Frequently Asked Questions
Registration and Accommodation
Abstract Submissions
Conference Programme
Scholarships
Satellites and Exhibitions
Sponsorship Opportunities
Other Information
Conference Hubs
Interpretation and Translation
Registration and Accommodation
How can I register to attend AIDS 2010?
You can only register through the conference website,
aids2010.org.
What is the cost of registration?
AIDS 2010’s two-tiered fee structure is designed to strengthen the participation of delegates from low- and middle-income countries (as defined by the World Bank; see the registration page of the website for a list of high-income countries that are not eligible for reduced fees). Students/post-doctorates and youth also have reduced fees. Full information on registration fees is posted on the website under “registration”.
Can I pay the registration fee in US dollars, rather than Euros?
Registration fees can be paid online with a credit card (VISA, MasterCard, EuroCard and Amex) or by bank transfer. While we would prefer payment in Euros, if you are unable to do so and are paying by transfer, your bank will determine the equivalent amount to be paid in US Dollars.
May I submit supporting documentation for my student/post-doc/youth registration in languages other than English?
Yes. While the registration form itself must be completed in English, your proof of fulltime enrolment at a recognized university or college or proof of age may be in languages other than English.
How do I register a group?
Group registration is applicable to the registration of 10 persons or more. The registration fees are the same as for individual delegates.
How do I get an invitation for my visa application?
Letters of Invitation will only be issued to delegates who have registered
and paid (or media representatives who have been approved).
The Letter of Invitation does not financially obligate the conference organizers in any way. All expenses incurred in relation to the conference are the sole responsibility of the delegate.
Delegates are strongly encouraged to apply for their visa as soon as possible, to ensure that it is issued on time. The last date when the Austrian Government can guarantee that your application is processed is 1 June 2010.
How do I register as media to report on the conference?
Media accreditation and registration will be available to all bona fide journalists through the Media Centre page of the conference website. Media registration also requires the creation of an online “profile” prior to registering. As space will be limited, accreditation will only be granted to journalists who submit completed applications, with all supporting documentation, including verification of media credentials. The online registration system will prompt you to upload the supporting documentation to support your request for accreditation.
Why must I submit supporting documentation with my media registration?
The supporting documents you submit with your application for media accreditation are used to prove that you are a journalist and therefore eligible to attend the conference free of charge. Unfortunately, this process is necessary, as we have received many fraudulent applications in the past.
May I submit supporting documentation for my media registration in languages other than English?
Yes. While the registration form itself must be completed in English, the letter from your editor and the by-lined articles or three other examples of your professional work may be in languages other than English.
How can I book accommodation in Vienna?
To ensure all our delegates have accommodation for the duration of the conference, we have pre-blocked a lot of the available accommodation in Vienna. The fact that we have booked so many rooms has also allowed us to negotiate preferential rates as well as good terms and conditions with the hotels.
Group booking requests (10 rooms or more) can be sent already to .
What are the prices of the hotels?
Hotel rooms range in price from EUR 90 per night for a single room in a three star hotel to EUR 300 per night for a room in a five star hotel. Through the internet there are also cheaper accommodation in Hostels, B&B and 1 and 2 star hotels. Those can be filled rather quickly as July is tourist season, so please start your search early.
Abstract Submissions
May I submit an abstract to the conference?
Abstract submission is now closed.
Who selects the abstracts and decides how they will be presented?
All abstracts submitted to the conference go through a blind, peer-review process carried out by an international review panel. “Blind” means that the reviewers see only the content of the abstract, not the submitters’ name; this ensures that all abstracts are evaluated fairly, without bias.
Each of the abstracts submitted to the conference will be reviewed by no less than four reviewers, who each allocate a score to the abstract. The highest scoring abstracts are then sent to the Scientific Programme Committee – a committee made up of HIV specialists from all regions of the world – for final selection. This committee also decides which abstracts will be presented orally, as posters, or included on the CD-ROM.
What is a late breaker abstract?
The conference organizers require that abstracts be submitted by 10 February 2010. This means that any important research information which is not finalized before the abstract deadline could be left out of the conference programme. To avoid this, conference organizers allow the submission of “late breaking” abstracts to allow the presentation of any truly late breaking important research results.
Abstracts of late breaking research are submitted much closer to the start of the conference than regular abstracts. For AIDS 2010, late breaker abstracts will be accepted through the online submission form available on the conference website between 20 April and 20 May 2010. Submission details will be available on the conference website by the end of 2009. .
What is abstract mentoring?
If you do not have a lot of experience in writing scientific abstracts, a mentor can help you. We have a pool of around 40-60 mentors who can provide advice and feedback on how to write successful abstracts for each of the conference tracks.
The Abstract Mentoring Programme is now closed.
Conference Programme
What is the Workshops programme?
AIDS 2010 will offer a selection of high-quality workshops to promote and enhance delegates' learning experience. Each of the 90- and 180-minute workshops will focus on a particular topic for Professional Development, Leadership & Accountability, and Community Skills Development.
Experienced and dynamic practitioners and faculty from the world's leading training and educational organizations will present and facilitate the workshops. Group interaction and individualized learning will be supported by a small class size.
In addition to 40 workshops designed by the Conference Coordinating and Programme Committees, another 40 workshops will be selected by the Workshops Working Group following a review of public submissions by a Reviewing Committee. The Working Group will select high caliber workshops that align with the conference vision and objectives. Workshop proposals are now closed. For more information, please visit
aids2010.org/workshops.aspx.
What is the Global Village?
The Global Village is a large area at the conference consisting of exhibitions, workshops, networking areas, marketplace booths and so on. It is open to both conference delegates and non-delegates (without a fee). This includes community organizations from around the world, local or national groups and the general public. The Global Village enables greater civil society involvement and exchange.
Through this interactive and participatory space, the Global Village will highlight HIV-related issues, concerns and priorities facing various HIV-affected communities. The programme promotes dialogue, encourages networking, builds solidarity, and promotes inclusion in the global community. Submissions for activities within the Global Village are now closed. Notifications will be sent out at the beginning of April 2010.
For more information on the Global Village see
aids2010.org/globalvillage.aspx
What is the Youth Programme?
The aim of the AIDS 2010 Youth Programme is to strengthen the participation of youth and the profile of youth issues in the conference. This will be accomplished through activities such as a youth pavilion, an electronic youth bulletin, a youth media hub, youth presentation space, youth mentorship activities and a youth website. Submissions for youth programme activities are now closed. Notifications will be sent out at the beginning of April 2010.
Can I see the conference programme in advance?
The conference programme will be published on the conference website in June 2010 however, regular updates will be posted on the website throughout 2009 and 2010.
Scholarships
Is funding available to attend the conference?
A limited amount of funding is available through the AIDS 2010 Scholarship Programmes, which is aimed at making AIDS 2010 accessible to people from resource-limited settings and communities, researchers, young people, community activists and civil society representatives. The application period for scholarships to attend AIDS 2010 was from 8 December 2009 until 10 February 2010. Applications are now closed.
How many scholarships will be offered?
For AIDS 2008 in Mexico City we were able to offer over 800 international and media scholarships. For this conference the same share of the total budget has been allocated for scholarships; the organizers therefore aim to keep the same level as that for AIDS 2008, depending on the average cost of each scholarship. Financial assistance will be offered to delegates from resource-limited settings and communities, community groups, key affected populations, people living with HIV, young people and students to help them attend. A very limited number of scholarships will also be available for media representatives from around the world.
The scholarship programme is open to everyone around the world. Priority will be given to those whose participation will help enhance their work in their own communities, to those who are able to assist in the transfer of skills and knowledge acquired at the conference and to those whose abstracts or workshops have been selected or are involved in programme activity.
Although every attempt will be made to assist as many people as possible to attend, we regret that the number of scholarships that will be allocated is limited. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to seek other funding as well.
How do I apply for a scholarship, and what kind of funding will I receive?
Scholarship applications were accepted from 8 December 2009 to 10 February 2010. Scholarships are now closed.
Applicants were able to request all or some of the following aspects of the scholarship to attend AIDS 2010:
- economy-class travel (pre-paid ticket at the lowest fare available)
- accommodation (shared in hotel twin rooms for the days of the conference)
- modest living allowance for the conference duration (18-23 July 2010, the equivalent of EUR 30 per day)
- travel insurance for the duration of the conference
Please note that the level of support requested may not be the level of support granted. Full scholarships will only be awarded in a limited number of cases. Partial scholarships will also be awarded.
In all cases individuals will be required to cover the cost of their hotel incidental expenses, meals and any optional extra expenses.
Who decides who is awarded a scholarship?
The criteria for scholarship selection have been decided by the Conference Coordinating Committee. The criteria change from one conference to another, as the epidemic changes. The available budget is divided by region, and generally, those regions most affected by HIV are allocated the largest portion of the budget.
Fully completed applications are then scored according to these criteria established by the committees, and the highest scoring applicants are awarded a scholarship.
Satellites and Exhibitions
What is a satellite session?
Intended for conference delegates, satellite sessions take place in the conference centre. While they fall outside the official conference hours, they are part of the conference programme, and will be advertised as such. Satellite sessions are fully organized and coordinated by the organization hosting the satellite (private company, government agency, institution or NGO).
Is there a cost to host a satellite session?
Yes. There is a fee to host a satellite. However, there are a limited number of fee waivers available for satellites that cover identified gaps in the conference programme.
How do I apply to host a satellite session?
Applications for a satellite session must be made through the IAS Satellite and Exhibition Tracker (ISET) tool
iset.aids2010.org. Applications to host a satellite meeting will be accepted until 31 March 2010.
How do I apply to have an exhibition booth at AIDS 2010?
With over 7,000 square metres of prime exhibition space, AIDS 2010 will offer unparalleled opportunities for commercial and non-commercial organizations to showcase their products and services to the largest gathering of HIV/AIDS professionals in the world.
Requests for exhibition space may be made through the IAS Satellite and Exhibition Tracker (ISET) tool -
iset.aids2010.org. Exhibition space has a cost per square metre, for both commercial and non-commercial organizations. The deadline for exhibition applications is 31 May 2010. However, if capacity is reached, exhibitions will be closed earlier.
In addition, organizations who are interested in having an NGO or marketplace booth at the Global Village needed to apply for the space before 10 February. Applications are now closed.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Where can I find out more about the AIDS 2010 sponsorship opportunities?
The
AIDS 2010 Commercial Invitation to those companies, organizations or others that want to become a sponsor, will be released by the end of 2009 and be available on the
AIDS 2010 website. This document will include the list of sponsorship opportunities for the conference.
What is the purpose of these sponsorship opportunities?
The AIDS 2010 conference will offer conference supporters various possibilities to enhance their visibility and association with the event. The sponsorship opportunities allow each sponsor unique ways of associating brands or messages with different aspects of the conference, not only targeting the 20-25,000 participants, but also reaching out much further through the 2,500 media representatives that normally attend the conference The items have been divided into three categories: Onsite, Delegate Items and Conference Materials. Each category reaches the conference delegates in a different way, allowing sponsors to put together a package of items that ensures the expected visibility.
Other Information
Is it possible to link our website to the conference website?
We receive many thousands of requests to link to other organizations’ websites. If we were to accommodate all these requests, we would need an entire website to do this. Therefore, we link only to our partner organizations’ sites.
Who are the AIDS 2010 organizers and partnering institutions?
The conference is organized by the IAS in partnership with a number of international bodies and local partners, including:
- UNAIDS, WHO, UNODC
- International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)
- Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+)
- International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW)
- World YWCA
- Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC)
- East European & Central Asian Union of PLWH (ECUO)
- European Commission
- European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS)
- Austrian Government/City of Vienna
- Austrian community and scientific partners
What meetings are going to be held in preparation for the conference in the European region?
Many of our committee meetings, where the conference programme and activities are planned, will be held in Vienna.
In addition to this, we will be holding a few general information meetings throughout Europe, particularly Eastern Europe and Central Asia to inform people about how they may participate in the conference.
If you work with an organization that is interested in promoting the conference through the use of posters or the distribution of brochures, please contact the AIDS 2010 Outreach staff for materials and assistance at .
Do I need a visa to enter Austria?
All delegates traveling to Austria must present a passport (or approved identity card for EU citizens) and many countries require a visa to enter the country. Delegates are encouraged to apply for visas early (at least two months before departure), and to ensure all requested documentation is submitted with the application. Applications must be submitted in person at the Austrian representation in the respective countries or at a Schengen partner representation, if Austria does not have representation in that country. Delegates are urged to contact their nearest Austrian embassy or consulate as early as possible to determine where your application should be made and how long this process will take. Full information is available at:
aids2010.org/Default.aspx?pageId=191.
How do I register an Affiliated Event?
Affiliated Events are events organized in conjunction with the International AIDS Conference, but are held away from the main conference site and outside of the normal hours of conference programme. Further information is available at:
aids2010.org/Default.aspx?pageId=259.
Will there be a conference evaluation?
As in the past years, the AIDS 2010 will be evaluated to assess its strengths and weaknesses as well as its impacts on the global response to HIV/AIDS. The evaluation will be conducted by the IAS evaluation team in line with the internationally recognized Code of Ethics. A wide range of data collection methods will be used including interviews with key informants and anonymous surveys before, during and after the conference. Key findings will be documented in an Evaluation Report which will be posted on the conference website in the first quarter of 2011.
How can a delegate contribute to the conference evaluation?
- Taking part in a short interview if you’re approached during the conference by one of the Evaluation Team member.
- Completing printed questionnaires you may receive during the conference and dropping them in one of the evaluation boxes at the conference venue.
- Filling in the post-conference online survey. It will be emailed to you in August or September (there will also be a link on the conference website).
Your feedback will be treated confidentially and will be carefully taken into consideration for planning future conferences.
Conference Hubs
What is a conference hub?
Conference hubs are physical locations around the world where selected sessions of the conference will be screened, and will be followed by a moderated local discussion to examine how the content of the session may be used to strengthen the response to HIV locally.
What are the different types of hubs?
There are two types of conference hubs:
- Independent conference hubs are organized by local organizations around the world. They will be privately coordinated by organizations outside the conference secretariat. The conference secretariat will support them with technical guidelines and video feed and advertise their events, but will not take any responsibility or financial liability. Some independent hubs will be set up only for a targeted group of people and not be open to anyone from the outside; this specificity allows hubs to be organized in private places, such as schools, clubs or prisons.
- Official conference hubs are organized by appointed local partners: AIDS Infoshare in Moscow (Russia), All-Ukrainian Network of people living with HIV in Kiev (Ukraine) and Kazakhstan Union of people living with HIV in Almaty (Kazakhstan). These will be coordinated by our local partners, and must respect certain criteria (especially in duration and size). The conference secretariat will support them with technical guidelines and video feed as well as advertising and financial support.
All conference hubs are free of charge for the participants, but the hub organizers will have the right to cap attendance for security or practical reasons. They will also select the sessions they display and decide whether the sessions are shown live or delayed. Refreshments, food or other products may also be sold at the conference hub for reasonable prices.
Why organize a conference hub in your region?
As not everyone in the world who would like to attend AIDS 2010 in Vienna will be able to, conference hubs represent a unique opportunity for scientists, individuals engaged in the community response and leaders across many different sectors to benefit from the conference outcomes from their own location.
Conference hubs will give the opportunity to
build professional capacity at the local and regional level by accessing the relevant content presented at AIDS 2010, including information on best practices, and through the organization of additional trainings and/or workshops.
Conference hubs will
facilitate discussions and debates among local stakeholders to help strengthen the response to HIV and AIDS, with the potential to contextualize the outcomes and prepare a comprehensive plan for future actions at local or regional levels.
Organizations hosting a conference hub will also have a unique chance to engage local or regional leadership, by mobilizing leaders and committing them to concrete actions. They will gain credibility and visibility from external partners as efficient local actors by proving their capacities to mobilize people and resources.
How do I organize a conference hub?
We encourage all local communities, especially the ones with the most vulnerable populations and larger international organizations (e.g. local AIDS societies, faith-based organizations, prisons, community groups and centres, schools, refugee camps, etc.) to organize their own conference hub and broadcast selected sessions of the conference.
All conference hubs will need to be submitted online on the AIDS 2010 website. Hubs attendees will be able to register directly with the hub organizers, physically or by phone/email.
Individuals and organizations who are interested in holding their own conference hub or attending a hub in their area should visit the conference website for more information:
aids2010.org/hubs.aspx.
Please note that the conference organizers will not fund any independent conference hubs.
Interpretation and Translation
What languages will be used at the conference?
The official language of the conference is English however most sessions will be interpreted into Russian as well. Many of the conference printed materials (General Information brochure, signage, press kits etc) and the conference website will be in both English and Russian.