As of February 3, 2021, we have made the difficult decision to transition the ACNM 66th Annual Meeting & Exhibition to a fully virtual experience, cancelling the in-person component.

This decision was made for several reasons, including uncertainty surrounding the Oregon Convention Center’s ability to accommodate the meeting in May and concerns about travel restrictions and the safety and wellbeing of our attendees. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention center is closed indefinitely and will likely allow only limited-capacity events in May. Given these considerations, we felt shifting early to a fully virtual meeting was the best decision in order for the ACNM team to design an Annual Meeting with your experience in mind.

As we were planning for a hybrid event, the pieces are already in place for a successful virtual event, and staff and volunteer leaders will now focus all their efforts on providing a re-imagined ACNM Annual Meeting experience. The virtual meeting will engage the latest technology to deliver the education and connection opportunities you expect from ACNM Annual Meetings.

We were truly looking forward to gathering in person after such a challenging year. We know you miss seeing each other and spending time together. If the past year has revealed anything, it’s how valuable personal connections are. In that spirit, we are still planning to host the 2021 Midwifery Works conference in person in the fall. We hope you consider attending this wonderful event and look forward to seeing you there.

When will the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting take place?
The meeting will be shortened to Sunday, May 23 – Tuesday, May 25, 2021, with content available for 30 days after the meeting in the virtual platform.

How will the sessions be presented?
Sessions and events will take place via Hubb, a virtual, interactive meeting management system, and delivered to attendees via live stream and recordings. This demo video showcases the what the Hubb experience looked like at the virtual 2020 Annual Meeting.

I’ve already registered for the in-person meeting. What happens to my registration fee?
You will receive an email from American Tradeshow Systems, our registration vendor, to select one of the following options:

1. Shift your registration to the virtual meeting and receive a partial refund, with the remainder going towards the virtual meeting fee,
2. Use your full registration fee refund or the partial registration refund as a donation to The A.C.N.M. Foundation, Inc., OR
3. Receive a full refund with no cancellation penalties.

How do I register for the virtual meeting?
Visit annualmeeting.midwife.org/registration to register.

What’s the schedule for the virtual meeting?
We’re working on a revised schedule at a glance for the shortened virtual meeting and will update the schedule website page accordingly.

Whom should I contact if I have questions? 
For annual meeting related questions, please contact events@acnm.org. For membership questions, please contact membership@acnm.org.

The Savannah Belles Ferry fleet includes four very distinct vessels; each named for noteworthy women of Savannah’s history. We have the Juliette Gordon Low, the Susie King Taylor, the Florence Martus, and our newest Belle, the Mary Musgrove.

 

Juliette Gordon Low

Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927) founded the first American Girl Scout troops in 1912, in her hometown of Savannah, GA. The Girl Scouts are committed to promoting strong leadership and decision-making skills among young women.

 

Susie King Taylor

Susie King Taylor (1848-1912) lived in Savannah and gained her freedom from slavery at the age 14. She contributed to Civil War efforts by serving as a nurse to the black soldiers and by teaching them to read and write. She opened one of Savannah’s first schools for African-American children.

 

Florence Martus

Florence Martus (1868-1943), known in Savannah as the ‘Waving Girl,’ was the daughter of an ordnance sergeant at Fort Pulaski who took it upon herself to become the unofficial greeter of ships into Savannah. Legend has it that not a single ship came in to port without her waving her white handkerchief or lantern at it during a 44 year span. Her statue continues to greet visitors to the port from Morrell Park on the riverfront.

 

Mary Musgrove

Mary Musgrove (1700-1765), a Native American, served as an interpreter for General Oglethorpe during the founding of Savannah. She played a crucial role in negotiations with Tomochichi and the Creek Indians, convincing them to peacefully accept the new colony in their territory.

 

Ferry Quick Facts

• Modern, passenger-only ferries, reminiscent of vessels seen in the harbor a century ago
• Named for Savannah’s “Belles”— strong women who shaped the city’s history
• Connects downtown with Hutchinson Island and the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center
• Operates 7 days a week, from 7:00 AM to 12:00 midnight
• Docks at (1) Trade Center Landing, (2) City Hall Landing below City Hall adjacent to Hyatt Regency Hotel, (3) Waving Girl Landing in Morrell Park adjacent to the Marriott Riverfront Hotel

 

via Chatam Area Transit

There is a lot to look forward to at the 63rd ACNM Annual Meeting & Convention from a world-class location and a stunning venue to a theme carried throughout the meeting—that honors the legacy of the grand midwives.

Our headquarters hotel is the beautiful Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa located along the banks of the Savannah River just steps from the Savannah Convention Center. Many of the evening activities for the 2018 Annual Meeting will be held at the Westin. Both the convention center and the Westin are a 2-minute ferry ride from historic downtown Savannah. You can explore the area via one of the bicycles that are parked at the front of the hotel for all guests to use. The Westin also offers 3- and 5-mile RunWESTIN running routes, designed in partnership with New Balance. Take off on your own, or join a group run led by their Run Concierge.

Just across the river, ACNM will have additional sleeping rooms contracted with other hotels to accommodate a variety of tastes and budgets (details coming soon). Enjoy a beautiful and relaxing trip on one of Savannah’s 4 water taxis. They are officially named “the Belles,” to honor 4 strong women—Juliette Gordon Low, Susie King Taylor, Florence Martus, and Mary Musgrove—who shaped the city’s history. These ferries operate 7 a weeks, from 7 am to midnight.

The Savannah International Trade & Convention Center is a superbly functional, architecturally stunning waterfront complex also on the Savannah River. The venue offers large meeting spaces and an easy-to-navigate layout, and is a perfect fit for the ACNM Annual Meeting. The majority of the Annual Meeting events will be held at the convention center, including all workshops, sessions, general sessions, exhibits and the midwifery awards dinner.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

By Tana Stellato
President, Stellato Meeting Solutions, LLC
tana@stellatomeetingsolutions.com

Article via Fall Quickening 2017