Registration and Materials

Registration is open in Hall West A3 of the convention center. The hours are noon through 8 p.m. today, 7 a.m–6 p.m. Saturday through Monday, and 7 a.m–4 p.m. Tuesday. If you’ve already received your badge in the mail before the meeting (it was in a yellow envelope)—you don’t need to go to the main registration area. Just take the entire envelope containing your badge and all of your tickets to one of the materials pick-up areas, located in Hall WestA1, West A Registration Concourse, West B Registration Concourse, and in DDW’s headquarter hotels. There, you can pick up your agenda book, plus the badge holder and ribbon that you will need to enter all scientific sessions, the Poster Hall and the Exhibit Hall.

If you’re staying in or near the Peabody Orlando, Hilton Orlando or Rosen Center, you can pick up your materials there until 6 p.m. today. Take a look at the hotel map to see how close you are to one of these hotels.

If you didn’t receive your badge in the mail prior to the meeting, or if you need to have a change or correction made, please go to the registration area in Hall West A3 Lobby.

We strongly encourage you to pick up your materials today, if possible, to avoid tomorrow’s rush.

Shuttle Information

Complimentary shuttle service is provided between the Orange County Convention Center and the official DDW hotels. Shuttle information signs will be in the lobby of each official hotel. The shuttle schedule shows which hotels have shuttle service, where the stop is located at each hotel, and the hours of operation.

Shuttle Schedule:

Saturday, May 19 through Monday, May 21:
6–10:00 a.m. Service every 10-15 minutes
10:00 am–3 p.m. Service every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour
3– 6:30 p.m. Service every 10-15 minutes

Tuesday, May 22:
6–10:00 a.m. Service every 10-15 minutes
10:00 a.m–3 p.m. Service every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour
3–6:30 pm. Service every 20-30 minutes

This schedule my vary due to traffic & weather conditions. The last bus leaves from hotels 30 minutes prior to end time with no return service.

Dining

The Orange County Convention and Tourism Bureau is providing a restaurant reservations desk for your convenience. Knowledgeable staff will provide information about Orlando’s dining options and reserve tables for you at the restaurant of your choice. The reservation desk is located in West B Registration Concourse and is open today through Tuesday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

I’m particularly excited to see the mentor and advisor project taking center stage with an opportunity to meet mentors and develop learning networks to help your career at specific networking events² on Saturday evening. Other highlights include the Monday afternoon session³ on maximizing opportunities with advice straight from current fellows and faculty.

ASGE has a diverse selection of clinical symposia⁴.  As well as the exciting new technology there are also some key more generalized talks which are very useful for endoscopists setting out on their career.  As a female endoscopist I am looking forward to hearing comments from the session on Women in Gastroenterology: Can You Have it All?⁵ Increasingly important in the role of the endoscopist is the understanding of quality improvement and ASGE is holding several symposium⁶ with practical advice which I think will be helpful for future responsibilities.

Many of the larger sessions may feel a little impersonal for your learning and so I would recommend dipping into a few of the smaller sessions to get a snap shot of subjects you may not be familiar with.  I hope you find my whistle stop tour of the agenda useful. My advice to fellows who are attending this year is to look beyond the obvious and your usual comfort zone and think about the conversations and sessions which are going to inspire and inform.

Notes:
To search for sessions at DDW® 2013, visit MyDDW and search Scientific Sessions.

1. For Sessions on Navigating Fellowship Years:
Search MyDDW under By Special Interest, click on “AGA Trainee and Young GI Picks”.

2. Networking Events:
ASGE Fellows Networking Session
Saturday, May 18, 5–6:00 p.m.

Sorcerers and Apprentices: An Evening Reception with AGA Mentors
Saturday, May 18, 6:15–7:45 p.m. RSVP required.

3. Maximizing Opportunities within Fellowship Training: Advice from Fellows and Faculty
Monday, May 20, 2–3:30 p.m.
Room #313, Orange County Convention Center

4. For Clinical Symposia:
Search MyDDW under By Session Type, click on “Clinical Symposium”.

5. Women in Gastroenterology: Can You Have it All?
Monday, May 20, 8:00–9:30 a.m.
Room # 207, Orange County Convention Center

6. For ASGE programming:
Search MyDDW under By Society, click on ASGE