
For more information on regulations concerning the rental of mailing labels, contact , membership coordinator.
Symposia Sign Regulations and Deadline
A limited number of publicity and directional signs for symposia are permitted in the convention center and hotels contracted by the ACR, however, the following parameters apply:
- ONE 22" w x 28" h poster must be provided to the ACR for placement in the Industry-Supported Symposia Information booth.
- ONE 22" w x 28" h may be placed in the supporting organization's exhibit booth.
- TWO 22" w x 28" h may be placed on easels in front of the assigned meeting room 30 minutes prior to the start of the symposium. No signs will be permitted outside this venue and no plasma screens are allowed.
- THREE 8.5"w x 11"h handheld directional signs are permitted in areas near the allocated symposium room 30 minutes prior to the start of the symposium. Handheld signs may be used near an elevator or escalator to direct attendees to the appropriate floor.
- Placement of signage must not interfere with other symposia.
- Costumed staff or other nonprofessional images are not permitted.
All sign copy must be reviewed and approved by the ACR no later than October 21, 2011. Send PDF copies of your signs to .
Host a Symposium in 2012
Information on hosting an Industry-Supported Symposium will be available online in late December.
Please contact if you have any questions.
