Frequently Asked Questions
CONFERENCE FORMAT
Question 1: What format will the conference be in? In-person, hybrid, or all virtual?
Answer: The goal is for the 7IMDC to be primarily an in-person conference. Given the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic and its impacts on international travel, the conference will provide the option for remote attendance to the substantive parts of the conference (including plenaries and technical sessions) for those who are unable to travel due to financial considerations, health reasons, or travel restrictions. Session Chairs and Co-chairs are expected to be present at the conference in-person. Speakers will ideally and preferably be present at the conference in-person. In case a speaker is not able to attend the conference in-person, remote presentations will be possible via Zoom. Pre-recorded presentations can be uploaded to Ex Ordo to avoid internet connectivity issues during the session, with the option for the presenter to be available online for Q&A.
COVID-19
Question 2: What about Covid-19?
Answer: The Executive Committee of the 7IMDC continues to closely monitor the public health situation in Busan, in the Republic of Korea, and in the world. All applicable precautions will be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the conference.
Question 3: The website indicates I’ll need to take a PCR test at the airport when I arrive. Will I need to quarantine at the airport until the result comes in?
Answer: Individuals who are fully vaccinated (either in Korea or overseas) and show no signs of symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, etc.) during the health screening process and on their Health Questionnaire may proceed to their destination after immigration check.All travelers are required to take a PCR test within 1 day (before 23:59 the next day) after arriving in Korea. Short-term visitors can take a PCR test at the COVID-19 Testing Center inside the Incheon International Airport or at a nearby medical clinic at their own expense. Travelers can then leave the airport, but must stay at their place of residence or accommodation until test results become available.
DRESS CODE
Question 4: What is the dress-code for the event?
Answer: All conference activities are business casual and non-formal. Busan is typically in the 20-30-degree Celsius range in September (mid-60 to high 70 degree Fahrenheit range), and there could be rain.
MEDIA
Question 5: Will there be any communication / marketing toolkits sent out for us to promote our participation in the conference?
Answer: There is a 7IMDC leaflet and social media logos available on the Media tab of the 7IMDC website. The 7IMDC LinkedIn account can be found here. Keep an eye on the 7IMDC website for additional communication material!
Question 6: Can we hold a media conference?
Answer: The 7IMDC Executive Committee will help facilitate media coverage and interview requests during the conference. There may be an official press conference during the conference if there is demand. We invite all our attendees to engage with accredited media during the 7IMDC. However, we will not facilitate any attendee(s) to hold their own press conference at BEXCO during this time. If you wish to hold your own press conference during 7IMDC, this would need to happen in a different location.
PACKING TIPS
Question 7: What do you need to bring to the 7IMDC?
Answer: We are striving to be as close to a zero waste event as possible. Our goal is to significantly reduce conference-generated waste by limiting single-use items, composting and donating excess food, and recycling remaining materials. You can contribute to our goal by using a personal water bottle and travel mug, and by using our mobile application.
REGISTRATION
Question 8: How much will it cost to attend the conference?
Answer: All information on Registration Fees can be found on the Registration Page.
Question 9: Do the speakers presenting in Technical Sessions also have to pay the registration fee?
Answer: Yes, all participants attending the 7IMDC online or in-person will be expected to cover the registration fee, including Technical Session co-chairs, speakers/presenters, and general attendees.
Question 10: Will there be travel awards or sponsorships available to support participants?
Answer: The 7IMDC is pleased to offer a limited number of travel awards to help enable the participation of those who may not otherwise be able to attend the conference. For more information please refer to the Travel Awards page.
Question 11: What light refreshments and meals are provided in my registration?
Answer: Registration includes morning light breakfasts, morning and afternoon coffee breaks, Tuesday – Thursday luncheons (boxed lunch for limited capacity), opening night and poster night appetizers, and popcorn for movie night.
Question 12: What does 7IMDC conference registration include?
Answer: Registration fees for in-person access includes in-person access to the five-day event’s plenary sessions, technical sessions, refreshments, poster session, networking opportunities and social events, workshops, field trips and special events such as the opening reception and movie night. The registration fees for in-person access also include the online access as described below. Registration fees for online-only attendance include online access to the five-day event’s plenary sessions, technical sessions, and electronic versions of conference materials.
Question 13: Where do I pick-up my name tag?
Answer: You can pick up your name tag at the 7IMDC Team registration table, which will be in the main entryway of the BEXCO conference center. Please follow directional signs for the registration table.
Question 14: Will conference registration be available on-site?
Answer: We expect there will be NO on-site conference registration. As much as we appreciate the marine debris community, please do not arrive at the conference site if you have not previously registered, as you will be turned away.Registration for online-only attendance will remain open until the end of the conference.
Question 15: How do I register for luncheons, social events, networking events and field trips?
Answer: All event registration will occur through the 7IMDC app. Visit the Mobile App tab on the 7IMDC website for instructions. For events with capacity limitations, adding an event to your “My Schedule” will register you for that event. This registration will be on a “first come, first served” basis therefore register early to secure your first choice.
SESSION CHAIRS, PRESENTERS, PANELISTS
Question 16: Are the speakers required to submit a paper for the conference proceedings should their abstract be accepted? Do speakers need to prepare a Microsoft Powerpoint file for their presentations?
Answer: Authors won’t be required to submit a paper for the conference proceedings if their abstract is accepted, but it will be an option available to them should they wish to submit a paper, and the paper will be considered for a Virtual Special Issue of the Marine Pollution Bulletin to be published in mid-2023. Visit the Program-Marine Pollution Bulletin web page for more information. A Microsoft PowerPoint PPT file will be required for most presentations (though this is at the discretion of the session co-chairs). In the case of panel discussions, a PowerPoint file is not necessary unless required by the session co-chairs.
Question 17: As a presenter, how do I upload my presentation to the proper computer at the conference?
Answer: The 7IMDC Team recommends that all presenters finalize and upload their presentations to ExOrdo by September 9, so that the presentations can be loaded to the conference room computers by the 7IMDC team. This will help eliminate time delays and ensure smooth transitions between presentations. See the Guidance Document for Speakers and Session Chairs for more information (available on the Program-Abstracts tab).
Question 18: What type of software is available for session presenters?
Answer: Laptops will be in the conference room and connected to the monitor(s) and/or projector. Microsoft’s powerpoint will be installed on all computers. If there are any issues, an on-site audio/visual tech will be available in each conference room.
Question 19: We are aware of the deadline for submitting posters to be printed by you, which is a fantastic solution for us, thank you. I wonder if you have the same solution for roll-ups? We are making a roll-up for our project, and wonder if it can be printed by you, or if you could direct us to a company in Busan that can do that for us.
Answer: The 7IMDC Team will not be able to coordinate printing of any additional material besides posters that are uploaded by the September 1 due date. Posters uploaded after September 1, roll-ups or other materials for exhibition booths or for other uses will need to be printed by attendees. It is recommended to bring your printed materials with your, but if you need to print in Busan there are a couple of options within a 20 minute walk of BEXCO:
Kinkos Korea Centum https://www.kinkos.co.kr/front/en/enPageMS.do
PREX http://www.prexmall.co.kr/
Question 20: How do I know if my poster was printed by the 7IMDC team?
Answer: If you uploaded a poster file to Ex Ordo by September 1, and were registered to attend the conference in-person by September 1, your poster should have been printed. Some posters were not printed due to not following the sizing guidelines, but the authors were contacted.A list of all the posters printed by the 7IMDC team is available on the Poster tab of the 7IMDC website. If your poster is not listed there, plan to print and bring your own poster with you if you are attending in-person. All posters uploaded to the Ex Ordo platform will be available for viewing on the app only if the author is registered for the conference and the author selected to make their poster viewable.
Question 21: I have a video file I would like to show with my presentation. I am not able to load this video file to Ex Ordo. What should I do?
Answer: Unfortunately Ex Ordo does not accept MP4 or other video files, other than presentations/videos made embedded in .pptx (powerpoint) files. You can find instructions for making recordings in powerpoint that you can upload in the Guidance for Chairs, available on the 7IMDC website here.If you have a video file you would like to show during your presentation, please coordinate with your Technical Session Chair to ensure they are aware you would like to present it, and then coordinate bringing the file with on a USB stick that can be loaded onto the conference room computer prior to the session. There will be a dedicated audio/visual person available to assist with uploading it.
Question 22: Can I replace the poster or presentation file I’ve already uploaded?
Answer: Yes, it is possible to upload a modified file in Ex Ordo, but you must remove the prior upload first. Press the little trash can symbol next to the presentation, which will remove it from Ex Ordo. Then upload the new presentation file.
Question 23: Regarding Technical session 4, on ExOrdo and in the app, I can’t seem to find TS-4.9 and TS-4.11. Are those sessions canceled?
Answer: A number of technical sessions were removed and/or combined conference during the review process. Rather than renumber the remaining technical sessions, which would cause confusion, the numbering was left in place. So while there are a number of sessions that appear to be “missing”, in reality they are not.
SPONSORSHIP
Question 24: We are interested in being a sponsor for 7IMDC. How do we proceed?
Answer: Thank you for your interest in becoming a sponsor of the 7IMDC – there are many different sponsorship opportunities and we would be happy to discuss this further with you. We invite you to visit the Sponsorship page on the 7IMDC website and review our Sponsorship Prospectus, and to reach out to us at info@7imdc.org to set up a discovery call.
Question 25: Will there be opportunities to have booths to showcase organizations, and/or opportunities to host side events at the venue?
Answer: An exhibition hall with a limited number of booths will be present on the third floor. At this time all exhibition booths have been occupied, thank you for your interest.
TRANSPORTATION
Question 26: Is there a parking fee for the event?
Answer: Parking is available at the BEXCO conference venue. There are 1,144 parking spaces (including 24 parking spaces for the disabled). The parking fees for parking at the conference venue are:
Small-sized vehicles: 1,000 won for the first 30 min / 600 won for each additional 30 min / Max. daily fee 15,000 won
Large-sized vehicles: 1,400 won for the first 30 min / 1,000 won for each additional 30 min / Max. daily fee 20,000 won
Question 27: How do I get to Busan from Incheon International Airport?
Answer: There is detailed information on the Travel Information tab of the 7IMDC website.
VISA APPLICATIONS
Question 28: Are visas required to attend the 7IMDC from outside the Republic of Korea?
Answer: Travelers from some countries will require a visa, and travelers from some countries will be visa-exempt. The visa-exempt visitors must have an approved South Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to enter the country, which may be obtained through a simple online application. All other foreign travelers are required to obtain a visa to enter the country, which will typically need to be applied for at the nearest embassy or consulate of South Korea. Please review the Republic of Korea foreign ministry website (mofa.go.kr) for visa requirements specific to your country. It is recommended to make plans for obtaining your visa well in advance of the intended arrival date in South Korea, as processing and approval can take several weeks, sometimes even longer. Some documents that you might need as part of your visa application include your passport (valid for at least another six months), passport-size pictures, a return or onward flight ticket, proof of sufficient funds to cover the duration of your stay, and/or proof of accommodation in South Korea (such as a hotel reservation).
Question 29: We will need an invitation letter for visa purposes. How can we get the necessary invitation letter from the 7IMDC team?
Answer: The 7IMDC team is aware that invitation letters will be needed for participants from certain countries in order to obtain a visa. Please visit the official Republic of Korea visa website at https://www.visa.go.kr/ for additional requirements specific to your country.Please proceed with the registration process as normal, and send an email to info@7imdc.org with your request for a notarized invitation letter. Please include a list of full names and passport numbers of people to include on the letter.