A revised and more full-featured website / planner will be a vital tool for VAM participants this year, allowing them to personalize their experience before ever heading to Boston. Along with a new mobile app and the On-Demand Library, the trio creates a trifecta of tools attendees will use before, during and after VAM.
The website, vsweb.org/VAMPlanner, will debut in early March, when VAM housing and registration open. Doubling as a planner, the website lets participants build their own schedule, "favoriting" sessions and presenters. Filters allow users to seek sessions on a particular topic or for a particular audience, and more. The favorited program schedule will integrate with the app for seamless planning and navigation of the meeting.
The website will also feature the most recent news and updates about the meeting itself, as the June meeting approaches. Users will have a truly integrated dashboard for all things VAM.
Before VAM: New to the website and planner are filters by which attendees can select their own VAM sessions of interest. "It’s one-stop session shopping," said SVS Program Committee Chair Matt Eagleton, M.D. "Clicking on a session brings up a popup with such details as date and time, location, moderators, session summary, target audience, individual presentations, even learning objectives. Simply ‘favorite’ a session and it’s added to your personal schedule."
During VAM: Items marked as favorites in an attendee’s planner will seamlessly transfer to the app, which also lets attendees take and share pictures, talk with other attendees, post comments on social media and take CME and MOC exams.
After VAM: Because many VAM sessions overlap, there’s no way to participate in person with all VAM has to offer. That makes the on-Demand Library – with audio and slide presentations of nearly all educational sessions – an essential post-VAM addition. It facilitates the magic of letting people, in essence, be in two places at one time. The On-Demand Library costs just $99 before and during VAM and can be purchased during registration in early March. At 5 p.m. Saturday, June 23, the price jumps to $199 for attendees and $499 for non-attendees. The Library does not provide CMEs or MOCs.
"The planner is an incredibly useful addition to VAM," said Dr. Eagleton. "We think participants will find it invaluable for planning and navigating the meeting."