Edit: SLEEP 2020 and SLEEP 2021 are going virtual only. AADSM 2021 will have options for in-person and virtual attendance.

AADSM Meeting Canceled; SLEEP 2020 Will Go Forward

By Lisa Spear (March 17, 2020)

Only a few days ago, sleep investigators across the globe excitedly took to social media to announce that they looked forward to presenting their research at the annual SLEEP meeting. But as more countries enforce travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, many sleep medicine professionals are rethinking their upcoming travel plans.

“I’m currently wondering [if] I can afford the cost of being quarantined in the US if my travel insurance doesn’t cover it in attempts to get to #Sleep2020,” says Hailey Meaklim, a sleep psychologist in Melbourne, Australia, in a recent Tweet.

Meaklim, along with many of her colleagues, had announced on Twitter that she would be traveling to Philadelphia to display a poster presentation of her abstract on sleep disturbances in graduate students at the annual SLEEP, an event that draws crowds of sleep medicine professionals who share research and learn about new innovations in the field.

Despite a growing number of travel restrictions, the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) stated on March 17 that the annual SLEEP meeting is scheduled to go forward in June as the organizers monitor the situation closely.

“If the meeting is held, the APSS will be working closely with the Pennsylvania Convention Center to follow CDC recommendations for mass gatherings as well as guidance from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health,” says Corinne Lederhouse, communications coordinator for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Cancellation of the SLEEP 2020 meeting is not off the table. According to a statement from the event organizers, a final determination about the event will come on or before May 13, one month before the meeting is scheduled to begin.

“This decision will be based on the best available evidence and guidance from both national and local public health officials,” organizers said in a news release.

If the event is cancelled, all registration fees will be refunded in full. A $50 administrative fee will be withheld on cancellations made prior to that decision.

The APSS is extending the cancellation deadline for exhibitors until May 13. If the APSS cancels the meeting, all exhibit fees and sponsorship fees will be refunded in full.

The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) Cancels Annual Meeting

The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) announced that its annual meeting, scheduled for May 29-31 in New Orleans is cancelled due to the novel coronavirus.

“We have received a tremendous outpouring of support from the dental sleep medicine community for this decision,” says Becky Roberts, executive director of the AADSM. “We are exploring ways to disseminate the content planned for the meeting to members in a timely manner.”

The annual meeting will not be rescheduled for 2020.

The AADSM also announced that the Board Review Course, scheduled for March 28, in Atlanta, Ga, will be converted to a web conference and remain scheduled for Saturday, March 28 from 7:30 am-4:30 pm Central Time.

The AADSM Mastery Courses I and II, scheduled for April 17-19, in Oak Brook, Ill, will be rescheduled.

“We feel it is our responsibility to safeguard the health and well-being of the dental sleep medicine community and our patients,” says Nancy L. Addy, DDS, president of the AADSM.

“As we all experience social distancing, please keep in mind that the AADSM online discussion forum and online learning center provide networking and continuing education opportunities,” she says.

In the coming days, registered attendees, faculty, and exhibitors will receive further information regarding next steps for each event. Event organizers advise that participants who do not receive further correspondence by March 20, should contact the national office at info[at]aadsm.org.

Lisa Spear is associate editor of Sleep Review.

Running List of Events Canceled or Postponed Due to Coronavirus

American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
Annual Meeting, May 29-31, New Orleans, Louisiana: Canceled.
Board Review Course, March 28. Atlanta: Converted to web conference.
Mastery Courses I & II, April 17-19, Oak Brook, Illinois. Postponed (new date TBD).

American Academy of Neurology
2020 AAN Annual Meeting, April 25-May 1, Toronto, Canada: Canceled

ATS (American Thoracic Society)
ATS 2020 International Conference, May 15-20, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Cancelled. Some conference content may become available in a web-based format.

CDA (California Dental Association)
CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry, May 14-16, Anaheim, California: Cancelled. The fall conference in San Francisco will have expanded programming and some virtual continuing education options have been made available at no cost.

Delta Sleep International
Business Trends in Dental Sleep Medicine, March 27-28, Las Vegas, Nevada: Postponed (new date TBD).

European Narcolepsy Network
EU-NN Narcolepsy events, April 3-5, Berlin, Germany: Postponed to September 4-6, 2020.

Philadelphia Sleep Conference (regional conference)
Annual Conference, March 27. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Postponed to September 21, 2020.

Southern Sleep Society
Annual Meeting, March 26-29, Atlanta: Postponed (new date TBD).

West Virginia Sleep Society
16th Annual Sleep Conference, April 24 – 25, Wheeling, West Virginia: Canceled but “the West Virginia Sleep Society board is looking into a way to continue to have the conference this year”