SPNHC-TDWG 2024

Last updated 28 August 2024

 

New Details

• Program posted!
• Detailed program (with individual talks in sessions in parallel columns) as a spreadsheet
• In-person registration is closed; Virtual Registration Is Still OPEN;**
• virtual tours now available online;
• instructions for presenters and moderators
• hard deadline to upload revised presentations posted

Detailed program schedule now posted

Please note that the program interface has two search boxes. The one at the top right (blue background) is for searching on presentations. The one at the upper left is for searching session metadata. Also, make yourself visible to other participants by enabling your own “badge”.

• SPNHC TDWG 2024 includes symposia, workshops, lightning talks, demonstrations, general contributed papers, and plenary presentations.
• Detailed schedule now available on Oxford Abstracts.
• A spreadsheet with sessions in parallel columns, showing every presentation in every session – as a webpage (on Google infrastructure), or as a PDF.
• See the full session descriptions on our Sessions page.
• Overview schedule of sessions

Instructions for presenters and moderators have been posted!

If you are giving an oral presentation or a poster at SPNHC-TDWG 2024, please read the instructions for presenters and/or posters. If you missed the email sent via Oxford Abstracts about these instructions, please be aware:

• The deadline for uploading at least a solid draft of your presentation was 19 Aug! The technical team in Okinawa wants to review all slides and videos to ensure there are no technical problems.
• Deadline to upload revisions to the conference Google Drive is midnight JST 30 August.
• Important instructions for updating your files are here
• The secret URL to the upload folder was sent to presenters by email! (As an open folder it can’t be posted publicly.) Please look for the email first (from 3 or 5 Aug) before requesting the Upload URL by emailing the organizers.
• Instructions for moderators

Conference registration

In-person registration is closed. Virtual registration is still open. Registration for virtual attendance will remain open throughout the conferencce. Please read the important information before you register. The first two points still apply to virtual participants.

Excursions & Virtual Tours

While registration for excursions is now closed, you don’t need to register for these virtual tours. Discover the history of Okinawa, things to know before you go and while you are there, and if you are a virtual registrant, get a flavor of this prefecture known as “offshore rope.”

If you need extra inspiration for exploring on your own, you can read about organized tours here and find someone who participated!

Conference BioBlitzes

A pair of iNaturalist Bioblitz events will run during the conference. (Thank you, Vijay Barve!)

• For those in Okinawa
• For those attending remotely

Registration add-ons: Biodiversity Bingo Night (Tue) and T-shirts

Tickets for Biodiversity Bingo Night can be added to your registration. Fewer than 10 spaces were still open at the close of in-person registration, and those will be allocated as “first-come, first served.”

The T-shirt order has already gone in, but we ordered a few extra. If you didn’t already order one, please wait until you are on site and know that what you want is actually availavle before paying for it.

Keynote Speakers

SPNHC-TDWG 2024 is pleased to present two visionary keynote speakers during our opening plenary session. Don’t miss Dr. Sara Beery, Assistant Professor of AI and Decision Making from MIT and Dr. Tom Strang, Conservator Extraordinaire and recipient of the 2014 SPNHC Carolyn Rose Award.

First-timer’s Guide to SPNHC-TDWG 2024

Guidelines and suggestions for attending a joint conference hosted by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) and Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG).

Sponsors and supporters

Abstracts

Call to submit extended abstracts to BISS

Be sure to secure your spot to publish an extended abstract in Biodiversity Information Science and Standards (BISS). See new options in the expanded call for extended abstracts. Stop wondering why you should submit an extended abstract when you have already had your abstract accepted in Oxford Abstracts and reserve your place or submit your abstract now!

Abstracts submitted to Oxford Abstracts

More than 390 abstracts for oral presentations and posters were reviewed by session organizers and members of the Program Committee between 22 April–12 May.

Notifications of acceptance for presentation at the conference were emailed to abstract submitters (not to all authors) on 15 May through the Oxford Abstracts conference platform. These notifications included an invitation to submitters to respond to reviewer comments/corrections by editing their abstracts (deadline now passed: 29 May). Presenters were reminded to register for the conference to secure their place in the program. Presentations are now being organized into the final schedule. Please address questions to editor@tdwg.org.

Did you miss the email notifying you of the acceptance of your abstract submission? Sign into your account on Oxford Abstracts and if your abstract appears, it was accepted (contact the person who submitted the abstract if this was not you). We are still finalizing the placement of abstracts in sessions, so your session may change.

Code of Conduct

By registering for and/or participating in conference sessions, workshops, panels, field trips, social events, or any other activity related to the SPNHC – TDWG 2024 Conference, you agree to abide by this Code of Conduct. This includes activities within the local community. As a participant in the conference, you represent our organizations and the shared values of our chosen professions. Read more…

Visa requirements

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan is the recommended site https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html for information about visas for traveling to Japan. If your country of citizenship requires that you obtain a visa for entry into Japan, you will most likely also need a Letter of Invitation for your visa application. Before you request supporting documents (e.g., letter of invitation) from SPNHC-TDWG’s local committee you must register and pay in full (see cancellation policy). To request the Letter of Invitation, please send the following information to okinawa2024@spnhc.org, who will confirm your registration and forward your request to our local hosts.

• Name as it appears in your passport/in Latin alphabet (clearly indicating given name(s) and family name(s) avoids confusion)
• Gender (sex)
• Date of birth
• Age
• Nationality
• Occupation
• Name of Japanese embassy or consulate where you will submit your visa application (see https://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html)

Accommodations

The conference will be held at the Okinawa Convention Center (OCC), not a hotel, so we have not arranged for room-blocks to be held at one or more local hotels. We recommend looking at the hotels listed under Neighborhood Accommodations on the OCC website, or simply searching for nearby hotels on your favorite travel or mapping site.

Visit Okinawa Japan

Information not to miss from the Visit Okinawa Japan website:

• Travel inspiration
• Getting to Okinawa
• Wonderful Nature of Okinawa
• Nature and Wildlife
  • Birding in Okinawa
  • Diving guide
  • Snorkeling guide

 

About the SPNHC-TDWG joint conference

• The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) is an international organization devoted to the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections.
• Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) develops and maintains data standards that support the integration of primary biodiversity information across disciplines, organizations, and nations. Its annual conference has become a preeminent forum for advancing biodiversity informatics.

SPNHC and TDWG first met jointly in 2018 (Dunedin, New Zealand). The joint conference was widely viewed as beneficial to both organizations and something we should do periodically. TDWG last met in Asia in 2012 (Beijing), and SPNHC has never met in Asia. By holding our second joint meeting in Okinawa, Japan, our organizations welcome new participants from across Asia. Please join us and meet your colleagues from around the world!

Please send general questions about the conference to okinawa2024@spnhc.org.