Speak Out October 2020 DIGITAL EDITION FINAL

NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021

2021 National Conference will be a virtual event!

Elizabeth Usher Memorial Award Recipient Associate Professor Sally Hewat will continue with her Elizabeth Usher Memorial Award presentation on the Tuesday morning. Presentations We will proceed with our concurrent sessions which include oral and workshop presentations, plus our posters. Presenters will be given assistance in preparing their "virtual" presentation and posters will also be available via the virtual platform. Accessing the virtual conference Members will be able to access the program, select the sessions they are interested in attending, and register. Then when the virtual conference commences it can be attended from the convenience of your home or workplace. Sponsors and Exhibitors There will be a virtual exhibition and delegates will be able to book an appointment and then meet online with the exhibitor to discuss their product and service. Discussion groups Our event platform will offer delegates the opportunity to meet during session breaks to discuss specific topics or catch up for a chat! Well-being To assist in not being overloaded with all the changes COVID19 has caused, the CPC is still planning to offer well being activities – stay tuned! We will miss hosting you in Darwin, but are working to ensure the conference still includes a flavour of the Territory. We hope you will join us online for Local Contexts, Global Practice. Bea Staley 2021 Conference Convenor Pamela Richards National Conference Manager

After careful deliberation, and due to the ongoing uncertainty of continuing travel restrictions and border closures, the Speech Pathology Australia Board of Directors, with the support of the Conference Planning Committee (CPC), has made the decision to proceed with the 2021 National Conference as a virtual conference only. This provides everyone with certainty around how they can participate in the program and attend the conference, with a very similar format as we usually have – just with a difference! The CPC and National Conference Manager have received excellent advice on how a conference such as ours, can successfully run on a virtual platform and we look forward to making this happen. Every support will be provided to presenters and attendees to make this a seamless experience. Call for papers Closing date has passed, and the reviewers are busy assessing each abstract. The CPC would like to thank everyone who submitted an abstract. Following completion of the review process, the CPC will meet and looks forward to developing the virtual conference program. Authors of abstracts accepted into the conference program will be contacted in mid November 2020 and asked to confirm their participation. What will a virtual 2021 National Conference mean to you? Keynote Speakers We have been in discussion with Professor Yvette Hyter and Professor Swathi Kiran as the virtual conference will impact on their presentations due to the USA and Australian time differences. While it is not possible to include their masterclass or seminar, we are pleased they have agreed to join us on the Monday and Wednesday mornings to present their Keynote Address.

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/spaconf2021

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October 2020 | Speak Out