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MLA ’20 vConference and Exhibits General Information

Working from home? Unable to travel? Join your colleagues, friends, and vendors for the MLA ’20 vConference and Exhibits, a full-featured experience of virtual learning and networking.

We won’t see you in Portland in 2020 (all large gatherings cancelled through September; see May 7 announcement). We invite you instead to participate in a groundbreaking, exciting, and interactive experience designed by your 2020 National Program Committee and MLA team.

Here is what you can look forward to (as this is a new event creation, we are constantly adapting and looking to improving: session offerings and schedule subject to change based on presenter availability and technology solutions.)

Please consult the MLA ’20 Registration Information page for pricing details and to register.

Program

Program details with exact times to be announced on June 11.

When What Experience

Live Kickoff

July 27

Opening Session

  • Dynamic presentations, tips on how to best experience the vConference and Exhibits, InSight Initiative highlights, sponsor recognitions

Awards and Recognitions

  • Think the Oscars with MLA’s own emcees

Networking Event

  • Short presentations followed by multiple small group speed networking (yes, you will meet lots of people you don’t know, totally randomly)

Exploration

July 27 to August 9

Vendor Exhibits

  • Visit the exhibitor booths, watch educational videos, and download information, on your own schedule.

Posters, Lightning Talks, and Papers

  • View 160+ posters with voice recordings, 34+ lightning talks, and 90+ papers with voice synced to slides, on your own schedule
  • Participate in group conversations (one per presentation) by asking your questions online via text Q&A

Social Events

  • Join your colleagues for live virtual yoga sessions and game nights

Live Action Week

August 10 to August 14

Vendor Exhibits and Solution Showcases

  • Start your morning with live, interactive vendor educational Solution Showcase(bring your own breakfast or lunch if you want it to feel like a Sunrise Seminar or Lunch and Learn, or just a drink if you are the Tech Showcase type)
  • Connect with your vendor representative, or join short educational sessions via video chat

Lightning Talks and Papers Meet-Ups

  • Join your colleagues for thirty-minute intimate virtual video chat sessions with groups of four to six presenters, organized and facilitated by topic by the program committee

Interactive Immersion Sessions

  • Participate in 20+ seventy-five minute immersion sessions designed to be engaging and interactive

Keynotes

  • John P. McGovern Award Lecture: Join Esther Choo, MD, for her sixty-minute keynote presentation
  • Janet Doe Lecture: Join Chris Shaffer, AHIP, for his sixty-minute keynote presentation

NLM Update

  • Stay up to date on National Library of Medicine (NLM) activities by joining NLM leaders for a year in review.

PubMed Conversations

  • Watch the PubMed Update on your own schedule, and join NLM colleagues for small video chat discussions on the latest changes to PubMed

Open Science

  • Take a deep dive in open science with a panel discussion, interactive breakout sessions, and a Q&A wrap-up

Social Hours

  • Following both keynote speeches, take a virtual stroll with your favorite drink in hand and enter your favorite virtual rooms hosted by the keynote speaker; MLA caucuses, chapters, and fellows; National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) regions; and more
  • You never know who you will meet in those unmeeting meetings, and who may be hosting them— see you there!

Closing Session

  • Time to wrap up, and to enjoy the performance of the MLA ’21 (Washington, DC) organizing committees

Watch Later

Vendor Exhibits and Solution Showcases

  • Open till August 31 for viewing only

Presentations

  • Available to meeting attendees for three years
  • Available to MLA members for three years, after June 1, 2021

Presentations: Exclusive to vConference Registration*

Hundreds of your colleagues have invested hours in creating programs, peer-reviewing abstracts, and preparing for this historic event. Here are highlights:

160+ Posters

  • View them online and listen to presenters, on your own schedule.
  • Interact with attendees and presenters in virtual sessions and through chat.

34 Lightning Talks

  • View a video of each presentation, on your own schedule.
  • Interact with attendees and presenters in virtual video sessions and through chat.

90+ Papers

  • View a video of each presentation, on your own schedule.
  • Interact with attendees and presenters in virtual video sessions and through chat.

20 Immersion Sessions

  • Deep dives in seventy-five-minute sessions designed to be engaging and interactive

2 Keynote Speeches
1 NLM Update

  • View the LiveCast or later on your own schedule
  • Interact with the presenter through Q&A via chat (audience response system)
  • Select keynote presentations will stream live without requiring a vConference Registration.

1 Open Science Symposium

  • Take a deep dive in open science with a panel discussion, interactive breakout sessions, and a Q&A wrap-up

* Session offerings and schedule subject to change based on presenter availability and technology solutions.

Vendor Exhibits and Presentations: Exclusive to vConference Registration*

Visit the virtual exhibit hall!

MLA vendors are “all in” to support the MLA vConference and Exhibits. You won’t be strolling the aisles. Instead, you will engage in a new exciting interaction with vendors.

Experience

65+ Exhibits

Haven’t met with your vendor representative recently? You can at MLA ’20!

  • View each vendor booth virtually, in their dedicated space, for thirty days
  • View vendor videos and download product and education materials on your own schedule, for thirty days
  • Join public video chat sessions during four days of Live Action Week (August 10–August 13) to ask questions and talk about products and services

One-on-one connections

  • Hold a private virtual video conversation with a vendor representative during Live Action Week (August 10–August 13)

Symposia/Education

Miss the Sunrise Seminars, Lunch and Learns, and Technology Showcase sessions? No problem!
  • Attend live or recorded virtual presentations and interact with the presenter through Q&A via chat (audience response system)

* Vendor offerings subject to change based on exhibitor availability, options, and technology solutions.

Additional Activities

Pre-vConference and Exhibits MLA Gatherings: Open without vConference Registration

Stay connected. Join your MLA colleagues to learn about the exciting ways in which MLA is growing to serve you better. Each presentation introduces the MLA community to the most recent activities, tools, and accomplishments in the organization and allows participants to engage on important issues during this critical time.

For more information, please consult the MLA vConnections: Association Member Series page.

CE Courses (originally scheduled as pre-meeting event)

We are working with instructors to design blended learning courses that will include instructor-led segments, tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2020. Please stay tuned for more information.

New CE Passport
Full access to MLA online courses through December 31, 2020

Extend your virtual learning experience and access all of MLA’s online curriculum through December 31, 2020, by subscribing to the new CE Passport. This includes:

  • 50+ live and prerecorded webinars, including all upcoming 2020 webinars
  • 6+ self-paced courses, including all new self-paced courses published in 2020 (estimate of 12 total)
  • 31 of the courses are approved for continuing nursing education (CNE) credit

Information, terms and conditions on the CE Passport information page.

Pricing

MLA has designed a new pricing grid for the vConference and Exhibits.

As an individual, you may:

  • Purchase a new registration for the vConference and Exhibits
  • Purchase a new combined registration for the vConference and Exhibits + new CE Passport
  • Convert your existing conference registration with multiple options
  • Apply for a no-charge registration, subject to eligibility requirements and availability
  • Receive a partial or full refund

MLA has increased the financial support funding from $35,000 for the original meeting to $50,000 for the vConference and Exhibits.

143 no-charge vConference and Exhibits available ($350 value).

As an institution, you may:

  • Purchase multiple registrations for the vConference and Exhibits, at a volume discount
  • Purchase multiple combined registrations for the vConference and Exhibits + new CE Passport, at a volume discount
  • Convert your existing conference registrations with multiple options
  • Receive a partial or full refund

Please consult the 

MLA20_vconference_logo

Experience Timeline

MLA20 Timeline.png

Schedule (subject to change)

MLA20 schedule.png

MLA '20 Posts

Thank You, MLA ’20 Sponsors


MLA ’20 vConference New Member/First-Time Attendees Book Recommendations


Fourth Annual MLA Book Recommendations: MLA ’20 vConference


Attending the MLA ’20 vConference? Watch Paper and Lightning Talks before August 10!