2023 CMBE Policies

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CMBE Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, staff, and volunteers at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everyone.

BMES is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, social events, and all online social media. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact the conference chairs or a member of the conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified as they'll be wearing BMES shirts and staff badges.

Conference staff is available to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance and want to ensure a safe environment for everyone at the meeting.

Registration Cancellation Policy

In order for a refund to be processed, requests for registration or ticketed event cancellation must be received by membership@bmes.org in writing no later than December 21, 2022. Refund requests will not be honored after the deadline of December 21. Registrations purchased after December 21 are non-refundable. Phone cancellations are strictly prohibited, and cancellation requests sent via mail, fax, or emailed to any inbox other than membership@bmes.org will not be reviewed. All refunds are subject to a $50 cancellation fee. Attendee substitutions are not permitted, and meeting registrations cannot be transferred from one person to another. Membership dues payments are final and will not be refunded once processed. *Non-attending (no-show) registrants will not be refunded unless they are unable to make it to the 2023 BMES CMBE Conference due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., airline-initiated flight cancellations, illness from or diagnosis of COVID-19 during or right before the conference, medical emergencies and injuries sustained by the registrant or direct relative, natural disasters, court/jury duty summons, military personnel deployment, death of an immediate family member, etc.). These registrants must submit reasonable verification of their inability to attend via email to membership@bmes.org prior to the conference's conclusion on Saturday, January 7. Reasonable verification includes, but is not limited to, notice of flight cancellation provided by your airline, an injury report or physician's note issued by a licensed practitioner, copy of your official court/jury duty summons, military orders, obituary, etc. Failure to submit this documentation and correspondence by 5:00 p.m. ET on January 7, 2023, will result in 100% forfeiture of all registration fees paid, regardless of circumstances surrounding the absenteeism—no exceptions.