Basic FAQs

When is the conference?

• The conference will be held March 3-6th, 2025. The 3rd will be devoted completely to pre-conference workshops, with standard sessions taking place March 4-6.

Will this conference be in person? 

• No. This year’s conference will be held virtually on the Accelevents platform.

When will registration open? 

• Conference registration will open November 1st and remain open through the conference.

Who is this conference for?

• This conference is intended for professionals of all levels (including students) in the climate and health field, or looking to expand their current work or expertise into the field of climate and health. 

Will sessions be recorded?

• All sessions (aside from networking sessions) will be recorded and available for viewing on the platform. A select number will be made available to the public on our YouTube page and through our website. 

What accessibility features are available?

• Accelevents will support automated closed captioning, and materials will be available in accessible formats where possible. If you have specific accessibility needs, please contact us at climatecafe@bu.edu. 

What technical requirements are needed to attend the virtual conference?

• Attendees will need a stable internet connection, a device capable of video and audio playback, and a browser compatible with the Accelevents platform.

Who should I contact if I have questions? 

• You can reach out to the conference team at climatecafe@bu.edu

Registration

Are there any requirements for registering? 

• Registrants should be professionals or students in any discipline or sector relevant to climate and health who are looking to connect professionally around this topic. This conference is not intended for the general public. The registration process includes collection of information that allows us to better understand the interests of participants. 

Is registration free?

• Yes, registration is free. 

Is there a cap on registration?

• There is not a cap on registration. However, we ask that you only register if you are reasonably sure that you will be attending to help organizers appropriately plan for our expected audience size.

Pre-Conference Workshops

Do I have to register in advance for pre-conference workshops?

• Yes. Pre-conference workshops will not be available to ‘drop-in’ day of. Prior registration is required and spots are limited. 

Do I have to be registered for the conference to attend pre-conference workshops? 

• Yes. Pre-conference workshops are an add-on to conference registration, and will be available to both new registrants and previously registered participants in December. Further instructions will be made available. 

How will registration for pre-conference workshops work?

• Pre-conference workshops have limited capacity. Registration for pre-conference workshops will open December 18th as an add-on to new and existing registrations. Only those that specifically register for the pre-conference workshop of their choice will be able to attend. Participants will not be able to ‘drop-in’ without prior registration. In order to register for the pre-conference workshops, you must register for the conference.

• For specific instructions on adding workshops to new or existing registrations, please see the pre-conference workshop page. There you will find step by step instructions and video guidance.

Can I register for multiple pre-conference workshops? 

• Yes, you can register for up to 5 workshops, one at each time slot. However, space is very limited so we ask that you only register for the workshops that you plan to attend in order to save the limited space for someone else. You should not register for more than one workshop during the same time slot.

When does registration for pre-conference workshops open?

• Registration will open up on January 7th at 10am ET.

What is the schedule for pre-conference workshops?

• The workshops are divided into the following time slots on Monday, March 3rd: 7-10am, 10-1pm, 1-4pm, and 4-7pm (all times ET). There will be one workshop Wednesday at 5pm ET.

What if the pre-conference workshop I want to attend is full?

• Workshop space is limited. Once a workshop has reached its capacity, you will no longer be able to register for it. We recommend registering as early as possible to secure your spot.

Oral/Poster Presentations

Can I submit an abstract for an oral presentation? 

• We will be accepting a limited number of individual oral presentations that our conference team will collate into sessions on a specific theme. Submissions are currently open. See abstract submission for more information.

Can I submit a poster for presentation? 

• While we will not have specific submissions just for posters, you can submit an abstract for an oral presentation and present in any format during your assigned session. For more information, see abstract submission. 

What is a Student and Trainee Showcase? 

• If you are a student, postdoc, or other type of trainee, we strongly encourage you to submit an abstract for an oral presentation as part of a dedicated Student and Trainee Showcase session. Reviewers will provide feedback on your presentation and nominate speakers for the  ‘Best in Session’ awards. These presentations can be either accompanied by traditional slides or any other format of your choice, but should be 15 minutes in length (including time for questions) and presented live (no videos or other recordings). For more information and to submit see abstract submission. 

How can I be considered for a Student and Trainee Showcase? 

• When submitting your abstract for an oral presentation, there will be a question about your current student status. Follow up questions will ask if you would like to be considered for a Student Showcase, a standard oral session, or either. 

Networking

What networking opportunities will be available?

• 1-on-1 speed networking opportunities will be available throughout the conference. There will also be lounges around various topics or themes to allow for connection and unstructured conversation. These lounges provide space for sharing resources, chatting, and engaging in spontaneous or community-scheduled video meetings on a topic or area of interest. 

Speaker/Presenter Questions

I am presenting. Do I need to register?

• If you would like to attend the conference beyond the session in which you are presenting, you should register for the conference. The magic link that will be emailed to you for your session(s) will only grant you access to the specific session(s) you are presenting in. 

Is there a program where my session is listed? 

• Once all sessions are finalized and the schedule is set, the full agenda will be available on the event launch page, as well as available within the event platform during the conference days. The full agenda will be viewable in January/February. 

How do I change the speaker if a colleague is speaking in my stead? 

• If you need to change who is speaking for a session, please contact our team at climatecafe@bu.edu

When will I receive an update on my submission approval? 

*Subject to change. Currently anticipated timeline: 

• Pre-conference workshops will receive tentative approvals in early December. 

• Session submissions will receive tentative approvals in January. 

• Abstract submissions will receive tentative approvals in January. 

• Late breaking sessions and abstracts will receive tentative approval in February. 

It says my approval is tentative. What does that mean? How do I become confirmed?

• All session approvals are tentative, pending you provide confirmation of session details, including confirming speakers and other individuals involved in the session, as well as acceptance of your assigned time. Conference organizers will provide details with your tentative acceptance of how to confirm your session details and become locked into the schedule. If you do not provide confirmation in a timely manner, your session may be canceled. 

When are session detail confirmations due? 

• Your conference organizer contact will provide information about when confirmation is due before you may risk having your session canceled. 

I can no longer present at my assigned time, can I reschedule for another time/day?

• In the event you are no longer able to present at your scheduled time, you must contact the conference organizers. We cannot guarantee that there will be another time available on the schedule but we will work to see if a different arrangement can be made.

How do I upload my slides or materials in advance of the session?

• When in the Virtual Event Hub, click My Speaking Schedule. From there, Add Document to the presentation you wish to add materials for.