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From A to Z, here's what you need to know about on-site logistics and policies at Schools Connect in Long Beach, California, and (when applicable) the online conference.
ASHA is committed to providing an outstanding experience for all participants at its in-person events. We strive for access to all activities—to the fullest extent possible—at these events based on an awareness of participants' needs and appropriate planning. Accessibility accommodations relating to mobility, hearing, vision, or other areas may be provided at the live event.
We ask that requests for reasonable accommodations at our live events be made as early as possible, and well in advance of the event, so we may best accommodate individual needs and requirements. On-site requests will be accommodated to the best of our ability; however, available resources may be limited. Read more about accessibility at live ASHA events.
Scooter rentals in Long Beach are available through advance reservations. For information, visit our scooter rental vendor’s website. Costs for rental and delivery are billed directly to the attendee.
If you anticipate needing reasonable accommodations to participate in the online conference, email us at ashaconnect@asha.org.
Business casual attire is recommended. Session rooms are often cool, and attendees are advised to dress in layers. Comfortable walking shoes are a must.
Name badges will be issued to all registered in-person attendees, regardless of registration type, and must be worn at all times to gain entrance to sessions, food functions, and the Exhibit Hall. See details about how and where to obtain your badge on the Registration page.
See the Cancellations and Refunds policy for the in-person event and online conference on the Registration page.
Talking on cell phones is strictly prohibited during all education sessions and other non-social events. Cell phones should always be in silent mode during sessions and events to avoid disruption. Recording and photography are prohibited during sessions and events without prior consent from the presenter. (See Photography, Recording, and Release Policy below.)
Schools Connect is a professional development event and is not intended to be inclusive of children. Due to safety and liability issues, children under age 18 are not permitted in the Exhibit Hall, and strollers are not permitted in the Exhibit Hall or in session rooms. Due to space limitations in session rooms and the potential for disruption, the presence of children in education sessions is discouraged. ASHA does not provide childcare services; however, hotel concierges can provide information about on-site childcare services or other local options.
The proper format to use when citing sessions offered at the conferences is: Last Name, First Initial. (2023, July). Session name. Session presented at ASHA Schools Connect, Long Beach, California.
All attendees at the in-person event and online conference are expected to abide by ASHA's Code of Conduct for Meetings. ASHA expects all participants to respect each other, ASHA staff, volunteers, and center staff, and to behave in a courteous and civilized fashion. Attendees should respect common sense rules for public behavior, personal interaction, common courtesy, and respect for private property. Abusive, harassing, or threatening behavior toward any other attendee or directed at any volunteer, ASHA staff, center staff, or security will not be tolerated. Please report any incidents in which an attendee is abusive, insulting, intimidating, bothersome, or acting in an unsafe or illegal manner to ASHA staff or security immediately.
We value your feedback and opinions. Feedback on specific sessions is collected as part of the online CE reporting process, and feedback on the conference overall is collected as part of a follow-up survey. If you have suggestions, concerns, or other feedback that you need to share immediately, you may request a comment card at Registration or complete the online comment form.
See the CE Credit page for full details about earning continuing education credit for your participation.
Your health and safety are of the utmost importance to ASHA. Do not attend if you test positive for COVID-19, have any symptoms, or feel unwell on the days of the event. There is no COVID-19 vaccination requirement to attend this event, and masks are recommended but not required. If local mask requirements change, we may update the policy.
There will be a first aid services area in the center should an attendee need medical assistance. If there is an emergency, please use one of the house phones to alert security and then report the emergency at the ASHA Registration Desk.
Pharmacies are available close by, including one at 596 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802.
Your safety and security are important, so please remember some general safety tips during your stay in Long Beach. Do not wear your conference badge outside conference functions or on the street. Answer your hotel room door only when you can identify the person knocking. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and note the closest emergency exit in all facilities. Walk in groups when you are outside the hotels and convention center. Always let someone know where you are going when you leave the hotels.
Full details about making hotel reservations can be found on the Hotel & Travel section of this website. For questions about housing, contact Maritz Global Events, the Official Housing Provider for 2023 ASHA Schools Connect, at 864-208-3706.
ASHA is not responsible for items lost during the conference or for returning found items to attendees. Found items will be held at Registration, located on Level 1 in the Promenade lobby, for the duration of the conference. On Saturday, July 15, all items will be turned over to the convention center. At that point, it is the responsibility of attendees to follow up with the convention center to retrieve lost items.
A luggage and coat check will not be available at the convention center during the conference. Attendees are encouraged to utilize their hotel storage options, when available.
Before the online conference opens on July 26, all registrants (including in-person registrants) will get an email with instructions for how to log into the online conference. Registrants can log in beginning July 26. You'll simply log into your ASHA Account with your username and password and then select the name of the conference under "ASHA Courses and Orders."
The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center has three parking garages and one ground-level parking lot. Full details on parking (including a link to reserve parking) are available on the convention center website.
A private room will be available for nursing mothers and others with sensitive personal health needs or in need of quiet space. Please note that the room is not staffed, and ASHA is not responsible for items left in the room. Refrigerators are not provided, so please plan accordingly. Visit Registration for the location of Personal Consideration Room.
In 2012, disclosure requirements designed to promote transparency in the design, development, and presentation of courses offered for ASHA CEUs took effect. The disclosure requirements provide conference attendees with a more complete context in which to evaluate presenters’ information. All presenters have been required to disclose relevant financial and nonfinancial relationships—or lack thereof—and must, at the beginning of the session or presentation, make a disclosure statement. Presenter disclosures are also available on the mobile app and this website. To report a presenter disclosure issue, stop by Registration and ask for a comment form or use our web form (see Comments and Feedback above).
Photo Release Policy
By registering for the conference, you agree to allow ASHA to use your image in ASHA-related publications, on the ASHA website and social media, or in other association materials.
Photography/Recording Policy
Sessions: Whether for personal or commercial use, audio, video, and digital recordings; live streaming or broadcasting; and photography are all strictly prohibited during all conference education sessions unless consent from the presenter is explicitly granted or obtained prior to the start of the session. If the presenter does not explicitly state that you may record the session or photograph slides at the start of the presentation, assume that it is not permitted. Any individual who does not comply with this policy will be asked to leave the session or event and to surrender their recording media. Under no circumstances may presentations be rebroadcast.
Exhibit Hall: Exhibitors may use cameras/video in their own booth areas consistent with their exhibiting goals; however, photography, video production, and/or graphic reproduction of other exhibitors’ booths and products displayed therein are prohibited unless authorization is obtained from the other exhibitor. Commercial use of photographs/video of attendees by exhibitors is prohibited unless written consent is given by the attendee.
Social Activities: Personal photography is permitted at social functions.
ASHA does not sell the contact information of Schools Connect registrants. We do provide some information to companies exhibiting at the in-person event for their marketing purposes; they are entitled to contact you once, either before or after the in-person event. You may opt out of sharing your information with exhibitors during the in-person registration process. Please note that doing so does not remove you from any lists that may be managed by ASHA Marketing. To remove yourself from these lists, you must call the ASHA Action Center at 800-498-2071. When you allow an exhibitor to scan your badge in the Exhibit Hall, you are opting in to share your information with that particular exhibitor, regardless of what you selected during the registration process.
Extensive planning goes into scheduling sessions in appropriately sized rooms; however, overcrowding occasionally occurs. If a session room reaches capacity, attendees must follow the instructions provided by ASHA, the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, and/or security staff. Attendees may be instructed not to stand against the walls or block the aisles or doors, or they may be denied entry if the room is too crowded. ASHA is obligated to abide by the guidelines established by the Fire Marshal in Long Beach. If a room reaches full capacity and we do not have your cooperation, the Fire Marshal has the authority to delay or even terminate the event until any problem has been satisfactorily corrected. If a room is at full capacity, please attend a different concurrent session and access the recorded version of the preferred session during the online conference.
ASHA encourages the use of social media (use #ASHASchoolsConnect23) and blogging at the conference as a way for attendees to summarize, highlight, and promote presentations or share their thoughts on their experience in general, provided that presentation content and materials are not shared in full and authors or presenters are referenced and cited where appropriate (see Photography and Recording Policies above). Please keep in mind that presenters hold the intellectual property rights and copyrights to their materials.
Each individual attending Schools Connect 2023 assumes all risks associated with their attendance and participation in on- and off-site activities. Each individual participant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless ASHA and its governing bodies, officers, directors, employees, and/or agents from all loss, damage, or liability arising out of or related to their attendance at the conference.
The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center offers free Wi-Fi (wireless internet service) in all public spaces and meeting rooms.