• General Questions
  • Why was Cereals & Grains 20 transitioned to a virtual event?
    After thoughtful consultation with industry leaders and partners, and resulting conversations with our onsite venues, the Cereals & Grains Board of Directors made the decision to transition Cereals & Grains 20 onsite meeting into a virtual experience—​Cereals & Grains 20 Online. This was felt to be the best and safest course of action after careful consideration of evolving COVID-19 pandemic developments.
    
    It was important to all that a safe and globally accessible solution was provided to gather our professional community in the pursuit of “Connecting Grain Science with Global Sustainability.”
  
  
  • What factors were taken into consideration when making this decision?
    The health and safety of all involved is what drove the final decision. To that end, many pandemic factors were considered including (but not limited to):
    
    
  • Global travel restrictions and company travel bans
  • Shelter in place mandates across the U.S. and globally, impacting onsite participation
  • Anticipated self-quarantine and social distancing extending into the summer months
  • Precedent-setting and unprecedented cancellations of other domestic and international events
    
    
  • Why was Cereals & Grains 20 not postponed for a later date so that we could all gather together in person as originally planned?
    We could not postpone the meeting for a later date for a variety of reasons. Some of the key reasons for this decision included (but are not limited to):
    
    
  • The inability to confidently predict a future date where travel, budget, governmental, and strict safety restrictions due to the pandemic would be lifted for all of our global attendees.
  • Cereals & Grains Association has existing contracts in place for their 2021 meeting.
  • Timeliness and relevance of the leading scientific content that is planned in our robust program. We are eager to share the excellent sessions, symposia, and ePosters that have been scheduled, and to provide access to multiple networking opportunities where you can discuss strategies, job opportunities, and help each other during this challenging time.
    
    
  • ​What do you mean by a virtual event?
    Cereals & Grains Association is focused on an alternative solution that will provide an engaging, accessible, and inclusive platform to convene our global community, enabling us to connect, to learn, to share knowledge, and to advance our mission of “Connecting Grain Science with Global Sustainability.”
    
    We are working diligently to develop an informative and engaging virtual experience, allowing participants to easily access important topics, research, and content that was originally developed for the onsite experience. The new virtual experience will also provide opportunities for participants to network, connect, and share knowledge, products, and solutions. Specifics regarding the new virtual experience will be shared by Cereals & Grains Association in the coming days through email and via the meeting website.
    
    
  • Will the virtual event be held over the originally scheduled dates?
    At this time, we intend to hold the live virtual event around the same dates as the originally scheduled onsite event and we are currently working to transition the onsite program to a virtual experience. We thank you in advance for your patience as staff works to develop the new virtual experience. More details regarding the virtual format and programmatic approach will be shared in the coming days. Continue to visit the meeting website for all the latest information.
    
• Program/Presenter Questions
  • Do I need to be registered for Cereals & Grains 20 Online to present my abstract?
    Yes. You must be registered for the meeting in order to present your abstract. All speakers will be hearing from Cereals & Grains Association via email in the coming weeks with important instructions on presenter registration. There will also be information for presenters on the meeting website.
  
  
  • I'm an oral presenter accepted to present at Cereals & Grains 20. What will happen to my session in the virtual event?
    All presenters will be hearing from Cereals & Grains Association via email in the coming weeks. Please continue to prepare your presentation as we plan the virtual event. All registered presenters will have their abstracts published and will be able to include their session in their resume/cv as a conference presentation.
  
  
  • ​I need to prerecord my presentation, but do not know how to get started.
    Cereals & Grains Association will provide more information to registered speakers on how to prerecord and upload their presentations prior to the start of the meeting. We will be sending out a speaker toolkit that includes best practices for this purpose. This information will be shared with all registered presenters in the coming weeks through speaker email communications and posted to the meeting website.
  
  
  • Will posters be included in the virtual event?
    Yes, Cereals & Grains 20 Online will include ePosters. Poster presenters will have the opportunity to interact with attendees through our ePoster platform. More information on ePosters will come directly from Cereals & Grains Association via email in the coming weeks. There will also be information on ePosters published on the meeting website.
• Registration Questions
  • When will registration open for Cereals & Grains 20 Online?
    Registration will open on August 19, 2020. Rates and other important registration information are now posted on the meeting website​.
    
    
  • What is the cancellation/refund policy for Cereals & Grains 20 Online?
    Cancellations MUST be made in writing and received by the association no later than October 5, 2020. Cancellations received by this date are subject to a $25 processing fee. Registration cancellations received after October 5, 2020, are NOT subject to a refund. You may transfer your registration to another member of your organization.
• Sponsorship and Exhibitor Questions
  • What happens to the sponsorship dollars my company gave now that Cereals & Grains 20 Online is fully virtual?
    We are happy to work with each company directly with their available options. Sponsors can reach out to Brianna Plank directly to discuss their options.
    
    
  • Can I get reimbursed for my Cereals & Grains 20 exhibit booth now that the meeting is fully virtual?
    Please contact Brianna Plank directly, who will gladly review all exhibitor options.
    
    
  • What other options do I have to engage with virtual event attendees?
    As part of the virtual event experience, we are exploring several options to provide our valued exhibitors an effective way to engage prospective and nurture current customers. Brianna Plank will be reaching out to exhibitors and sponsors very shortly, or you can contact her directly here.
    
• Hotel/Travel Questions
  • I secured lodging in Calgary, Alberta over the original in-person meeting dates. What will happen to my hotel/housing reservation?
    Cancellations of any hotel/housing reservations previously made in Calgary, Alberta are the responsibility of the individual on the reservation and must be made directly with the hotel/property and in accordance with their cancellation policy.
  
  
  • Does the association reimburse me for my travel expenses incurred (i.e., airfare, rental car fees, visa fees) now that the event has shifted to all virtual?
    Cereals & Grains Association is not liable for any travel expenses incurred, which include, but are not limited to, nonrefundable airfares or ticket change penalties imposed by the airlines, rental car fees/cancellation fees, visa fees, etc. Please speak directly with your travel vendors, as they may have their own reimbursement options for you.
    

​​​​​​​​​​​Additional Questions?