Anyone who has ever attended an SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo can attest, “The meeting is large.” How large?
This size and scope mean that SOT is sometimes limited in where and when it can host its meeting, and because of this, the Society has to contract space years in advance. For instance, right now, SOT is booked through 2031!
As SOT Council prepares to book meetings for 2032 and beyond, we wanted to get input from the SOT membership on which factors were most important in considering meeting locations, the degree of acceptable wiggle room on meeting dates, pricing considerations, and more. A survey of the SOT membership was conducted in March and April to gather this feedback from you. Thank you to all who participated!
For those curious about the results of the survey, SOT Council would like to share some of the topline takeaways.
Location, Location, Location
When asked about the most important factors in prioritizing meeting city choices, proximity of accommodations to the convention center was the top priority, followed by cost of accommodations and travel, and avoidance of cities/states with discriminatory laws or limited access to health care for women and other groups.
Variety Is the Spice of Life
An overwhelming majority (75+%) would prefer that the meeting takes place in various cities versus locking in a rotation between just two cities. Many city recommendations were received and will be explored.
All About Timing
Most people preferred for the meeting to remain in mid- or late-March, with early-April coming in as third favorite.
Show Me the Money
When asked about registrations fees. A majority of respondents (a combined 82%) expressed that they would tolerate a small (up to $50) to moderate ($50–100) increase in registration fees to offset meeting costs associated with more expensive meeting locations, such as San Diego, California.
A Place to Rest My Head
The cost of hotel rooms per night was somewhat to very important to 89% of respondents.
Thank you, again, to those who participated in the survey, and SOT Council looks forward to exploring and choosing future meeting locations with the assistance of this feedback.
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