IUGA 2024 Workshop Guidelines

WORKSHOP PROPOSAL DEADLINE:                          November 30, 2023 (no extensions)

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE:                                End of December, 2023 

Workshops will be conducted in two sessions on the morning and afternoon of Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Please note that this date and the number of sessions held are subject to change.) The program committee is committed to offering attendees a diverse selection of educational opportunities. Proposals are expected to be evidence-based when possible but may also relay the opinions of our esteemed experts. 

The Workshop Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the program committee on selecting workshops for the 2024 IUGA Annual Meeting. The Workshop Committee includes the members of the workshop subcommittee of the IUGA education committee, in addition to 2-3 representatives from the local organizing committee. 

Proposals with an emphasis on interactivity and hands-on components will be scored higher. Workshops sharing practical knowledge relevant to our members' day-to-day work is also a priority. Ways to include interactive elements in your workshop proposal include group exercises such as presenting complex case studies for groups to solve, debates, roundtables, and active demonstrations of ideas or concepts.   

Workshop proposals will only be accepted if submitted before/on the November 30, 2023 deadline through the 2024 meeting website (www.iugameeting.org). No proposals will be accepted after the deadline has passed!

NOTE: Please complete the online proposal form and be sure to identify all necessary materials and supplies as well as room setup needs as requested. Requests for materials and supplies will not be considered after the proposal has been accepted.

General Workshop Guidelines:

• The workshop subject matter should be generic, varied, and unbiased; it should not promote a single product.
• The workshop does NOT appear to advertise the presenter's company's services or products. IUGA recognizes that the primary purpose of workshops is to allow the presenter(s) to demonstrate their competence in a topic or subject area. However, attendees expect a scientific discourse, so it is important that these workshops are not used as a marketing platform for the presenter's company's products or services.
• Multiple workshop proposals may be submitted by the same author, but please recognize that the workshop committee seeks to identify a variety of workshops for the meeting. 
• A workshop may have a maximum of two (2) chairpersons and up to 3 faculty or one (1) chair and 4 faculty. One contact person should be designated in the application. The only exception to this rule is when the program committee has decided to merge two or more workshops. Proposals with more than a combination of 5 faculty/chairpersons will not be considered by the Workshop Subcommittee.
• All faculty must be confirmed to participate in your workshop prior to including them in your proposal. 
• Workshops will be CME accredited, with the exception of sponsored workshops. Therefore, all faculty members need to fill out a Conflict of Interest form after the workshop proposal has been accepted.
• The workshop committee reserves the right to amend applications or suggest changes in speakers in order to maintain the scientific merit and diversity of the workshop program. 
• The workshop committee may suggest that similar workshop proposals be combined in order to avoid the repetition of topics and to maximize attendance. 
• Together the workshop committee and the program committee may solicit proposals for workshops that fill a void in areas of interest to the society membership. 
• Two types of workshops can be proposed: Hands-On and Interactive Seminar. 

o   HANDS-ON:  These types of workshops will involve attendees participating in physical hands-on interaction as well as discussion (e.g. surgical technique practices using animal tissue). These workshops can only be organized in person in Singapore. 

o   INTERACTIVE SEMINAR: These types of workshops are mainly lecture-based. However, chairs are highly encouraged to promote discussion and audience interactivity. Those that demonstrate interactive principles will be scored higher.  

• Each workshop should preferably be conducted in 4 hours. In exceptional cases, a full day/8 hours timeslot may be allocated.
• You will have 30 minutes prior to and after your workshop for appropriate setup and breakdown. If your workshop will require additional setup or breakdown time, please note this in the "special requirements" section of the proposal. The 4-hour workshops include one 15 to 30 min. coffee break that will be available to your workshop attendees 2 hours after the start. 
• Applications must detail any special requirements such as technology, room setup, special electrical current, or anatomical specimens for practical demonstrations. Any requests not included in the proposal and that are presented later will not be considered. All requests are subject to approval.
• Applications must provide a detailed budget in US dollars (USD) if the workshop chair is soliciting financial support from IUGA for workshop supplies, etc. 
• If those organizing a workshop approach the industry for support of the workshop, they are expected to inform the IUGA office and to keep in mind that the workshop will be CME accredited, so it should not promote a single product.

Chair/Co-Chair Guidelines (if selected):

•  The program committee reserves the right to cancel a workshop 30 days before the start of the conference if less than 15 people have registered.
• Chairpersons and faculty will have free access to the workshop in which they are speaking. They will be responsible for paying for annual meeting registration and other workshop registration fees if they choose to attend.
• There will be no honoraria or travel funding for workshop chairs or faculty.
• It is the responsibility of the chair to inform the IUGA education office of any changes to an accepted proposal. The Workshop Subcommittee reserves the right to review any substantive changes, which may lead to cancellation of the workshop.
• Chairpersons must be free of scheduling conflicts during their workshop. For example, they must not accept requests to speak at additional workshops during the same session in which theirs is held.
• Chairpersons agree to organize the content and logistics of their workshop and communicate activities with their faculty. Failure to do so will affect the acceptance of workshops at future annual meetings. They must abide by the following: 

1. 1. 1. Confirm the title, learning objectives, and list of speakers with the IUGA office prior to the specified deadline (January 15, 2024) so all information is correct in the preliminary and final programs.
      2. Collect presentation information from speakers in order to produce workshop handouts for delegates prior to the specified deadline (May 24, 2024).

• Handout material is required 4 weeks before the meeting on May 24, 2024; Handouts may be submitted as PowerPoint presentations or descriptive text covering the presentations given in the workshop. The workshop chairperson is responsible for collecting the handout material from faculty and forwarding it to the IUGA education office as an electronic file(s) before the deadline. No printed handouts will be supplied to the attendees by IUGA. All course material will be posted online and in the mobile app for registrants to download. 

For any questions about these guidelines, please contact Vivian Gies: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.