What to know before you go

UMISC 2024 is a hybrid conference. We are using EventMobi to live stream sessions and foster communication between our online and in person attendees. 
All attendees should either download the EventMobi app or plan to login at eventmobi.com to fully experience the conference. You will need the email you used to register for the conference and the conference code sent to you by the UMISC Administrator. Watch our tutorial on how to navigate the conference platform. Please be aware of the UMISC Code of Conduct. 

All Attendees will use EventMobi to:

• Receive conference announcements
• Create a personalized conference schedule
• Submit questions during breakout sessions 
• Communicate with remote attendees and exhibitors
• Participate in friendly, online competitions
• Participate in online group discussion boards
• Complete session and conference evaluations

Speakers, Poster Presenters, and Exhibitors

Oral presentation slideshows must be submitted to Dropbox or provided to UMISC staff prior to the start of the conference so our AV team can have your slides prepared for the live stream. Remote presenters should be in their Zoom room 15 minutes before the start of their session.

Posters will be displayed in the Edmund Fitzgerald Exhibit Hall for the duration of the conference. Posters may not exceed 48" x 48". Pins will be available. Presenters should make themselves available for questions and discussion from 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm during the Tuesday evening reception. Online poster contributors may take questions via the app at any time during the conference. 

Exhibitors should plan to set up on Monday between 3pm - 7pm and/or between 7am - 8am on Tuesday. Volunteers will be on site to assist you with unloading and finding your space. Temporary unloading is allowed at Entrance B on the DECC's City Side. Electricity is only available if you have pre-arranged that with the DECC. Booths are 10' x 10' with an 8' skirted table, 2 chairs, and draping. Tables are 8' long with skirting and two chairs.

In Person Attendees
All attendees should have a paid registration prior to arrival. 

CONFERENCE LOCATION
350 Harbor Drive, in Duluth, MN
The conference will be taking place on the City Side of the DECC. Enter the DECC at The City Side Main Entrance B.

PARKING
If you are staying overnight, please note that the Holiday Inn and Suites - Duluth Downtown, Hampton Inn - Canal Park, and Radisson-Duluth Harborview all offer free parking to registered guests. The Holiday Inn and Radisson are connected to the DECC via the Duluth Skywalk.
 
Parking at the DECC is available for $10.00/day. Purchase your ticket at the DECC parking booth. Tickets allow for re-entry all day (until midnight). Additional parking is available at the Downtown Parking ramps on the city-side of I-35. For a map of parking areas, including accessible parking areas, and other available accommodations visit the DECC parking webpage. 

CHECKING IN
Check in at the Registration Area when you arrive and pick up your name tag, program, and other conference materials. If you have complimentary invasive species publications or related materials for distribution, please bring that to the registration area when you check in.

Remote Attendees
We recommend you watch this video tutorial prior to the conference, a text version is below

1. Login - The UMISC Online Conference can be found at eventmobi.com. You will need the event code that was sent to you by the UMISC Administrator
2. Edit your profile - Click on the profile icon in the upper right corner of your screen and select “Edit Profile”.  Here you can add a photo, job title, organizational affiliation, and if you like, tell us a little about yourself. You can also personalize your profile to your time zone and access privacy settings.
3. Create a personalized agenda – Click on the “Agenda” icon just below the “Join the Live Stream” button. Scroll through the list of sessions and use the calendar icon (to the right of the session name) to select sessions to add to your agenda. Filter sessions by track (ie. Aquatic, Terrestrial, Forestry Health, or Interdisciplinary) to help you find the sessions of greatest interest to you. You can make edits to your agenda at any time. Access your agenda by clicking on the profile icon at the top right corner of your screen.
4. Join sessions – Click on “Join the Live Stream”. This will take you to the agenda. Select the day (found on the green banner at the top of the page) and then the session you want to join. You will be connected automatically. Once in the session, you can use the chat to share thoughts with other attendees. Use the Q&A to submit questions for the speaker. You can also take notes within EventMobi during each session and then email them to yourselves afterwards. Don’t forget to take the post-session survey. This is a quick 3-question, star-rating style questionnaire that should only take moments to complete.
5. Visit Exhibitor pages – Click on the “Exhibit Hall” menu option on the main conference page to see a list of all UMISC exhibitors. Here you can learn about each organization, connect with the representative attending the conference, and access documents and videos that they have uploaded to their profile.
6. View Posters – Each poster has its own page where you can view a pdf of their poster and connect with the poster presenter.
7. View Art Show pieces – View a gallery of unique “Art as a Voice for Science” pieces that are part of our first UMISC Art Show and check out the video highlighting the AIS themed sailboat sails that will be on display at the conference. Be sure to vote for your favorites!
8. Participate in online challenges – Add a little fun to your UMISC experience by participating in our online challenges. These are designed to help you get to know your event hosts and sponsors, and to engage with other aspects of the conference.
9. Communicate attendees, exhibitors, and presenters. You can message anyone attending the conference. A list of speakers and attendees is accessible via the conference menu. You can also participate in group discussions. If you’d like a group discussion topic added, please contact [email protected].

 
QUESTIONS?
 
We recommend that you use Chrome as your browser and that close any apps on your computer and others in your household that are using internet bandwidth (other browser tabs, streaming apps, etc.) as much as you are able.
Review our troubleshooting guide prior to the conference. Still having technical difficulties or have questions? contact conference staff via the Help Desk in the EventMobi app.