We hope you are as excited as we are about returning to St. Louis, Missouri for the 2024 World Congress on In Vitro Biology from June 8 – 12, 2024. Before you jump on that plane, train, or automobile, take a moment to review these updates, so you have all the information you need before you arrive. We look forward to you joining us in River City!

THE FINAL SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE ONLINE!

The World Congress program schedule can be found on our website. The full program and abstracts will be available to meeting registrants through a special meeting website and the official Mobile App. These online resources will be provided to those who have registered in advance for the In-Person meeting, and will also be made available after the meeting to those who have registered for the On-Demand Program. Please remember that abstracts will be published in an online proceedings made freely available on Springer’s website toward the end of the year, in lieu of an on-site abstract issue, so the Mobile App will be essential for your participation in St. Louis. In advance of the in-person meeting, all In-Person pre-registrants will be emailed a private link to the special event website along with their personal access key and login. This means you can take the meeting on the go with you through a tablet or your phone! You will be able to take notes on presentations, network with other attendees, set your schedule, review abstracts, and more, all in the palm of your hand! If you are registering on site, you will be provided with directions to log in and access the content at the time of your registration. In the meantime, you can make your plans by viewing the full online program on the SIVB’s website.

Remember, if you didn’t register in advance, On-Site Registration will be available at SIVB’s Registration Desk, found at the Regency Coat Room of the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch beginning on Saturday, June 8 at 7:00 am. If you plan to register once you arrive in St. Louis, here are the onsite registration rates.

The Hyatt’s address is:

Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch

315 Chestnut Street

St. Louis, MO 63102

Phone: (314) 655-1234

VIEWING THE ON-DEMAND LIMITED ACCESS PROGRAM
Two (2) weeks after the in-person meeting concludes, all registrants of the On-Demand Limited Access Program will be sent their individual link and access key to view the on-demand program content. At that time, you will be able to create an account to watch the pre-recorded presentations, view the virtual posters, and interact with all meeting participants (both in-person and on-demand) through the My Experience networking resource. Are you unable to travel to St. Louis, but still want to enjoy the scientific experience you can only find at an SIVB meeting? You can still register for the Exclusive On-Demand Limited Program through June 6!

REMINDERS FOR ATTENDING THE MEETING IN ST. LOUIS
All students, Post Docs, and research technicians planning to register on site will be required to provide proof of your student, Post Doc or Research Technician status when registering. This also applies to those who registered in advance but did not email their proof to our office by May 22. Proof of student status can be one (1) of the following: student ID, letter from your supervisor stating your current status, or current class schedule. Proof of Post Doctoral or Research Technician status should be a letter from your supervisor stating your current status as a Post Doc or research technician. If you do not bring this proof, you may be required to pay the regular registration rate to attend the meeting.

MORE INFORMATION FOR STUDENT ATTENDEES
Throughout the meeting, there will be opportunities for your participation in a variety of symposia, workshops, meetings, and events focusing on your professional growth. We encourage all students to participate in these events and sessions:

Saturday Student Social and Pizza Party
Saturday night Student and Post Doc Private Networking Opportunity
Sunday Student Networking Luncheon – The Proper Use of English in Scientific Writing
Sunday Student Workshop: Single Cell RNA Sequencing
Student and Post-Doctoral Oral Presentation Competitions for both Plant Biotechnology and In Vitro Animal Cell Sciences
Student Poster Competition
Monday Student Affairs Business Meeting and Luncheon

THE STUDENT POSTER COMPETITION RETURNS!
The Society for In Vitro Biology is pleased to announce the long-anticipated return of the Student Poster Competition. Every student who presents an in-person poster or Lightning Talk is eligible to be considered for this competition. During each of the scheduled in-person poster presentations, expert judges will circulate the exhibit hall to review the posters and ask questions of the presenters. The Student Poster Competition session serves to recognize and reward the research and presentation skills of students. The Plant Biotechnology Section and IVACS Section will each select first- and second-place winners. These winners will be announced and presented with a cash award during the SIVB Business Meeting in Regency B on Tuesday, June 11 at 5:00 pm.

SPECIAL EVENTS ON SATURDAY
We also encourage you to take advantage of the Saturday Pre-conference workshops being offered. Come early and attend the 16^th International Conference on Invertebrate and Fish Cell Culture focusing on current advances in cell/tissue culture technologies and their applications in fish and invertebrate cell culture systems. The Mastering Plant Transformation Vector Design Workshop will offer valuable knowledge and resources to enhance your vector design skills; the Back to Basics: Media Formulations & Preparations Workshop will revisit the fundamental principles of selecting appropriate media components, along with the media preparation and quality control processes pertinent to media formulation; and The Culture Club: Unraveling the Complexities of Media Formulation Roundtable discussion will explore the complexity of media formulation in the context of both plant and animal/invertebrate tissue culture applications.

SHARE IN THE EXCITEMENT AT OUR SILENT AUCTION
SIVB is thrilled to be holding our 25^th annual silent auction fundraiser at this year’s meeting. The River City Silent Auction will begin on Saturday night and run until Tuesday at 10:30am. The auction will have interesting pieces for everyone to bid on with values ranging from a few dollars to priceless. Bid often and bid high for the treasures you want! This dynamic event was established by Marietta Wheaton Saunders at the 2000 World Congress as a way to support the SIVB and its Student Initiative. It is one of the most entertaining parts of the meeting, and it requires your support to be successful. If you have an item, experience, or service you would like to donate to support the SIVB, please email [email protected] to let us know what you are bringing and its approximate value. Please drop it off at the SIVB Registration Desk at the Regency Coat Room when you arrive on Saturday and we will gratefully include it in the River City Silent Auction.

MAKING PURCHASES AT THE HOTEL
The Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch is now a cashless hotel, so remember to bring your credit or debit card to make purchases at the venue, especially for the receptions and other personal needs during the meeting.

AND DON’T FORGET THE FUN!

This year, we are offering a number of special opportunities for you to enjoy some of the unique attractions found in our host city, St. Louis. You can purchase tickets for these 2 events when you check in at the Registration Desk at the Regency Coat Room, but do so quickly as space is limited and tickets won’t last long!

Have you ever wanted to make your own music or learn about where the blues began? Join us on Tuesday evening, June 11 for a special dinner event where you can explore the National Blues Museum. Tickets are $105 and include transportation, admission to the museum and gift shop for the duration of our event, live music, and dinner.

Enjoy a unique opportunity to explore MilliporeSigma and The McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, two facilities internationally known for their expertise in research involving human health, drug, and therapeutics development in St. Louis. Tickets to this exciting event are $50 and include transportation, boxed lunch, and tours of both venues.

St. Louis offers a down home feel with cosmopolitan benefits including world-class sports, theater, live music, art, and more that are all within reach! We do hope you will take time to enjoy the city when you are not in sessions. Read about all the things you can do and get ready for some fun!

Weather in St. Louis is sunny and warm with an average temperature ranging between 64°F (17.7°C) and 84°F (28.8°C) the entire time of the meeting. For more details about the dates of our meeting, please view the local weather.