To gain admittance to the exhibit areas, all company employees, and representatives are required to wear their personal Academy-issued exhibitor meeting badge at all times while on McCormick Place premises. The badge must not be altered, added to or defaced in any manner. A company badge will not be accepted in lieu of the official badge.
Representatives must be able to present photo identification that matches the name on the badge they are wearing upon request.
The Academy has a zero tolerance policy for badge swapping. Those found swapping badges or wearing a badge that does not match their photo identification will have their badge confiscated and will be escorted from the premises. The exhibiting company will be penalized priority points they were to accrue for that year.
AAO 2018 Exhibitor Representatives are full-time company employees who staff the exhibit, attend the meeting or both.
Exhibitor Representatives are not:
- Exhibitor Designated Contractor (EDC) personnel (please read EDC section),
- Potential exhibitors,
- Physicians (unless full-time company employees),
- Individuals who wish to gain access for the purpose of making contacts,
- Leasing companies,
- Financial institutions, or
- Vendors
and therefore, MAY NOT BE REGISTERED AS REPRESENTATIVES of exhibiting companies.
Distributors and Independent Representatives
Distributors are representatives of another company who have inventory and sell the exhibiting company’s products.
Independent Representatives do not have inventory, but sell the exhibiting company products, in specific geographic locations.
When registering these individuals online, you must select the appropriate personnel type Distributor or Independent Representative, include their company name in the Division field and provide their individual email address.
This information makes it easier for your Distributors and Independent representatives to receive their badge.
Optometrists
Optometrists (ODs) are not allowed to attend any portion of the AAO 2018 Program or Subspecialty Day Meetings.
Optometrists (ODs) who are full time exhibiting company employees may only be registered as an Exhibitor Representative to staff the booth.
Access
During the meeting, an exhibitor who has their personal Academy-issued exhibitor meeting badge may enter the exhibit hall two hours prior to the opening of the exhibition and may remain in the hall one hour after the close. Meetings in the exhibit halls with medical attendees and other individuals not associated with the exhibits may take place only during official exhibit hours. These individuals must have proper badges and cannot gain access to the exhibit hall except during official exhibit hours.
One exhibitor may not enter another exhibitor’s booth without the other exhibitor’s approval.
Academy representatives and employees shall have free access to any exhibit at all times in the performance of their assigned duties.
Exhibitor Representatives may attend:
- Free sessions
- Posters
- Symposia
- Video presentations
Exhibitor Representatives may purchase the Academy Plus course pass onsite only and may not register for Skills Transfer courses.
Representatives of commercial companies attending an educational activity may not engage in sales activities while in the room, or outside the room where the educational activity takes place.
Badge Types and Fees
Exhibitor Representatives
Exhibiting companies receive five (5) complimentary Exhibitor Representative badges per 100 square feet of exhibit space purchased for company employees, distributors and independent representatives.
Associations or Organizations that secure an Informational Poster are provided two (2) complimentary Exhibitor Representative badges for individuals who will staff the poster during exhibition hours.
Fees: Complimentary
Paid Exhibitor Representative
Exhibiting companies can pay for two additional representatives over their complimentary allotment per ten-foot by ten-foot (10’ x 10’) booth or 100 square feet of space assigned.
Fees:
$200 July 25 – Sept. 28
$300 Sept. 29 – Oct. 30
Misuse of the Exhibitor Registration types will result in the cancellation of registrations and priority point penalization.
Registration
Online
The Exhibitor Registration website will open on Wednesday, July 25 and remains open through the annual meeting. The online registration system allows exhibiting companies to make additions, changes and deletions to their list of registrants as needed. From July 25 through the close of the annual meeting exhibiting companies can:
- Add representatives
- Edit existing registrants
- Add paid exhibitor representatives
- Send email confirmations to registrants
- Review and print a list of registrants
Exhibiting companies participating in the Retina Subspecialty Day exhibits only will have access to the Exhibitor Registration website through Friday, Oct. 26.
Onsite
Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 24 Academy staff in Exhibitor Registration will assist the primary or secondary meeting contact with registration changes (additions and substitutions to, or deletions from the company’s list of registrants) at no cost until Thursday, Oct. 25. Requests to process additions, substitutions, or deletions after Thursday, Oct. 25 will result in a $50 processing fee.
It is the responsibility of the exhibiting company to register their representatives prior to arriving in Chicago.
- There will be a $100 charge for staff in Exhibitor Registration to register a company’s entire list of representatives.
Badge Distribution
The Academy does not mail any exhibitor badges. All badges will be available for onsite distribution as outlined below.
Onsite Badge Distribution*
The Exhibitor Registration area will be located at the front of Hall A of McCormick Place.
- Advance Onsite Badge Distribution Form allows the meeting contact to arrange in advance to pick up all or some of the company’s representative badges onsite. The form will be available on Exhibitor Central in August.
- Onsite Requests to pick up all or some of the company’s representative badges by the primary or secondary contact will be accommodated from Wednesday, Oct. 24 through Friday, Oct. 26.
- It is the responsibility of the meeting contact to distribute badges; undistributed badges cannot be brought back to Academy Staff in the Exhibitor Registration area for distribution.
- Individual Representatives can pick up their badges during exhibitor registration hours at any available counter in the exhibitor registration area.
- Representatives MUST present their photo identification AND proof of company affiliation to, receive their badge.
*To avoid long lines make arrangements to pick up all or some of your company’s badges in advance.
Advise Representatives to pick up their badges on Friday, Oct 26.