We understand you may have questions regarding the 2025 In Vitro Biology Meeting and the available opportunities to attend. The FAQ below was designed to help address many of your questions. If your concern is not addressed, please reach out to us at the SIVB Business Office and we will reply to you as soon as possible.

We understand that many people are still limited regarding travel to scientific meetings; therefore, SIVB will offer both live In-Person and On-Demand Limited Access Registration opportunities.

WILL THERE BE AN IN-PERSON MEETING IN NORFOLK THIS YEAR?

Yes. SIVB will be meeting in person in Norfolk, Virginia at the Hilton Norfolk The Main. The in-person meeting will have live keynote, plenary, animal, education, and plant symposia; oral presentations; lightning talks; and poster sessions. There will be award presentations, receptions, socials, and networking opportunities throughout the duration of the program. The IVACS and Plant Biotechnology Sections will have their annual section meetings and SIVB committees will meet to discuss organizational business. Those who attend the meeting in person in Norfolk will also receive all of the online On-Demand Limited Access content after the meeting.

WHAT ARE THE DATES OF THE IN-PERSON MEETING?

The 2025 In Vitro Biology Meeting will run from Saturday, June 7, through Tuesday, June 10, 2025. While that’s one day shorter than our normal program, you won’t want to leave early as we are planning some special all-day scientific tours for Wednesday, June 11. So make your plans to stay through Wednesday to participate.

ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A VIRTUAL MEETING?

SIVB will be offering virtual content recorded during the In-Person program, but it will not be presented live. For those who are unable to attend the meeting in Norfolk, VA, but still want to enjoy some of the presentations from the program, you can register for “On-Demand Limited Access.”

WHAT DO I GET WITH “ON-DEMAND LIMITED ACCESS”?

On-Demand Limited Access will provide access to recorded sessions from some of the key highlights of the 2025 program. These will include the Keynote presentation, daily plenary sessions, the joint session, a student-organized symposium, and select animal and plant symposia. These pre-recorded presentations will be made available for your viewing approximately 2 weeks after the live 2025 Meeting concludes and will remain available through September 30, 2025. Sessions that are planned for inclusion in the On-Demand content will be marked by an asterisk (*) on the program page of the 2025 Meeting. Please note that this list may be subject to change.

Those who choose to register for On-Demand Limited Access will be provided with access to the Mobile App and website for the meeting once the on-demand program is released. Through the website and mobile app, you will be able to view the presentations. This may also include slides from sessions that are not part of the recorded program as well as some virtual poster presentations.

HOW CAN I REGISTER?

Registration is availble on our new database at this webpage. Registration rates reflect both the In-Person and On-Demand registration options.

I’M A CONVENER/MODERATOR/SPEAKER. AM I AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED?

Invited speakers who are not members of the SIVB will be registered as part of their participation in the meeting program. All conveners, moderators, and SIVB members who are presenting their work are required to register themselves to attend the meeting.

I PAID TO SUBMIT MY ABSTRACT. AM I REGISTERED?

Abstract submission is a separate process from meeting registration. You will also need to register for the meeting to attend in person or view the on-demand content.

I AM A STUDENT AND REGISTRATION IS FREE. I SUBMITTED MY ABSTRACT. AM I ALREADY REGISTERED?

No. While student registration is free, you still need to register for the 2025 Meeting. When you register, select the student option. The Business Office will reach out to all students who have submitted an abstract but have not registered for the meeting to remind them to do so. 

I AM REGISTERING THROUGH MY COMPANY AS A GROUP REGISTRANT. DOES THIS INCLUDE MEMBERSHIP IN THE SIVB?

Group registration is offered at a significantly discounted rate for 5 or more people from the same organization to attend the in-person meeting. It does not include membership in the Society. We would be thrilled to have you become a member, so if you wish to join or renew your membership with the SIVB, you can do so separately here.

WILL THERE BE ANY SPECIAL EVENTS OR TOURS IN NORFOLK AT THIS YEAR’S MEETING?

Yes! The Local Organizing Committee is arranging for a special evening event on Tuesday, June 10  and a scientific tour on Wednesday afternoon after the scientific program has concluded. More details on these opportunities will be included on this website as they become available.

I REGISTERED FOR ON-DEMAND ACCESS, BUT NOW WANT TO ATTEND THE IN-PERSON MEETING. WHAT CAN I DO?

Please contact the Business Office and let us know you wish to transfer your registration from On-Demand Limited Access to In-Person participation. We will invoice you for the difference in registration fees.

Note: If you are a student and receiving free registration to attend the meeting, you still must contact the Business Office to let us know that you will be attending in person. This assures we have planned for sufficient materials and food on-site at the hotel for your participation.

I REGISTERED FOR THE IN-PERSON MEETING BUT NOW CAN’T ATTEND. WHAT CAN I DO?

If you have already registered, but are no longer able to participate in the 2025 Meeting in-person, you may:

• Transfer your registration to On-Demand Limited Access. Please contact the Business Office and let us know you wish to transfer your registration from the In-Person meeting to On-Demand Limited Access. The difference in your registration fee may be donated as a contribution to the SIVB or refunded to you.
• Donate your registration to the Society for In Vitro Biology
  By converting your registration fee into a tax-deductible donation, you will support the Society for In Vitro Biology and its mission to foster the exchange of knowledge of in vitro biology of cells, tissues and organs from both plant and animals (including humans).  Upon written request, you will be sent a confirmation of this donation for your tax records.
• Request a refund: We will refund your meeting registration fees. Our refund policy is below under Disclaimers and Policies.

WHAT IS SIVB’S RECORDING POLICY?

Photographs, video, and live streaming may occur during this conference for social media and other event publicity purposes. Your registration and/or participation in the meeting indicates your consent to be photographed and grants the Society for In Vitro Biology the right to copy, distribute, and/or exhibit name(s) and/or pictur­e(s) of you.

WHAT IS SIVB’S HEALTH POLICY?

The US Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration ended on May 11, 2023, but SIVB continues to monitor the advisories and guidelines of local, US, and world health advisory organizations. As such, the 2025 World Congress on In Vitro Biology and Society for In Vitro Biology will adhere to local and national health rules and guidance, as issued by governing bodies such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) and the Norfolk, Virginia Health Department. If those rules and guidance require specific policies and procedures associated with in-person meeting attendance, Annual Meeting materials will be updated to inform registrants and potential registrants.

WHAT IS SIVB’S MEETING CODE OF CONDUCT?

SIVB’s Meeting Code of Conduct can be found here.

WHAT IS SIVB’S REFUND POLICY?

All requests for cancellations and/or refunds must be made in writing. Refunds are subject to an administrative processing fee of $50.00. The amount refunded is determined by the date the request is received. A full refund, less the administrative fee, will be granted if the request is received by March 31, 2025; one-half from April 1 to May 6, 2025; and no refunds will be issued after May 6, 2025. Exceptions to this policy will be made for attendees who are unable to attend the meeting due to a country ban, government restricted travel, or airline restrictions. Those individuals may cancel after the deadline and receive a full refund of the paid registration rate minus the $50 non-refundable administrative fee. Abstract fees are non-refundable.

CAN I SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT FOR POSTER PRESENTATION IF I AM REGISTERING FOR ON-DEMAND LIMITED ACCESS?

You can submit an abstract for consideration as a Virtual Poster Presentation. This opportunity is for attendees who cannot travel to attend the 2025 Meeting. Virtual poster authors will upload a PDF of their poster and will have the opportunity to record a description of their work. You may choose the option for a “Virtual Poster” when you complete your submission. Please Note: Do not submit an abstract for an interactive poster or oral presentation if you are not attending the in-person meeting.

CAN I SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT FOR ORAL OR LIGHTNING TALK PRESENTATION IF I AM REGISTERING FOR ON-DEMAND LIMITED ACCESS?

Unfortunately, all oral presentations and lightning talks will be part of the live in-person program only, so those submitting abstracts for consideration as oral or lightning talk presentations will need to register and attend the live 2025 meeting in-person in Norfolk.

CAN I SUBMIT A SILENT ABSTRACT IF I AM REGISTERING FOR ON-DEMAND LIMITED ACCESS?

Yes. The Silent Abstract is a special abstract category for authors unable to attend the meeting in person. Abstracts submitted for the Silent Abstract category follow the same abstract format, abstract fee, and scientific review/acceptance by the Program Committee; and, if accepted, will be printed in the proceedings published after the meeting. You may choose the option for a “Silent Abstract” when you complete your submission. PLEASE NOTE: Do not submit an abstract for a lightning talk or oral presentation if you are not attending the in-person meeting.

WHAT DOES ROLLING ABSTRACT ACCEPTANCE MEAN?

SIVB will be publishing all accepted abstracts after the meeting as a proceedings. This means that not only are abstracts being accepted and placed in the program after each deadline (January 31, February 28, and March 31), but you now have an opportunity to modify your abstract after acceptance and provide the most accurate data in our final publication. Submit your abstract in January to have guaranteed placement and the best chance to receive the presentation type you want in the program. Early placement will also allow you to apply for funding. Should you receive updated results of your research, you can adjust your abstract up until the meeting. PLEASE NOTE: Significant modifications to your abstract may result in re-review of your submission by the Program Committee.

WHAT ARE LIGHTNING TALKS?

In 2024, the SIVB began offering a new presentation category: Lightning Talks. These concise 5-minute oral presentations are an opportunity for poster presenters to give a preview of their research and entice the audience to visit them in the Exhibit Hall. These special oral presentations will be limited to a a maximum of 3 slides which will be advanced by a convener. Speakers are encouraged to keep their message simple, explain the broader significance or “big picture” of their research, and focus on key takeaways. Presenters will be able to provide greater details while standing at their poster during their assigned poster session immediately follow the lightning talks. These presentations replace the interactive poster sessions. We hope this new combination Oral and Poster Presentation opportunity continues to be beneficial to both presenter and audience alike.

WHERE ARE THE INTERACTIVE POSTER SESSIONS?

Instead of the interactive poster sessions, SIVB is now offering a special presentation category: Lightning Talks. A description of this new presentation opportunity is directly above this heading.

CAN I MODIFY MY ABSTRACT AFTER SUBMITTING IT?

Yes, abstracts can be modified in the Abstract Scorecard until they are sent to the Program Committee for review and placement. Additionally, after acceptance, you will be given the ability to update the text of your abstract if your research changes, and you will be able to do so up until close to the start of the meeting. Please be aware that if you make significant modifications to your abstract, it may result in re-review of your abstract by the Program Committee before you are allowed to present your research at the meeting.

IF ABSTRACTS CAN BE MODIFIED, WILL THERE BE AN ABSTRACT ISSUE HANDED OUT AT THE MEETING?

A program booklet will be distributed that will provide attendees with schedule and session overviews, and all abstracts will be made available through the meeting’s Mobile App and password-protected event website, but there will not be a formal abstract issue handed out at the meeting in Norfolk. Instead, in the fall, a proceedings book will be published which will include all abstracts presented both at the conference and virtually. This publication will be available online open access on SpringerNature’s website under SIVB’s In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology – Animal journal for both in-person and on-demand registrants.

HOW DO I UPLOAD MY PRESENTATION?

POSTER PRESENTATIONS:
Poster size is 4 ft. x 4 ft.. You will print and bring your poster with you to the event exhibit hall and set it up in the hall prior to the start of the meeting. There will be poster sessions available each day of the meeting and each regular poster author will need to be available for two of these sessions. The schedule of these events will be provided to you along with the details of your acceptance at a later date. Please note, in addition to bringing your poster with you to the meeting in Norfolk, you will also have the opportunity to upload your poster to the virtual poster gallery for the meeting and record audio describing your presentation for those who are unable to attend the meeting in person to view your work.

LIGHTNING TALKS: Presenters will need to provide their presentation in two formats:
1. PowerPoint:
You will need to prepare a PowerPoint presentation with a maximum of 3 slides which will be advanced by a convener for this portion of your presentation. Speakers are encouraged to keep their message simple, explain the broader significance or “big picture” of their research, and focus on key takeaways. Sessions will be held between 1:30 – 2:30 pm on both Monday and Tuesday. The specific date of your Lightning Talk session will be provided to you along with the details of your acceptance.

2. Poster:
Poster size is 4 ft. x 4 ft.. You will print and bring your poster with you to the event exhibit hall and set it up in the hall prior to the start of the meeting. Directly after the oral  presentation of your work, you will proceed to your poster in the exhibit hall to address additional Q&A. Please note, in addition to bringing your poster with you to the meeting in Norfolk, you will also have the opportunity to upload your poster to the virtual poster gallery for the meeting and record audio describing your presentation for those who are unable to attend the meeting in person to view your work.

VIRTUAL POSTER PRESENTATIONS:
Upon acceptance of your abstract, you will need to register for the 2025 In Vitro Biology Meeting’s On-Demand Limited Access. Once you have registered, you will be able to upload a PDF of your poster and record up to 5 minutes of audio describing your work. Directions on how to do this will be provided to you along with the details of your acceptance.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS:
You will need to prepare a PowerPoint presentation for your session. The specific date and time of your Oral Presentation Session will be provided to you along with the details of your acceptance.

For your presentation, you will be asked to both:

1. Upload a static version of your PowerPoint presentation to the Conference Harvester. This will be used by attendees to take notes in the Mobile App. When preparing this version of your presentation, please make sure to remove any information that you do not wish to be available in the Mobile App.
2. Bring a copy of your full PowerPoint presentation on a flash drive formatted for a PC computer. This version can include animations and other functionality within PowerPoint for your live presentation. You will bring your flash drive to the session room to upload onto the laptop about 10 minutes before the start of your scheduled session.

INVITED SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS: Invited Speakers will be contacted directly by the Business Office with details regarding the specific date and time of your presentation and any additional materials required for your presentation; however, you can expect that you will be requested to fulfill the same requirements as listed above for Oral Presentations.

INVITED SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS IN SYMPOSIA INCLUDED IN THE ON-DEMAND LIMITED ACCESS PROGRAM:
If you are speaking in one of the recorded symposia, the entire session in which you are speaking, including your presentation and Q&A, will be recorded live during the meeting in Norfolk. This session recording will be placed online as part of the On-Demand Limited Access program which will be available to meeting registrants through September 30, 2025. Please plan your topic and presentation accordingly. You will be provided with additional information regarding the recording of your session at a later date.

CAN I SEE THE PRESENTATIONS IF I REGISTER FOR ON-DEMAND LIMITED ACCESS?

The On-Demand program will be limited to specific highlighted presentations. These will focus on the Keynote, Plenary, and Joint symposia and there will be a limited group of sessions from the Animal, Education, and Plant programs included as well. All sessions that will be part of the On-Demand program will be marked with an asterisk (*) online. In addition, all uploaded virtual poster presentations will be available for your viewing. The On-Demand program will not include any oral presentations or lightning talks. The abstracts for these presentations will be available for your review on the event website and Mobile App, but the content of the presentations will only be available to those who attend the live in-person program.

WILL THERE BE AN EXHIBITION DURING THE 2025 IN VITRO BIOLOGY MEETING?

Norfolk is serviced by the Norfolk International Airport (ORF), which is 10 miles (around 20 minutes) from the Hilton Norfolk The Main. The airport terminal is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Travelers should contact their airline for ticket counter hours and required check-in times. Ground transportation is located outside the arrivals area of the airport. Norfolk International Airport offers taxis and ride-share options but does not offer shuttle service.

I AM ATTENDING IN PERSON. WHERE SHOULD I MAKE MY HOTEL RESERVATIONS?

The SIVB has reserved a block of rooms at the Hilton Norfolk The Main for the 2025 Meeting. Fulfilling this room block provides SIVB with discounts on the meeting space rental to hold the 2025 Annual Meeting and fulfills our contractual requirements with the Hilton. By making your reservations at Hilton Norfolk The Main, you are helping us provide you with the most economical registration rates to attend the in-person meeting as possible. Please visit the hotel information page for details and links to make your reservations directly with the Hilton.

I BOOKED A FLIGHT, BUT AM NO LONGER ATTENDING IN PERSON. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

All attendees are responsible for their own flight reservations. If you purchased flight tickets and/or travel insurance, please contact your provider and/or airline for information and next steps.