Policies

AAFP Event Policies and Attendee Guidelines

To help ensure all attendees have a pleasant conference experience, we ask you to please read through and abide by our conference policies and attendee guidelines. When you register for and/or attend an AAFP event, you agree to the following terms, which constitutes an agreement between you and the AAFP. This policy is binding upon all registrants and attendees, including, but not limited to, their agents, employees, guests, and representatives who may attend an AAFP event.

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Event Policies and Guidelines

All attendees must be registered for the AAFP event or have a guest badge.
Event guest badges for friends or family who are not affiliated with the veterinary industry can be purchased at the Registration Desk.
Attendees, guests, exhibitors, sponsors, media, staff, and all others associated with the event must wear their name badge at all times throughout the conference. You may not enter any part of the Conference without a name badge.
Please be respectful and do not disrupt presentations, sessions, speakers, workshops, or special events.
During the Q&A portion of sessions, please keep to the topic at hand and save very specific cases or questions for individual follow-up with the presenter after the session. Please move to the microphone so everyone can hear your question.
The recording or transmission of any educational session, presentations, demos, or videos without written permission from the AAFP is strictly prohibited.

Event Code of Conduct

The AAFP is dedicated to providing a safe and productive environment for everyone attending our events, as reflected in the AAFP Core Values. We believe that a community where individuals feel uncomfortable or threatened is neither healthy nor productive, and will not be tolerated. The AAFP expects all event attendees (either virtual or in-person) to use professional behavior and treat each other with kindness and civility. We expect participants at any AAFP event to abide by this Code of Conduct in all venues, including ancillary events and official and unofficial social gatherings.

Therefore, the AAFP prohibits intimidating, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, or demeaning speech and/or conduct at our events. This policy applies to attendees, speakers, staff, volunteers, media, venue staff, guests, and exhibitors. Event participants violating these rules may be reprimanded or expelled from the conference, at the discretion of AAFP leadership.

Harassment of event participants will not be tolerated in any form. Harassment includes, but is not limited to offensive gestures or verbal comments, inappropriate or intimidating behavior and language, unwelcome jokes or comments, stalking, offensive images, photography without permission, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

If any event participant or exhibitor engages in harassing behavior, the AAFP leadership may take any action they deem appropriate. If needed, the AAFP reserves the right to expel anyone from current and future AAFP events. The AAFP will have no liability in connection with such an expulsion, and there will be no refund or compensation of any kind associated therewith.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact AAFP staff who will work with appropriate AAFP leadership and local law enforcement to resolve the situation.

We value your attendance and want to make your experience as productive and professionally stimulating as possible.

Health & Safety Information

For the latest Health & Safety information, please click here.

Cancellations and Refunds

Registration fees for virtual registration are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend the live streamed sessions, they will be recorded and available for viewing on-demand until June 30, 2023.

Cancellation of in-person registration will still allow you to have virtual access to live-streaming and/or on-demand access through June 30, 2023. For in-person attendees, cancellations received by Friday, September 23, 2022 will receive a refund of the difference between the in-person rate and virtual rate. In-person registration cancellation received after Friday, September 23, 2022 will not be eligible for refunds. Please note if you cancel your conference registration, it does not constitute cancellation of your hotel reservation.

Food Allergies

The AAFP will work closely with the venue to create menus that can be enjoyed by all attendees while keeping in mind the most common food allergies and restrictions including vegetarian and vegan options, and nut and seafood allergies. If you have a food allergy or dietary restriction, please note this when registering for the conference or email conference@catvets.com. We can work closely with the event venue to create meals that accommodate individual restrictions with proper advanced notice. Please note, onsite orders cannot be accommodated.

Americans with Disabilities Act Accommodations

If you need special accommodations for a disability or special need, please note this when registering for the conference under the ADA section or email conference@catvets.com.

Children in Sessions

Children are welcome to walk in the exhibit hall with their parent/guardian as long as they are supervised, and be in the public spaces of the conference space. Children are not permitted in the educational session rooms. Children are also not to participate in meals unless the parent/guardian has purchased a Guest Pass or Guest Ticket for that child. If children are left unsupervised or are causing a disruption, we may require the parent/guardian to move them out of the conference space.

Onsite Animals

Every venue is different when it comes to allowing animals onsite, either in the hotel space or conference space. Attendees agree to follow all hotel or conference venue policies relating to animals onsite and should contact the AAFP at conference@catvets.com if you plan to bring an animal to the conference. Paperwork may need to be filled out prior to allowing the animal to come onsite. All animals must be under their handler's control at all times. Handlers will be asked to remove their animal from the event if they cannot do so.

Consent to Use Photographic Images

Registration and attendance at, or participation in, the AAFP Conference and other activities constitutes an agreement by the registrant to AAFP's use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant or attendee's image or voice in photographs, video, electronic reproductions, marketing efforts and materials, and audiotapes of such events and activities.

Waiver and Release of Liability for Communicable Disease for In-person Attendees

All attendees are required to agree to this waiver when registering for the Conference:

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (herein AAFP) has taken preventive measures to reduce the spread of communicable disease including, but not limited to, COVID-19 ("Communicable Disease") or other bacterial or viral illness or disease, at its Conference. However, I acknowledge that AAFP cannot guarantee that I, my guests, or other individuals traveling with me will not be exposed to or contract a Communicable Disease at the Conference. Further, due to the nature of the facilities, services, and programs offered at this Conference, I understand that attending the Conference could increase my risk of contracting a Communicable Disease.

I voluntarily agree to abide by all applicable COVID-19-related requirements, advisories, policies, procedures, and protocols of the AAFP, Convention Center, hotels, as well as the CDC, the City of Pittsburgh, and any other governmental authority for the duration of my stay.

I understand the risk that I may be exposed to, or infected by, a Communicable Disease by attending the Conference and that such exposure or infection may result in quarantine requirements, serious illness, permanent disability, and/or death. I further understand that the risk of becoming exposed to, or infected by, a Communicable Disease at the Conference may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of myself and others, including, but not limited to, AAFP, its partners, affiliates, attendees, members, officers, employees, contractors, agents, representatives, sponsors, other participants, and any owners and lessors of premises used to conduct the Conferences ("Releasees"). I KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS, BOTH KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES, and assume full responsibility for my participation in the Conference.

In consideration of being allowed to participate in the Conference, I, for myself and on behalf of my heirs, guests traveling with me, assigns, personal representatives, and next of kin, acknowledge and agree as follows:

A. I HEREBY RELEASE, COVENANT NOT TO SUE, DISCHARGE AND HOLD HARMLESS the Releasees, with respect to any and all liabilities, claims, penalties, suits, demands, judgments, costs, interests and expenses (including attorneys' fees and costs) arising from or relating to the illness, disability, or death of myself (or any person who may contract a Communicable Disease, directly or indirectly, from me), as a direct or indirect result, in whole or in part, of a Communicable Disease, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

B. THIS WAIVER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY INCLUDES ANY CLAIMS BASED ON THE ACTIONS, OMISSIONS, OR NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES, WHETHER AN INFECTION OCCURS BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER PARTICIPATION IN THE CONFERENCE.