Academy Meeting Policies and Disclaimers

The Academy expects all participants at Academy meetings/events to:

• Behave responsibly and professionally.
• Abide by this Code of Conduct.
• Exercise professionalism, consideration, and respect in their speech and actions, and must refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, disruptive or harassing behavior and speech.
• Alert Academy staff if they notice a dangerous situation or someone in distress.
• Be responsible if choosing to drink alcoholic beverages at any Academy networking event.

Unacceptable behavior is defined as:

• Verbal or written comments, or visual images, that are sexually suggestive, offensive, or that denigrate or show hostility or aversion toward an individual, or group of individuals, that create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment, or that unreasonably interfere with an individual’s ability to participate in an Academy meeting.
• Slurs, threatening or negative stereotyping, intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning speech or actions by any participant in any Academy meeting/event, and in one-on-one communications carried out in the context of any meeting or event.
• Verbal harassment or harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments or visual images related to gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual activities, race, ethnicity, language, religion, disability, age, appearance or other personal characteristics (“Personal Characteristics”).
• Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other Academy events organized throughout the meeting. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any Academy event staff.
• Presentations, postings, and messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services (“Unapproved Commercial Content”). The Academy reserves the right to remove Unapproved Commercial Content and potentially ban its creators, sponsors and sources.
• Representatives of commercial companies attending an educational activity may not participate in the discussion or engage in company promotion or sales activities while in the room, or outside the room where the educational activity takes place. This includes Academy educational areas in the exhibit hall.
• Participants should not be under the influence of illegal drugs or other unauthorized or mind-altering or intoxicating substances while attending Academy events. Included within this prohibition are lawful controlled substances that have been illegally or improperly obtained. This policy does not prohibit the possession and proper use of lawfully prescribed drugs taken as prescribed.
• Participants should not copy or take screen shots of Q&A or any chat room activity that takes place in the virtual space.

• The Academy reserves the right to revoke, without refund, exhibition space and/or registration credentials of any attendee not in compliance with this policy.
• The Academy reserves the right to refuse the registration of any individual, as long as such refusal is consistent with applicable law and Academy policy.
• Academy and event staff have the right to deny participants service of alcohol for any reason and may require a participant to leave the event.
• Members found to be in violation of this policy will be subject to any disciplinary action the Academy’s Board of Trustees deems appropriate after due consideration.

If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, the Academy asks that you inform the Academy’s General Counsel, at generalcounsel@aao.org so that we can take the appropriate action.

All AAO 2023 meeting attendees are required to be registered using the correct registration category. If a registration is completed in an incorrect category, the registration will be corrected or canceled; additional fees may be due if the correct category is at a higher cost.

Attendees in San Francisco must wear their own properly coded badge, indicating their registration for the Academy’s annual meeting and/or Subspecialty Day. Attendees not wearing a properly coded badge will not be admitted.

• Registrations are non-transferable.
• CME is available only to registered physicians. Exhibitors, spouses/guests and members of the media are not eligible for CME credit.
• The Academy cannot waive any fees or provide any financial assistance for any registration, travel or housing costs.

• Ticketed courses that are eligible for CME credit cannot overlap.
• Tickets are non-transferable.
• Ticket fees increase onsite.

As an additional member benefit, Academy members in training receive a 50 percent discount on all Skills Transfer labs ticket purchases. This discount is automatically applied to the ticket price unless otherwise noted. These discounts do not apply to nonmember physicians in training.

Attendance in Skills Transfer labs are limited to physicians only except where noted in the course description. (The term “physician” refers to the definition in the Federal Register: “Those individuals licensed to practice medicine and surgery and osteopathy.”)

• Skills Transfer labs are ticketed events that must be purchased separately.
• Lecture prerequisites are strongly recommended but not required.
• You may attend Skills Transfer lectures without purchasing the lab.
• Registrants in Skills Transfer lab courses may be required to bring instruments and/or sign an infectious disease waiver form. Refer to individual course listings for specific requirements.
• Tickets are non-transferable.
• Skills Transfer courses are intended to provide instruction leading to new knowledge and/or skills. The Academy does not certify competence upon completion of Academy courses. Academy courses are not intended to serve as a basis for requesting new or expanded privileges.
• Equipment from several company supporters will be used during labs. We are unable to guarantee the attendees' request to use a specific company’s equipment.

Spouses and guests may register in the Spouse/Guest category and collect a meeting badge to accompany a professional meeting registrant at AAO 2023.

• A co-worker or an industry associate may not use the spouse/guest registration category.
• Spouses and guests who are physicians must register as professional attendees if they wish to receive CME credit.
• Spouses and guests must be registered in order to visit the AAO 2023 Expo or attend scientific sessions.
• Spouse and guest badges are not valid for entry to Subspecialty Day meetings or the AAOE Practice Management Program.

Children may register in the youth category and collect a meeting badge.

• Children are not permitted to attend any AAO 2023 or Subspecialty Day educational sessions.
• Children may visit the AAO 2023 Expo if they wear their badge and are accompanied by a registered adult.
• Badges are complimentary for children.
• For the safety of children, no person under the age of 17 will be allowed on the exhibit hall floor at any time during exhibit move-in and move-out hours.

Only optometrists who are members of the American Academy of Optometry and who have been selected for presentation may attend the Academy’s annual meeting. Optometrists may not attend Subspecialty Day.

Representatives of AAO 2023 exhibiting companies are registered in advance by their company’s primary meeting contact.

• All exhibiting company representatives must wear their personal Academy issued exhibitor meeting badge while on the meeting premises.
• Representatives must be able to present photo identification that matches the name on the badge they are wearing upon request.
• Individuals from industry, including representatives of exhibiting companies, may register for any 2023 Subspecialty Day meeting using the Commercial Representative registration category.

Individuals from industry may not use the Health Professional category to register for AAO 2023 or Subspecialty Day. This category is designated for those working in an ophthalmic practice, academic department or research capacity. Misuse of this registration category will result in cancellation of the registration.

Optometrists who are full time exhibiting company employees may only be registered as an Exhibitor Representative to staff the booth. They are not allowed to attend any portion of the AAO 2023 program or Subspecialty Day.

• To cancel your registration send a written request by Oct. 4 to registration@aao.org, include your name and Academy identification number. A per-person, per-meeting cancellation processing fee of $75 will be assessed.
• No refunds will be processed for cancellation requests received after Oct. 4.
• If you would like to switch your method of attendance (in-person meeting in San Francisco or virtual), email a written request to registration@aao.org by Oct. 4. No processing fee will be assessed for moving your registration.
• Registrations are non-transferable.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology supports the Americans with Disabilities Act. Should you require a specific accommodation or service to facilitate your participation at AAO 2023, please email Academy staff at meetings@aao.org.

The Academy may not be able to make appropriate accommodations without prior notification of need.