Dear IACMR members,

Since we announced the one-year delay of our biennial conference this March, the Executive Committee of IACMR has been closely watching COVID-19 developments around the world. As of this moment, the virus is still widespread, vaccines will take time to be distributed once they are available, and there are strict travel restrictions between many countries. Given these conditions, many academic associations – including AOM – have already announced plans to hold their 2021 conferences online.  

In making our own plans, we considered the needs of members across the world. On the one hand, we know from our survey about conference formats that an on-site meeting with face-to-face interaction is the preferred way to run a conference. Within China, this format may be feasible, given the effectiveness of China’s epidemic prevention and control policies. Many domestic meetings are currently being held successfully within China. On the other hand, the situation internationally is more uncertain, with cases rising in many countries and travel restrictions in place for the foreseeable future.

Based on these considerations, the Executive Committee of IACMR decided that the 2021 Xi’an conference will use a hybrid format. We plan to hold an on-site conference in Xi’an primarily for domestic participants, while providing an option for virtual participation. We expect the virtual option to be selected by many (if not most) participants from outside of China, and some domestic participants may also want to attend virtually. We believe that this hybrid format will accommodate the needs of participants from all parts of the world, and provide flexibility in case circumstances change. For those who choose virtual participation, we will set the timing of presentations so that you are not asked to present in the middle of the night in your country.

As announced in our prior letter, all papers, symposia, PDWs, and panels that were accepted for the 2020 conference are automatically accepted for the 2021 conference. You will be asked in a separate email to confirm whether you want your paper to be in the 2021 conference, and whether you expect to participate in-person or virtually. You may submit your accepted papers to other conferences during this year delay, but if you do so please let us know; we expect that by presenting elsewhere you will have received feedback that leads to improvements in the paper, which can be incorporated into your IACMR presentation. 

We will reopen the conference registration system early next year, and you will receive updates about the conference hotels and local accommodations. Information and key dates for the conference agenda will be provided later. We DO NOT plan to re- open the submission process for new submissions. The conference dates are June 16 (Wednesday) to 20 (Sunday), 2021. Please mark your calendar.

We know that this year has been a difficult time for many of you, and hope that this conference decision at least gives you the ability to plan your academic lives. We are all looking forward to meeting you in the 2021 IACMR biennial conference, either physically or virtually. The conference will be back, better than ever, next year. Stay healthy.

Runtian Jing
Program Chair, IACMR 2021 Conference

Ray Friedman
President of IACMR