Like many organizations, we have been closely monitoring the outbreak COVID-19 and its effect on our meetings and events. Our highest priority remains the health and safety of our attendees, staff, and communities in which our meetings will take place. While we had been hopeful that we could hold the 101st Annual Meeting as planned, we heard from an overwhelming majority of our past authors and attendees through our survey that at this time, they are not comfortable traveling to New Orleans for in-person sessions. Given this, we have decided to move all components of the 101st Annual Meeting to a virtual format.

Our Annual Meeting is an important event to us and to many of you and we hope that this alternate format allows us to share our science and interact with one another. We hope that by eliminating travel costs and setting registration rates as low as possible, we can maximize participation. While the 101st Annual Meeting will look and feel very different from other Annual Meetings, we are still hoping that it will be the best one yet!

For additional information on AMS Meetings and COVID-19, please view our webpage.

• All Oral and Poster Sessions for our Conferences and Symposia
  • Core Science Keynotes
  • Lectures
  • Named Sessions
  • Presidential Forum and Presidential Sessions
  • Oral Presentations
  • Panel Discussions
  • Poster Presentations
• Exhibits
• Town Hall Meetings and Side Panels
• Short Courses and Workshops
  • For the first time AMS will be scheduling virtual short courses separately throughout the months following the Annual Meeting (Feb-May) as they will serve as a post-meeting supplement. Short Course slots will be reserved by organizers/instructors  via calendar on a first come first serve basis. While many details are still being worked out, we are excited about the opportunities that come along with this new format. We hope that this will allow even more participation, networking and engagement from our global weather, water and climate community. The Annual Short Course page will be updated regularly as more information becomes available.
• AMS Committee and Board Meetings
  • We are encouraging all boards and committees to meet post Annual Meeting. More information about scheduling these meetings will be emailed to the committee or board chairperson.
• Select Events
  • Awards Ceremony
• Networking Opportunities

10-15 January, 2021. While we plan to release some content for on-demand viewing before the Annual Meeting takes place, on 4 January 2021, we are also planning many live elements and thus we encourage you to block off as much of your calendar as possible that week to maximize your ability to participate. Please also plan to spend time from 4 January to the start of the meeting to login to the virtual event platform, familiarizing yourself with it, building your agenda, and also watching on demand presentation recordings and other content.

All live sessions will take place in Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Please note that when you view the Online Program it shows YOUR time zone and not Eastern.

The online program is now available! 

Registration for the 101st Annual Meeting is open! Register now! 

Presenters, please note that the $95 abstract submission fee is separate from the registration fee. All presenters must register for the 101st Annual Meeting.

Additional information on registration and rates can be found on the Registration webpage.

You will be able to access past sessions in the platform for 3 months post-event.

Sessions will be recorded and available for up to three months after the conclusion of the event. All sessions will be posted about 48 hours after the live session. You will also receive an email once all sessions have been posted within the virtual platform.

We recommend that you prepare by blocking off as much of your calendar as possible during the week of the Annual Meeting (10am-5pm EST 11-15 January) as well as set aside time 4-9 January to login to the virtual event platform, familiarizing yourself with it, building your agenda, and also watching on demand presentation recordings and other content.

We are still working out the details for our new virtual format but we can share that registered attendees will access all virtual content related to the 101st Annual Meeting through a virtual event platform customized for AMS.  In this platform, each attendee will be provided a personalized and customizable interface allowing them access to their own personal agenda, offering them the opportunity to network with other attendees and exhibitors, view posters and interact with poster attendees,  view presentations on demand, as well as attend live discussions and sessions.

More information will be available on this FAQ page as planning progresses. We will be posting much more information for presenters and session chairs in early November, when we post the online program and detailed agenda for the conference.

Information regarding Zoom can be found here.

Additionally, some helpful resources can be found on the here and quick how-to videos can be found here. You are also able join a test meeting to help familiarize yourself with Zoom.

We expect about 7500 people to attend the 101st Annual Meeting. We would have expected about 4500 people to join us in person in New Orleans and we hope thanks to the virtual format and lack of travel costs associated with attending virtually, more people from around the world will be able to take part in the 101st Annual Meeting.

When we pivoted to a virtual meeting, we had hoped to host a smaller, in-person meeting in New Orleans for those who would still like to gather. It has become increasingly clear it will not be safe to do so, and we have focused all of our efforts into offering the very best virtual meeting experience for everyone. 

During the Annual Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to participate in Daily Networking Breakouts, Virtual Events, and peer to peer networking. If you have topic suggestions please complete this form. We know that evening Networking Events are very important at in-person meetings, and we are working to adapt these events to a virtual environment. Throughout the 101st Annual Meeting, attendees who opt in will be able to connect via text chat or video conference with other attendees, speakers, poster presenters, and exhibitors. More information can be found on the Networking and Events webpage.

View the call for papers for the Conferences and Symposia that will take place during the Annual Meeting and submit an abstract by 24 August 2020. Accepted authors will be notified in early November. Please note that the $95 abstract submission fee is separate from the registration fee. All presenters must register for the 101st Annual Meeting.

• If you would like organizers to consider your abstract for the new virtual format - do nothing! We are currently considering your abstract and will notify you of acceptance in early November.
• If you would like to make a change to your submission (title, author list, presenter designation, preferred presentation format, abstract text) based on the new virtual format, please email [email protected] as the deadline to do so has passed.
• If you are not able or not willing to present in the new virtual format, please email [email protected] as the deadline to do so has passed. The deadline to receive a refund on your abstract submission fee has also passed.

Presenters who submitted an abstract to the 101^st Annual Meeting will be assigned one of the following presentation types:

Paper Presentation (Lightning Talk)

Most oral sessions during the virtual 101^st Annual Meeting will consist of 5 minute live Lightning Talks. These live paper presentations will consist of a brief summary by the presenter but should focus on Q&A and/or discussion. Paper presenters will be asked to submit (1) summary slide that will be shown by tech support during their live Paper presentation time. Paper presenters must also upload a prerecorded 15 minute presentation video file that attendees can watch before the live paper presentation time. Unless otherwise noted, paper presentations occur in 5 minute increments

Keynote Presentation and Lectures

Some oral sessions will include a keynote presentation or lecture. A  keynote or lecture, for the virtual 101^st Annual Meeting is defined as a live talk that is longer than 5 minutes. Keynote presenters and lecturers must upload a prerecorded presentation video file but it will not be available for viewing before the live Keynote presentation or lecture time. The prerecorded presentation file will only be shown in event of technical difficulty. Keynote presenters and lecturers must upload their presentation slides before the meeting as they will be shown by tech support during their live Keynote presentation or lecture time.

Panel Discussion

Other oral sessions will be organized as a panel discussion. A panel discussion is a live discussion involving multiple speakers. Speakers may or may not have slides but if they do, all slides for all speakers will needed to be combined into one slide deck and uploaded before the meeting as they will be shown by tech support during the live Panel Discussion time. Panelists will not be able to share their screen. Panel discussion sessions will include time for Q&A/Discussion at end of Session block.

Poster Presentation

In order to organize a successful virtual event, the AMS and the Overall Planning Committee for the 101^st Annual Meeting did condense the amount of concurrent sessions for the virtual meeting down to 24 (rather than the 45+ concurrent sessions normally held during an in person AMS Annual Meeting). While changing our format to focus mainly on 5 minute lightning talks during oral sessions did help us to assign almost as many of our abstracts to oral presentations as in an inperson meeting, some abstract submitters may be assigned a virtual poster, rather than the oral presentation that they indicated as a preference during submission. While we will keep these submissions in mind in the event of an oral presentation cancellation/withdrawal, we do want to make note that the virtual posters for the 101^st Annual Meeting will offer presenters much more functionality than an in person meeting. 

All poster presenters will be able to upload a pdf of their poster as well as a 15 minute prerecorded presentation about their poster. During their designated poster session, poster presenters will be able to interact with attendees through text chat as well as video chat.

We recognize that presenting virtually is new for many of us. We will be posting information and tips for speakers, panelists, poster presenters, moderators, session chairs, program chairs, and student volunteers in November and will be holding virtual training sessions starting in December.

While the Lightning Talks and Poster Sessions are very similar, there are a few differences as well. Paper Presentation (Lightning Talk) will consist of 5 minute live Lightning Talks. This consists of a brief summary, but should focus on Q&A and/or discussion. Paper presenters will be asked to submit (1) summary slide that will be shown by tech support during their live Paper presentation time. Paper presenters must also upload a pre-recorded 15 minute presentation video file that attendees can watch before the live paper presentation time. Poster presenters will be able to upload a pdf of their poster as well as a 15 minute pre-recorded presentation about their poster. During their designated poster session, poster presenters will be able to interact with attendees through text chat as well as video chat.

Most oral sessions during the virtual 101st Annual Meeting will consist of 5-minute live Lightning Talks. These 5-minute live presentations will consist of a brief summary by the presenter, but should mostly focus on Q&A and/or discussion. Presenters must upload a prerecorded 15-minute presentation video file, in addition to the (1) summary slide that will be shown by tech support live during the 5-minute presentation time. Attendees can watch the prerecorded 15-minute presentation video file as homework prior to the live paper presentation time.

Guidelines on recording your presentation, including accepted video formats, can be found here.

Pre-recorded presentation video files should be uploaded to the Presenter’s Zone by 28 December.

All uploaded content should be final. 

Please note as we are using a different platform this year and you will not be uploading your pre-recorded presentation in Presenter’s Corner. You will receive a separate link to log into Presenter's Zone. However, you will need to register in order to have access to the rest of the platform.

The Presenter’s Zone will be available on 14 December. 

You will receive a separate link to log into the Presenter's Zone. Please note, you will need to register in order to have access to the rest of the platform.

Yes, Summary Slide Templates are now available for those giving lightning talks. The templates can be found here.

No, you will upload your summary slide or presentation slides ahead of time. There will be an AV tech that will have control over all of the slides.

Unfortunately, no you cannot include a video in your Summary Slide.

Summary Slides are intended to be a brief reminder of your pre-recorded presentation. Ideally everyone would have watched your presentation and have prepared questions. Adding a video may create confusion for our AV Tech and will take away from your 5-minute Q&A time.  

We recognize that presenting virtually is new for many of us. Information and tips for presenters, moderators, session chairs, program chairs, and student volunteers can be found here. We will be providing tutorial videos and holding virtual training sessions on the dates listed below.

• December 14: Speaker Tutorial Video will be posted on the Speaker Information page
• December 14: Poster Presenter Tutorial Video will be posted on the Poster Presenter Information page
• December 17: Session Chair and Volunteer Tutorial video will be posted on the Session Chair Information page
• January 5: Live Session Chair/Volunteer Training Session for Lightning Sessions
• January 5: Live Session Chair/Volunteer Training Session for Lectures, Panels, and Town Hall Meetings
• January 5: Live Session Chair/Volunteer Training Session for Presidential Sessions, Student Conference, and Early Career Conference

You will receive an email from the address AMS2021 <[email protected]> the week of 4 January with an invite and link to join the Zoom Webinar as a speaker. If you do not receive your link links 72 hours before your session begins, please reach out. Please accept that invitation to confirm receipt. Join your session via this link 30 minutes before it is scheduled to begin (not through the virtual meeting platform) so that you can answer audience questions during your presentation. If you cannot find the email with your link to join Zoom Webinar, please email [email protected]. 

We expect to enlist student volunteers to help run the 101st Annual Meeting. Once we have identified with which aspects of the virtual format we will need assistance, we will post student volunteer opportunities on the 101st Annual Meeting website’s student page.

We will soon be seeking the help of volunteers to moderate and assist with various other parts of the 101st Annual Meeting. Once we have identified aspects of the virtual format where we will need assistance, we will post volunteer opportunities on the 101st Annual Meeting website. In the meantime, please send any suggestions to [email protected].

It is our sincere desire to comply fully with both the letter and the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and to ensure that this and all Annual Meetings are useful, productive, inclusive, and accessible for all. For questions about accessibility or to make suggestions, please contact AMS staff by email ([email protected]) or by phone (617-226-3916). Four-week advance notice is recommended to ensure seamless action.

Additional information can be found on the Accessibility at the Meeting webpage.

Still have questions? Please reach out to the AMS Meetings Department at [email protected].

Each exhibiting organization will have a dedicated web page within the Annual Meeting site to display videos and upload materials for attendees to browse. You can chat with exhibit staff live via text or video chat during daily exhibit hours. Attendees will also be able to leave messages at a booth or schedule a private meeting.

Information and rates on exhibiting at the 101st Annual Meeting can be found here:

                https://annual.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/2021/exhibitors/