Dear Colleague,

The saying ‘extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,’ has certainly taken on renewed meaning in recent months, and the American Society of Retina Specialists has responded by assembling a truly extraordinary virtual meeting for you this July.

ASRS will offer unparalleled coverage of today’s most compelling developments in retina science, clinical information and thought leadership.

This meeting will meet you where you are – literally. It is specifically designed to maximize time efficiency, a critical consideration for all of us as we work to reopen our practices.

It's important to note that the virtual format is a departure from our traditional meeting structure and will require advanced preparation by attendees.

Given the condensed time frame, a majority of the program will consist of short moderated discussions, rather than podium presentations, to address only the most pertinent points and questions on each paper. The live event will take place July 24-26.

Access to the recorded podium talks will be available on the mobile meeting site starting July 10 (a full two weeks before the meeting). The site is compatible with all modern browsers and across all computer platforms. Participants are highly encouraged to use this two-week time period to review the 136 abstracts and companion recorded podium talks (each recorded talk is 6 minutes long) before the live meeting panel discussions begin on July 24.

Additionally, participants can view a rich array of papers-on-demand, films and posters at their leisure. These will not be discussed during the live meeting. The mobile site will remain open for 100 days after the meeting closes.

Access to the live meeting platform will be distributed a few days before the live event begins. This platform will also house our Virtual Exhibit Hall, showcasing new products and innovations in retina. This will also remain open for 100 days after the event.

The live meeting schedule is as follows:

Friday, July 24th from 6 pm (ET) to 9:00 pm (ET)
Saturday, July 25th from 10 am (ET) to 2:30 pm (ET)
Sunday, July 26th 10 am (ET) to 2:00 pm (ET)
Attendees can earn up to 10.75 CME credits for the live 3-day event and up to 25 CME credits for the on-demand offerings.

In coming weeks, watch for Annual Meeting update e-blasts and the next issue of Retina Times for a sneak peek at some program highlights.

As always, you can count on the ASRS reporting team to deliver coverage of the live meeting with Updates from the Field interviews and a new series of Ready, Set, Retina reports with meeting insights.

If you’re not already following ASRS on social media, please use this opportunity to follow asrs.retinaspecialists on Instagram and @asrsdocs on Twitter. Be sure to use #ASRS2020 for your meeting-related posts.

Visit asrs.org to view the complete meeting program and remember that registration for this meeting is required and free for ASRS members.

I look forward to welcoming you July 24-26th!

Philip Ferrone, MD
Program Chair
38th Annual Scientific Meeting