VENUE

bcc Berlin Congress Center GmbH
Alexanderstraße 11
10178 Berlin (Germany)
+49 30 2380675 
www.bcc-berlin.de 

How to Get there

Public Transportation:
Regional Train: RE 1, RE 2, RE 7, RB 14
U-Bahn: U2, U5, U8
S-Bahn: S5, S7, S75
Bus: TXL (Airport), M48, 100, 200, 248, N2, N5, N42, N65
Tram: M2, M4, M5, M6

Travel by taxi:
From Tegel Airport:
- Distance: approx. 13 kilometers
- Driving time: approx. 35-60 minutes
- Price: approx. 30 Euros

From Schönefeld Airport:
- Distance: approx. 22 kilometers
- Driving time: approx. 35-60 minutes
- Price: approx. 40 Euros

The 2017 Molecular Mingle

Taking place on Thursday 19th October from 830pm, the Umspannwerk Alexanderplatz is within walking distance of the congress venue

Our delegate networking events have become a staple of our annual congresses, allowing for a fun and exciting environment in which to meet with your colleagues and friends. With our annual 'Molecular Mingle' we bring together what we feel is the best cultural representation of our host city and country, in terms of ambiance, entertainment, and most importantly: food!

The Molecular Mingle 2017 takes place in the famed 'Umspannwerk Alexanderplatz', a former electrical substation from the 1960s which has been redeveloped as an event space. Themed along the modern and edgy street art and street food, live cooking stations will be hosted by the famous German pop-up chefs 'Kochbox', who will offer an array of German street food to suit the environment.

Abstracts Submission Guidelines

YOU NEED TO HAVE REGISTERED TO THE CONGRESS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT.

More than 50% of the programme is dedicated to selected abstracts because we want to ensure that the best and most current research is presented. A large panel of international moderators reviews abstracts so that every abstract receives at least 3 reviewer scores.

Abstract submission guidelines: Make sure your abstract is in, on time and in the right format by following these simple steps:

1: Make sure you check the abstract deadline on the main congress page of the website

2: Your abstract should be no more than 250 words and should be in English.

3: Keep your title concise and informative and only use capital letters for the beginning of a sentence or an acronym/name. DO NOT USE CAPITAL LETTERS FOR YOUR ENTIRE TITLE.

4: List all authors’ name in full and it is compulsory to identify a presenting author. Please note the email address supplied when you submit your abstract will be used for all correspondence pertaining to the abstract.

5: Addresses should be in the following format: Group, Department/Institute, Organisation, Town/City, Postcode/Zip, Country

6: Do not include acknowledgements in your abstracts – these will be included in your word count.

7: Select the subject area that best fits your abstract as this is a guide for review allocation.

8: Please ensure that the email provided when submitting the abstract will still be valid by the time closer to the conference when the abstract notification is emailed.

Poster Guidelines

Posters should be made in a single A0 size (841mm wide x 1189mm high), portrait orientation. If your poster does not match these dimensions we cannot guarantee that it will fit the poster boards. Each poster will be allocated a number with your notification that you must bring with you.

What happens after you have submitted?

Your abstract will be sent for review and you will be notified of the outcome by email 1 month before the conference. Please note the notification email will be sent to the email given when you submitted your abstract. If you have not received notification 3 weeks before the event please contact the ESGCT Office immediately

PLEASE NOTE that all submitting authors will have to have read and agreed to the Abstract Submission Agreement prior to submission.

Accommodation for Invited Speakers and Delegates

The congress organisation itself does not manage any accommodation issues, however we are pleased to have appointed an agent who will work with you to arrange your accommodation.

Our appointed agent for accommodation and local tours is MCO International.

Please note that they will manage Invited Speaker as well as delegate accommodation, and payment and any queries will be managed by MCO International.

You can view and select available accommodation and tours on set up for the Berlin congress.

Complimentary Registration for Members of the Press

Complimentary ESGCT media registration is intended for professional science communicators (those whose primary income comes from science communication).  Print and broadcast reporters, freelance reporters with appropriate credentials may attend the meeting for the purpose of editorial coverage via complimentary press passes which you can access through the usual registration path.  Once you have registered you can apply the following voucher code Press17 which will reduce your registration fee to ZERO.  

Exclusions extend to companies, organisations and individuals producing publications, blogs, videos and/or other electronic media intended for marketing, advertising, financial analysis or public relations purposes. 

PLEASE NOTE that once registered, you will need to email me with a scan of your current press card and your registration details so your entitlement can be verified.

Embargo Policy

Media are required to abide by the embargo policies governing the ESGCT Annual Meeting. The ESGCT embargo policy states that coverage of meeting abstracts and poster presentations pre-published online, included in the printed abstract books and/or otherwise available is strictly prohibited until the start of each individual presentation. This embargo extends to blogging, tweeting and content dissemination through all other online and offline communications channels.

Speaker Guidelines and Information

Your Congress Registration

As invited speakers of the society's annual meeting, we appreciate you taking our or renewing your membership.

You can register for the congress via our website as normal; at checkout, please use the discount code Speaker17 which will reduce your registration fee to ZERO. If you are speaking at the Clinical Trial & Commercialisation Workshop, please select this workshop as an extra and apply voucher code CWCT17 at checkout.

Please note than any extras in addition to your registration need to be booked and paid for during this process, such as the Molecular Mingle gala dinner, Commercialisation Workshop, or abstract book.

Your Abstract

Please submit your abstract in good time so it can be included in the printed material - it must be received no later than 30th September, or we cannot guarantee inclusion in the Abstract Book. You can submit your abstract during the registration process, or log back in at any time to submit it. 

Audio-visual equipment

Please check your presentation into the speaker preview room at least 4 hours before your talk. It is also a good idea to bring a backup flash memory stick in the unlikely event of equipment failure.

There will be PowerPoint facilities in all Congress rooms - if you require any equipment aside from this please let us know. If you use PowerPoint slides, you are asked to ensure that the font size is large enough to be seen from the back of the room. A PowerPoint slide, for example, would normally contain a maximum of 8 lines of type in 24pt size or larger. Try to keep visual aids simple and to use them to highlight only the major points of your discussion.

AV technicians will be available each day so that presentations pre-loaded on Congress laptops may be viewed by speakers and they will be on hand to sort out any formatting issues should they arise. Speakers should inform AV technicians of special AV equipment needs BEFORE the session begins. Please be aware if you use MAC software you will need to supply your own laptop so please check this in with technicians at least 4 hours before your presentation.

Presentation

All presentations must be made in English. Whilst all the Congress lecterns have microphones, you should speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough so that everyone can hear and understand you

The audience should be able to comprehend and recall the key points of your talk. Use visual aids during your presentation, clarify or emphasize key ideas and details and increase audience recall of presented information. Your presentation is designed to inform and instruct. You are also encouraged to use colour and graphics, use light text on a dark background in dark rooms.

Speaker Etiquette

Each year our delegates feedback to us how important it is for the sessions to run on time. Sessions that overrun have a detrimental impact on all aspects of the congress so please carefully note the amount of time you have been allocated for your talk and ensure that you rehearse to these timings. Please note that your allocated time includes question time which, as you know, is an essential part of the congress.

Delegate attendance is based on the advertised programme; therefore it is imperative to follow the session structure of the Congress programme. The title of your presentation and your affiliation will be taken directly from your abstract.

Your presentation should not have been presented at any other event, unless it contains new information and has been adapted for the audience.

Please avoid misusing the Congress platform to promote or sell your company and its products or services. Corporate speakers should introduce their company briefly and provide relevant background information but please move to the focus of the session quickly. Speakers from the corporate sector must not have branding on presentational material, and will need to declare any conflicts of interests at the outset of the session. Universities and hospitals will be allowed to have branded logos on the front page of their presentations only.

Speaker and Chair Responsibilities

All speakers and Chairs should check in at the registration desk upon arrival at the Congress. Access to the Congress will only be granted with a registration badge which you should collect from the registration desk upon arrival.

Please arrive at the room approximately 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the session. Speakers should check-in with the Session Chair before session begins.

Expenses Reimboursement Guidelines

Thank you for being part of our annual congress, as specialists in your field you are vital in ensuring the relevancy and quality of our annual programme.

As such we aim to cover your travel and accommodation costs, but are bound by the congress budget to ensure its longevity, and the access to its programme for students from all over the world, one of our main aims. To this end the ESGCT operates a capped system to reimburse your expenses. These caps are outlined in your speaker information letter.

As the congress is inclusive of meals and refreshments during the main days and the accommodation is inclusive of breakfast, meals are generally not covered, as well as entertainment costs. You will be able to upgrade your room at your own cost, we will cover the standard room for yourself only, as well as economy class only for all travel.

The expense reimbursement form will be emailed to you after the congress. Funds will be processed in EURO and sent via bank transfer, and depending on when your form is received can take between 2-4 weeks to be processed and reach your account.

If you are representing a company, it is assumed that your company will be covering your costs in full to attend the congress and you will not be submitting an expenses claim.

Please send any questions regarding this process to me.

In the event that you cannot attend the Congress

We appreciate that unforeseen circumstances can sometimes result in you not being able to deliver your session. Under these circumstances we hope that you would be able to find a replacement speaker, and inform the Local Organising Committee and session Chairperson in good time so they are able to step in where necessary. We in turn ask that delegates arrive promptly for sessions and respect the speakers, chairs and data that is being presented.

Finally, we appreciate your involvement and the organisers welcome all feedback on any aspect of the Congress.

Please don’t hesitate to contact Gaëlle Jamar  if you do have any questions.
Email: office@esgct.eu
Mobile Phone: +44 (0)7766475379

The ESGCT has experienced fantastic growth over the past years, and we continue to focus on the programme, speakers, and networking opportunities.

One of our aims is to ensure we move around Europe and work with national societies where possible, often having to secure a venue many years before the time of the congress. Sometimes, taking all our aims into account, it is not possible to satisfy them all, and we base our decisions on what our delegates and supporters value most: opportunity to network, to engage with one another, to share new research and experiences.

In Berlin we have chosen a culturally exciting city, with the opportunity to collaborate with the German Society for Gene Therapy DG-GT. In Berlin we have selected the bcc as the most suitable venue taking into account accessibility, comfort, ease of use and appropriate technology. However, for this venue we have had to cap attendance at 1000 delegates, so please ensure that if you wish to join us at our 2017 congress, to register as soon as we open registrations on 1st May.

We also regularly evaluate our pricing structure to ensure we continue to offer the programme you have come to value and appreciate over the years, whilst ensuring we continue to prioritise students the way we have always done. We are pleased to continue to offer a fantastic scientific programme, networking opportunities, a heavily subsidised Molecular Mingle networking evening in addition to fully catered coffee and lunch breaks at rates that are lower comparable rates to other congresses.

Registrations and abstract submissions are now open.

For non-members: Membership is available here, and is currently priced at €60 for Academic, and €180 for Industry. Amongst other benefits, becoming a member gives you considerable savings on your registration rates.