#AGU20 Know Before You Go

Updated tips from week one of #AGU20:

For attendees –

• Time zone reminders, tips
  • AGU Fall Meeting connects three main systems that we’ll call the “main lobby” “scientific program” (where the abstracts are) and “iPoster” platform. Each has slightly different capabilities.
    • The main lobby default is Pacific Standard time, but you can change the default to your local time (in setting—click on your initial/profile, upper right).
    • The scientific program will default to Pacific Standard Time, but you can change the default to your local time (navigation tab, lower left). Poster chat times in this platform will be converted to the default time (either PST or your local time if you select that).
    • The main iPoster navigation will display in your computer’s local time; however, the times for chats in this platform will be fixed to Pacific Standard Time (they are currently UTC+1).
  • We suggest converting the times in the “main lobby” and “scientific program” to your local time and using these for navigation, including for poster sessions and chats. Both platforms allow you to join live sessions and the scientific program links to all posters and allows navigation by sections.
• Joining live sessions
  • You can join either from the main lobby platform (navigate to “what’s on now”) or through a link in the scientific program or “your schedule.” These links will appear about 20 minutes before each session starts.
• Finding on demand content
  • Links to all on demand content will be loaded into each session on the scientific program as soon as possible after a session ends. For some sessions this may take 48 hours.
    • We had a delay in loading content in week 1, but it should be available by this afternoon, and more promptly next week.
  • Also, for plenary and town hall and other presentations that are hosted in the lobby platform, you can filter for “on demand” content.
  • Content will be available until 15 February 2021.
• Access for those not able to use the Zoom app
  • Look for the “join from your browser” link for any Zoom meeting. We corrected an issue, and this should work for supported browsers whether joining from the main meeting lobby or the abstract/schedule system.
    • We recommend using the latest versions of Safari, Chrome or Firefox.
  • Poster navigation and time:
    • iPoster is fixing the filtering so that one can filter by section (first filter on left) and it will display only those sessions for that section (available soon).
    • You can also navigate to poster sessions from the Scientific Program.
  • Closed captioning
    • We are doing live captioning of all Union, named lectures and plenary sessions.
    • Closed captioning is provided for all other pre-recorded sessions.
    • Due to the large number of sessions, we are using speech recognition software to do automated closed caption.
• How to connect with another attendee within #AGU20
  • Under your profile icon (initials in upper right of Fall Meeting Lobby), select “communication center.”
  • Click “new” message.
  • Click the “To…” box and search for an attendee; type a message.
  • When you hit send, they will receive a note immediately if they are logged in, or when they log in.
  • You will receive an alert if you have a new message.
  • Your vcard and contact information are based on your profile in agu.org: login and https://www.agu.org/account/User/my-profile.

For Conveners, Panelists and Presenters –

• Access to Presenter’s Corner
  • An email was sent out on 3 December with your personal access.
  • The link in the Scientific Program may not work for some attendees.
• IMPORTANT– Please show up 20 minutes before your session using the private link provided to you. The technician will let you in and start the prep for the session.

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#AGU20, the world’s largest virtual gathering of Earth and space scientists, starts tomorrow!

Attendees will enjoy 1,000+ hours of scientific content available across 1,000+ scientific sessions, 13 plenaries, 13 innovative sessions, 28 named lectures, 100+ town halls and numerous hours of networking and career development opportunities.

The meeting is designed for you to view content and engage on your own time. You can view the live sessions or watch recordings later. Individual presentations and posters in each session will be available starting on 1 December. Sessions will be available for viewing as soon as possible after they air live. Plenaries and named lectures will usually be available within 1 hour; other sessions within 24 hours. Most content will be available to registered attendees only, including for a few weeks after the meeting to enable access to later session recording. Some other great ways to engage are also given below.

Login and technical requirements:

• Login to #AGU20 and all platforms associated through the Fall Meeting website starting 1 December using your AGU login and password.
  • If you’re having trouble, email [email protected].
  • After 4 hours of inactivity, you will be asked to login again
• Consider keeping multiple browser tabs open, such as one for:
  • Main navigation site to access the schedule, visit exhibitors and invites for networking.
  • Abstract and program for quick access to live and recorded sessions and presentations.
  • iPoster gallery so you can virtually “walk” the floor during breaks.
• Refer to these tips to optimize your experience:
  • Fall Meeting platforms do not support Internet Explorer.
  • If you are a speaker/presenter in a Union session, or named lecture presentation, Safari will not work.
• Update to the latest version of Zoom desktop. If you are not allowed to use Zoom desktop, all Zoom sessions will allow access through a browser, including Safari.

General tips:

• Read over the Before Fall Meeting and During Fall Meeting attendee resources which includes helpful answers to some of our frequently asked questions.
  • Download your custom #AGU20 virtual background and other digital assets.

Schedule:

For most sessions, longer pre-recorded presentations and virtual posters will be available for attendees when the meeting starts.

• Overall daily meeting schedule:
  • 4:00 to 11:30 a.m. U.S. Pacific Time (1200 – 1930 UTC)
  • 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time (0000-0530 UTC)
• Session blocks:
  • Live oral and eLightning sessions: 7-11 December and 14-17 December
  • Poster sessions: 7-11 December and 14-16 December
  • Scientific Workshops (pre-registration required): 1-5 December, 14-17 December
  • Town Halls: 1-5 December, 7-11 December and 14-17 December
  • Plenary/Keynotes: 1-5 December, 7-11 December and 14-17 December
  • Innovative sessions: 1-5 December and 14-17 December
• Build Your Schedule: The scientific program is fully online and has many ways to search for sessions. Go to the main scientific program page to begin building your schedule. All access to the posters, presentations, and sessions are through this schedule (links will be posted as recorded sessions become available).
• Review the suggested itineraries with highlighted events and sessions focused on:
  • COVID-19
  • GeoHealth
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Student and Early Career
  • Data, Software and Innovation
• You can also browse by day to see what is upcoming.
• Sessions will be open for attendees to join starting 20 minutes prior to the session start time.

Where do I go before #AGU20?

• Login to the meeting from the main Fall Meeting page.
• Look for announcements, tips, and daily highlights on this page.
• Once you have entered the meeting site, you will see a main navigation screen to help you access everything (see below for a screen shot).

During #AGU20

This year’s Fall Meeting is in a whole new environment and is being conducted across every global time zone. Learn to navigate the meeting; build your schedule; and see what events, and activities and resources are available to attendees here.

Access the Meeting: Welcome to the meeting! Access will be available starting on Tuesday, 1 December at 3:00 am PST/6:00 am EST. The main login page can open the main portals and lobbies to guide you to the area of the meeting you want to attend. Login with your AGU username and password. This is also the login you use when you log into the scientific program software and when you log into AGU Connect, AGU’s discussion platform, which will have a focus on exciting sessions at #AGU20.

How to Navigate the Meeting: Log in through the main #AGU20 page, then navigate to the part of the meeting you want to attend. Below is a view of the AGU lobby in the platform. You can navigate to the scientific program and its sessions from here, as well as the poster hall, exhibit hall, networking platforms, student and early career lounge and all of the many other areas of the meeting.

Check out networking opportunities and engagements:

• Braindate—Find someone else with a common interest and connect
• Pods—Reserve a virtual meeting space for a live chat (will be added to the program)
• Global Café—Time to connect with others from your country and region (see schedule)
• Virtu-ale Happy Hours—Networking and social events with speakers
• Lounges—Career Center and Student Lounge
• Exhibitor booths—Visit for live chats and virtual swag
• Poster sessions—Use the abstract and session schedules for when presenters will indicate times for live chats and poster walks
• Section events—Awards and informal networking events
• AGU Connect—Topic threads for further in-depth discussions, organized by AGU’s sections.
• Social media—Use #AGU20 for posts and tag AGU across our social media channels

Join us for AGU Honors on Wednesday, 9 December at 3 pm PT/6 pm ET/23:00 UTC.

Visit the Exhibit Hall: Yes! #AGU20 has a robust exhibit hall and exhibitors are also showcasing their scientific knowledge during the meeting, too. You can access it through the AGU Lobby.

Accessibility: AGU aims to hold meetings, conferences and other professional events where barriers of any type do not exclude people from attending or participating. Since AGU Fall Meeting 2020 will be predominantly online, we are working to expand access to meeting content through closed captions, transcripts and universal principles of user experience design. Despite those efforts, some content may not be accessible via a screen reader or other tools. Should you have trouble accessing portions of the meeting, please contact [email protected].

AGU Fall Meeting 2020 strives to be as inclusive as possible and will have closed captioning available for most sessions. Those sessions being held via Zoom will offer accessibility features including screen reader support, keyboard accessibility, captioning and transcripts.

• Keynotes/Plenaries, Named lecture, Union sessions and Workshops – These will include live captioning .
• Oral talks (prerecorded) – Captions were added when these were uploaded and can be enabled by the viewer.
• Oral sessions (live 1-hour) – these are presented and recorded without captions. Captions will be added to the recorded file and will be available when it is posted.
• Poster summary sessions – not captioned, not recorded as these are discussions.

How to get support/help:

• If you are having trouble with your login or password, email [email protected].
• If you need other help with the meeting platforms, email [email protected].
• Chat with us inside the meeting platform, available from the virtual meeting lobby.
• Call our help desk during #AGU20 hours:
  • Member services team:+1 202 462 6900 or 800 966 2481 (North America only)
  • M-F 1 Dec – 11 Dec (6AM ET – 2PM ET) and (6PM ET-1AM ET)
  • M-F 14 – 18 Dec (8AM – 6PM ET)

Safe AGU:
AGU convenes events and meetings that are welcoming, respectful, inclusive and collaborative. The AGU Meetings Code of Conduct applies to all AGU-sponsored events, as well as affiliated events connected with an AGU meeting or event, whether in public or private facilities. Safe AGU began in 2017 and promotes safety and offers support to meeting attendees who may feel harassed, threatened or unsafe in any way when participating in AGU meetings. Attendees can confidentially report this behavior by sending an email to [email protected].

Staff at AGU events may feature a Safe AGU virtual meeting background and have been trained to assist those who experience unsafe or inappropriate behavior at Fall Meeting.

Making the Most of the Meeting:

• Each evening (EST), look for highlights of the day and what is upcoming over the next day on AGU’s From the Prow blog. An index will be available also on the Fall Meeting home page.
• Look for expanded discussions on AGU Connect.
• Follow (and join) the conversation on social media and use #AGU20.