IIAR 2020 Conference Update
A Letter from the IIAR Executive Committee
April 16, 2020
2020 IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo Conference Fee Update
IIAR is pleased to announce updated refund options related to changing the 2020 IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo to an online format. Our staff has been working diligently with presenters, exhibitors, sponsors and members to create an online program that will deliver technical education and marketing opportunities at a significantly reduced cost compared to our regular conference fees.
Although we are all disappointed at not being able to meet in Orlando for the 2020 event, it is our hope that our registrants, exhibitors, and sponsors will support the upcoming May-June 2020 Online Educational and Exhibitor/Sponsor Promotional Conference, which will provide essential revenue to IIAR that allows us to continue to serve you, your company and the entire industry.
Although we were successful in negotiating a significant reduction in site cancellation fees, IIAR will still incur approximately $500,000 in expenses that are not recoverable. Looking forward, we will need your support by renewing memberships for 2020-2021 and by supporting our 2021 Conference and Heavy Equipment Expo, which will be held in Palm Springs, CA. The 2021 event will mark IIAR's 50 year anniversary.
In an effort to provide value and fairness to our 2020 Conference registrants, exhibitors and sponsors, IIAR has adopted the following adjustment and refund policy to accommodate the format change for our 2020 Conference.
General Conference Registrants for the 2020 IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo :
Paid registrants - Will be provided a choice:
- Apply 100% of your paid 2020 registration fee to a 2021 conference registration at the member or non-member rate, based on your 2021 membership status.
- Be refunded 65% of your registration fee. Refunds will be processed within the next three months, allowing enough time to precisely and manually process refunds.
- Express your support of IIAR by generously accepting a lesser exhibit space adjustment refund and contributing the difference to the Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation (NRF) to fund scholarships and research programs that benefit our industry. These contributions to NRF will be processed as tax-deductible donations.
Unpaid registrants – persons formally registered but who paid no fee to IIAR (i.e., honorary members, special guests of IIAR, or complimentary registrations from a booth purchase), will not receive a refund or credit towards registration for the 2021 IIAR conference. However, unpaid registrants will receive the benefits being offered to all registrants for the 2020 IIAR online conference described below.
All registrants for the 2020 IIAR conference, whether paid or unpaid, will receive the following:
- Full access to the May-June 2020 Online Educational and Exhibitor/Sponsor Promotional Conference, including online educational events and information, exhibitor/sponsor product and service information and contacts.
- An option to purchase any IIAR Academy of Natural Refrigerants (ANR)) online educational course at 50% off the regular price until February 28, 2021.
- An option to purchase any IIAR standard, guideline, handbook, or bulletin at 20% off the regular price until February 28, 2021.
NOTE: A majority of our publications have been updated in the past 3 years. If you own previous editions, this is an excellent opportunity to purchase updates at a discounted price.
Request Registration Refund Here
Exhibitor Registrants for the 2020 IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo:
Our May-June 2020 Online Educational and Exhibitor/Sponsor Promotional Conference exhibit hall will provide all exhibitors with promotional and contact opportunities to anyone who clicks on a virtual exhibit booth. Virtual exhibit booths will be promoted throughout the year beyond conference registrants and members, offering exhibitors greater exposure than would have been possible at the face-to-face 2020 IIAR Conference.
Since all exhibitors will be provided the same visibility and promotional benefits, IIAR is asking that all exhibitors contribute a standard amount of $1,850, which will help IIAR to offset some of our cancellation fees. IIAR will refund all booth costs paid by exhibitors less any credit cards fees, and less $1,850. This amount is based on 50% of the price of the smallest and least desirable 2020 Expo booth location at the Rosen Shingle Creek Convention Center, which was $3,700.
Options for receiving the refundable amount (adjustment), as described above, are as follows:
- Apply 100% of your exhibit space adjustment refund to your 2021 conference exhibit space.
- Receive your exhibit space adjustment refund within the next three months, allowing enough time to precisely and manually process refunds.
- Express your support of IIAR by generously accepting a lesser exhibit space adjustment refund and contributing the difference to the Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation (NRF) to fund scholarships and research programs that benefit our industry. These contributions to NRF will be processed as tax-deductible donations.
Request Exhibitor Refund Here
Sponsors for the 2020 IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo
IIAR’s May-June 2020 Online Educational and Exhibitor/Sponsor Promotional Conference will provide a vast array of educational content, including online presentations of all technical sessions, workshops, the “Sunday Educational Event” and panels that were scheduled for the Orlando Conference.
Over the estimated three-week online conference period, registrants will be able to attend, from their home or place of work, ALL conference presentations. Unlike our face-to-face conferences that sometimes require choosing between competing programs, no online sessions will be held simultaneously. Plus, most technical sessions will be presented online twice, with an opportunity for live Q&A.
For added flexibility, most sessions will be recorded and saved so that any conference registrant will have an opportunity to view sessions after the online conference concludes. This will provide added value to our sponsors, who will continue to be recognized and credited for their contributions until our 2021 conference.
Since all sponsors will receive the same level of visibility and promotional benefits, sponsors are being asked to contribute a standard amount of $3,000, which will help IIAR to offset some of our cancellation fees. IIAR will refund all sponsorship costs paid by sponsors less any credit card fees, and less $3,000.
This sponsor fee will provide recognition and credit that will be visible to all conference registrants in all sessions until February 28, 2021. We sincerely hope that our sponsors will view $3,000 as a fair price and good value, displaying your commitment to IIAR for all Online Conference participants to see.
Options for receiving the refundable amount (adjustment), as described above, are as follows:
- Apply 100% of your sponsorship adjustment refund to your 2021 conference sponsorship.
- Receive your sponsorship adjustment refund within the next three months, allowing enough time to precisely and manually process refunds.
- Express your support of IIAR by generously accepting a lesser sponsorship adjustment refund and contributing the difference to the Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation (NRF) to fund scholarships and research programs that benefit our industry. These contributions to NRF will be processed as tax-deductible donations.
Request Sponsorship Refund Here
Technomercial Purchases
Over the approximately 3-week duration of IIAR’s May-June 2020 Online Educational and Exhibitor/Sponsor Promotional Conference, IIAR has scheduled time for vendors to conduct online Technomercial presentations. Unlike our in-person conferences that sometimes require choosing between competing programs, no online sessions will be held simultaneously. So, all registrants will be able to attend your Technomercial without the worry of missing another program. Advance notice will be provided to all registrants of the time and day of Technomercial presentations. Because we expect more registrants to attend online Technomercials than would have attended live presentations in Orlando, the value received by our Technomercial sponsors will not be diminished by doing the presentations online. Thereby, Technomercial purchases are not being refunded.
Technomercial presentations will be pre-recorded, then presented in a semi-live format during the conference. Technomercial presenters will be have the choice of pre-recording presentations using: a) The presenter’s own computer video camera and microphone, or b) Our online vendor’s recording services and software. In either case, we will be offering our online vendor’s support and best practice guidance for making video presentations. In addition, presenters will be offered an advance “test time” to be sure they are equipped to create their recorded session and upload it to our online vendor’s Web site prior to “semi-live” Conference session. At the scheduled presentation time, the recorded session will be live streamed to all online attendees, and the speaker(s) will then conduct a live Q&A session with all online attendees once the recorded presentation has finished.