65th Annual Meeting Cancellation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why was the 65th Annual Meeting canceled?
Our original cancellation announcement referred to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), travel restrictions by a growing number of medical institutions that ban speakers and attendees from attending, and respect for our physicians, technologists, and physicists who may need to be on-call to support local medical efforts. Leadership was convinced that this was the best decision for our speakers, corporate partners, attendees and their medical institutions, patients, families, and friends. Also, recent, more strict recommendations from the CDC and the President about canceling planned gatherings support this decision.

2. Will any sessions be held as webinars?
Only the Resident Board Review will be conducted as a webinar. Residents from our region (LA, AR, OK, TX, NM) may register for free; those from outside may register by paying a $50 fee. All residents are encouraged to register online for the webinar. The registration link and other details are provided on the Head-to-Toe Nuclear Medicine Case-Based Resident Review page.

3. Will the meeting be postponed until a later date or rescheduled?
Our next annual meeting will be held April 16-18, 2021 in San Antonio (same hotel; same convention center space).

4. Will attendees be refunded for hotel costs?
No. The Southwestern Chapter will not cancel hotel rooms nor refund hotel costs. However, attendees who booked at the Menger can get a full refund if they cancel more than 48 hours before their arrival date. Call the Menger by dialing 210-223-4361 or 1-800-345-9285 or by sending a very specific email (referencing your reservation ID) to reservations@mengerhotel.com. Those who booked rooms at other hotels should also cancel as soon as possible.

5. Will attendees and exhibitors be refunded for airline tickets?
No. The Southwestern Chapter will not refund individual airline ticket costs. Please contact your airline directly regarding ticket cancellations. If you purchased travel insurance, please contact your provider for information and next steps.

6. Will paid attendee and exhibitor badge registrations be refunded?
Yes, regular registration refunds should all be processed by March 25 if not sooner.

7. Will exhibitors be refunded for booth space?
Yes, but we hope that some corporate partners will regard their 2020 payment as a deposit for the 2021 meeting. For those companies who wish refunds, we are proposing a $50 refund fee to cover credit card processing fees.

8. I was scheduled to present my abstract at the 65th Annual Meeting. Does the cancellation of the meeting mean that I will no longer be able to list my presentation on my résumé or CV?
Sadly, only the Proffered Talks will be reviewed and scored. Those whose abstracts were accepted for poster presentation may refer to this fact in their résumé or CV.

9. Will it be possible to have a larger Fall Technologist Educational Meeting? Could the Fall Technologist Educational Meeting become broader in its CME offerings by including credits for physicians, pharmacists, and physicists?
We cannot conclusively answer Fall meeting-related questions at this time. Leadership will begin discussing this soon.