First-time Attendees

Welcome to your first AMS Annual Meeting! We are excited to have you join us for our Centennial meeting in Boston! This is a great opportunity for you to enhance both your personal and professional growth as a member of weather, water, and climate community. Below are some tips to make the most of it:

Prior to the Conference

  • Check out the Information for All Attendees.
  • Figure out which sessions you’d like to attend and whom you’d like to meet. The author index and presentation titles will be available in the conference program in early October.
  • Follow the AMS Annual Meeting on Twitter and Facebook, and download the 100th Annual Meeting App in early December. Check here for information: https://annual.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/2020/programs/mobile-app/ . You don’t have to wait until the conference to tweet; start using #AMS2020 now!
  • Upload your resume and pack extra business cards if you are attending the AMS Career Fair. The Career Fair is a great opportunity to interview with organizations, network with government agency and private industry employees, and meet recruiters from some of the country’s best graduate school programs—all in one convenient location. 

At the Conference

  • Don’t miss the Newcomer’s Welcome and Informational Exchange (Sunday 12 January, 2:30 PM in BCEC 104 A). This session is designed to provide first-time attendees with an overview of the Annual Meeting and suggestions on how to get the most out of their time while attending the meeting.
  • Have a question? Ask an AMS Beacon, who may be identified by their bright yellow lanyards, or stop by the AMS Information Desk for assistance.
  • Read The Front Page Blog during the meeting for daily updates on events and conference information.
  • Tweet using #AMS2020! If you’re enjoying a particular session or event, let other attendees know about it.
  • You can use your laptop or smartphone during a session. Typing notes during a talk is okay; so is tweeting. Just be mindful of other attendees and respectful of the speakers. Don’t forget to turn down the volume on your device as well.
  • You don’t have to stay for the full length of a session. The speakers and their presentation titles for each session in the scientific program or mobile app are listed in the order in which they will be presented. If you plan on staying for just a short period of time, grab a seat near the door so you can easily slip out.
  • Visit the exhibits. Exhibitors come from all over the United States and abroad, with over 100 organizations showcasing a wide range of products, publications, and services. Demonstrations of new and innovative equipment are given daily! Remember to take the opportunity to socialize while checking out the future trends in equipment, systems, and software.

After the Conference

  • Every year, shortly after the meeting, registrants will be emailed a link to an electronic survey. Your experiences and opinion of the meeting will help us to plan and organize future meetings and events.
  • Follow up with your new contacts. Send an email to those you’ve networked with to follow up on a question or discussion, or just to say “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
  • Watch recorded presentations. Miss a presentation or want to see another one again? Many of the presentations are recorded and will be available a few weeks after the end of the meeting.
  • Get involved in AMS! Become a member. Present at an upcoming meeting. Volunteer your talents to an AMS committee—you can volunteer online.

Professional and Respectful Conduct at AMS Meetings

Need to report unprofessional or disrespectful conduct? Email [email protected] or call 617-226-3965.

  • AMS is committed to safe and inclusive meetings for all attendees.
  • Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated at any meeting or event associated with the meeting.
  • All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Be inclusive and respectful
  • Those who violate the standards of professional and respectful conduct may be asked to leave the meeting immediately and without refund, may not be considered for service on AMS boards and committees, and may be subject to additional legal action.
  • Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination includes offensive comments and actions related to age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; and unwelcome sexual attention.
  • If you are the subject of unacceptable behavior or have witnessed any such behavior, please immediately:
  • If you witness or experience behavior that constitutes an immediate and serious threat, please call 911.
  • Members of the response team: 
    • Keith Seitter, Executive Director
    • Stephanie Armstrong, Associate Executive Director
    • Brian Papa, Associate Executive Director
    • Jen Ives,  Senior Meetings Manager
    • Claudia Gorski, Director of Meetings
    • Wendy Abshire, Education Program Director

Inclusivity at AMS

 AMS is committed to creating an environment for meetings that “embraces diversity through the inclusion of individuals across age, gender, race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, physical ability, marital status, sexual orientation, body shape or size, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, and other facets of social diversity” (see: Diversity and Inclusion at AMS).  

Inclusivity at the 100th Annual Meeting

 

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is committed to, and benefits from the full and equitable participation of a diverse community in its membership, in its activities, and in the audiences that it serves.

Plans for making the 100th Annual Meeting inclusive for all include:

  • Badge stickers denoting languages spoken as well as preferred gender pronouns are available at the registration desk
  • The Quiet Room (Commonwealth C) in the Westin Waterfront is available to any attendees who need a break from the hustle and bustle of the Annual Meeting
  • Accessible seating is available in each session room and in the poster hall
  • Caretakers are welcome to attend the Annual Meeting on a complimentary basis
  • Family restrooms are available to all meeting attendees throughout the BCEC
  • Nursing mothers are welcome to use the Mamava Pod in the southeast side of level 1 in the BCEC or the AMS Mother’s Room (Marina Ballroom Coatroom) in the Westin Waterfront
  • AMS has provided childcare grants to help offset costs for six parents to attend the Annual Meeting
  • Staff has arranged many accessibility accommodations by request according to the ADA
  • AMS has developed and continually enforces its policy Professional and Respectful Conduct at AMS Meetings

We invite all attendees to the following events:  

Colour of Weather Reception
Sunday, 12 January 2020, 7:30pm –9:30pm, Westin Waterfront – Marina Ballroom I

Coriolis Reception
Monday, 13 January 2020, 8:00pm –10:00pm, Westin Waterfront – Marina Ballroom III

Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN) Reception
Monday, 13 January 2020, 6:30pm –8:30pm, Rosa Mexicano Restaurant

Film: "Can We Talk? Difficult Conversations with Underrepresented People of Color"
Monday, 13 January 2020, 12:15pm –1:45pm, BCEC - 255

Women in the Atmospheric Sciences Luncheon
Tuesday, 14 January 2020, 12:00pm –1:30pm, BCEC - 205C

Presidential Town Hall: "Confronting Bullying, Discrimination, and Harassment in the Geosciences"
Wednesday, 15 January 2020, 12:15-1:15pm, BCEC - Room 210AB

Bystander Training Workshop: "Work climate: Responding to Sexual Harassment"
Wednesday, 15 January 2020, 1:30-4:30pm, BCEC - 205C

Joint Sessions organized by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Symposium including:

Joint Session 24: Women in the Tropics. Part I
Tuesday, January 14, 2020, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM, BCEC - Room 205B

Joint Session 27: Women in the Tropics. Part II
Tuesday, January 14, 2020, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, BCEC - Room 151A

Joint Session 62: Women in the Tropics. Part III
Thursday, January 16, 2020,10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, BCEC - Room 252A

Diversity, Equity, Belongingness, and Inclusion—Where Has the AMS Been and Where Should It Be Going
Thursday, January 16, 2020,10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, BCEC - Room 254A

Sessions organized by BWM including:

Translating Weather into the Spanish Language. Part I
Monday, January 13, 2020, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM, BCEC - Room 252B

Translating Weather into the Spanish Language. Part II
Monday, January 13, 2020, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, BCEC - Room 252B

AMS Board on Women and Minorities Annual Meeting
Tuesday, January 14, 2020, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM, Westin Waterfront – Executive Boardroom

A complete schedule of events organized by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Symposium can be found here.

The AMS has recently formed a Presidential Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) that is being co-chaired by Susan Avery and Melissa Burt. The goals of the task force are to

1)  Assess the effectiveness of the AMS’s broadening participation efforts and to determine if the current activities provide an integrated and coherent plan moving forward.

2)  Provide a strategic vision for D&I that could be integrated into the planning for the Centennial meeting that is currently underway.

3)  Suggest changes, including bold ones if needed, that would enhance D&I across the Society: AMS Diversity and Inclusion Task Force

For more information about Diversity and Inclusion at AMS, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion at AMS