Media Registration Terms and Conditions

To register as media for WPC 2013, you need to go through the online registration process and select ‘Media’ when given the option. After this process, you will need to email or fax documentation to the WPC verifying your position as a member of the media.

These Terms & Conditions for Media Representatives are valid for every delegate registered as media representative to attend the 3rd World Parkinson Congress (WPC 2013), to be held in Montreal, QB, Canada from October 1 – 4, 2013 (hereinafter referred to as "the congress").

Media Accreditation

To be able to register as a media representative, you must be at least 18 years old by October 1, 2013. You may be asked to present an official identity card stating your age. There is no registration fee for accredited media representatives. However, to be accredited as media representative, you must submit the following:

Print journalists - Newspaper/magazine/or scientific journal:

• Copies of three articles that have been published by a recognized media outlet that you have written, with your byline on the article. Do not send WORD documents – we require scanned or hard copies of the original published article. If these articles are published online, you may send the complete URL rather than scanned or hard copies of the article; AND  
• An email or letter from your editor (on the official letterhead of your organization) stating that he or she supports your application and that you have been assigned to cover the congress; AND  
• A copy of your press card. If you do not have a press card, your editor must state this clearly in the above letter.

Broadcast journalists and filmmakers:

• Audio or video files of three broadcast programs you have worked on – you must upload a maximum of one minute of this file, which includes the section with your name on it. If this file is published online, you may send the complete URL rather than upload the film. If you are unable to upload the audio/video files, please send a CD ROM with the recordings to the WPC 2013 Secretariat, JPdL, 1555 Peel Street, 5th Floor, Montreal, QB, H3A 3L8, CANADA; AND  
• An email or letter from your editor (on the official letterhead of your organization) stating that he or she supports your application and that you have been assigned to cover the congress; AND  
• A copy of your press card. If you do not have a press card, your editor must state this clearly in the above letter.

Internet journalists (Official news website):

• The complete URL’s of three articles you have written that have been published by a recognized media outlet, with your byline on the article; AND
• Am email or letter from your editor (on the official letterhead of your organization) stating that he or she supports your application and that you have been assigned to cover the congress; AND  
• A copy of your press card. If you do not have a press card, your editor must state this clearly in the above letter.

Bloggers:

This category will be marked on the quality and relevance of links provided. Being published on a blog does not automatically grant media accreditation.

• The complete URL’s of three blog posts you have written in 2011/2012; AND  
• An email or letter from your organization stating that they support your application and that you have been assigned to cover the conference for their blog; AND  
• A copy of your press card. If you do not have a press card, your editor must state this clearly in the above letter.

All submitted credentials will be thoroughly checked and verified by the WPC 2013 Secretariat and additional credentials may be requested before accreditation is approved. You should therefore allow 14 to 21 days processing time before you receive confirmation of your registration. The WPC cannot take responsibility for delays or delivery failure of supporting documentation.

Each media house is granted a maximum of two media registrations except where the media house is able to justify in writing why they require more than two registrations.  

The number of media registrations for small newsletters (with a circulation of under 15,000) is limited to one person per organization, unless additional media registrations are justified in writing.

Your media registration will only be processed upon receipt of the fully completed registration form and verification of the above-mentioned credentials. As the number of media registrations is limited, the WPC reserves the right to refuse applications.

The registration for media representatives includes entry to all conference sessions, the exhibition and poster area, the opening and closing session and the media center. A congress bag and materials are also included. All congress bags and materials will be distributed onsite. Congress bags and materials will not be mailed to media representatives.

Registration confirmation

A registration confirmation will be sent by email after the WPC 2013 Registration Department has received the fully completed registration form and the applicant’s media credentials have been verified and confirmed. Media representatives may be requested to present this registration confirmation at the registration counter as proof of their registration.

Please note that access to the media center may be refused without this identification.

Registration name change

A name change to an existing media registration is not possible. The granted media registration must be cancelled and the new media representative must register and submit the required documents.

Cancellation policy

Notification of cancellation must be made in writing and sent to the WPC 2013 Registration Department by email. The cancellation will not be effective until a written acknowledgement from the WPC 2013 Registration Department is received.

Cancellation of conference In the event that the conference cannot be held or is postponed due to events beyond the control of the conference organizers (force majeure) or due to events which are not attributable to wrongful intent or gross negligence of the conference organizers, the conference organizers cannot be held liable by media representatives for any damages, costs, or losses incurred, such as transportation costs, accommodation costs, costs for additional orders, financial losses, etc.

Modification of the program

The conference organizers reserve the right to modify the program, which is published as an indication only.

Lost name badge

The congress name badge must be worn at all times during the conference. Access to the congress facilities will not be granted without a proper name badge. If a media representative loses, misplaces or forgets the name badge, a handling fee of $50CAD will be charged for a new name badge.

Letter of invitation

Individuals requiring an official Letter of Invitation from the conference organizers can request one through the online registration form or by contacting the WPC 2013 Registration Department. To receive a Letter of Invitation, media representatives must first register to the conference, pay in full and submit any required supporting documentation (if applicable).  

The Letter of Invitation does not financially obligate the conference organizers in any way. All expenses incurred in relation to the conference are the sole responsibility of the media representative.

Visa requirements

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL NON-CANADIAN/AMERICAN MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES NEED TO APPLY FOR A VISA FOR CANADA

It is the sole responsibility of the delegate to take care of his/her visa requirements. Delegates who require an entry visa must allow sufficient time for the application procedure. Delegates should contact the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate to determine the appropriate timing of their visa applications. All visa applications should be submitted to the authorities at least 90 days before traveling to the U.S. (i.e. before July 1, 2013).  Click here to generate your letter of invitation for the visa application.

Delegate registration details might be shared with the Canadian immigration authorities to assist in the immigration process. However, the conference organizers and/or the WPC 2013 Registration Department will not directly contact embassies and consulates on behalf of visa applicants.

Protection of confidentiality of WPC 2013 Delegates

Some congress participants are people living with Parkinson’s, and for some, their disease status may be unknown to others. For this reason, we impose the following restrictions:

in all conference sessions, media representatives who are permitted to film (video or photograph) the presenter/s of the session must obtain permission from all NON speakers who they photograph to secure that person's permission to broadcast/publish this information BEFORE it is broadcast/published. Session chairs may impose further restrictions regarding visual recording at their discretion.

WPC 2013 Media embargo policy

In the case of WPC 2013, as well as most scientific/medical conferences, all conference abstracts are embargoed until the date and time of the actual presentation.

Therefore all abstracts accepted for inclusion in WPC 2013 in any form may not be published or presented before the date and time of their presentation at the conference. A detailed breakdown of the variations for different types of abstracts is available below.

Hot Topics (oral talks on poster abstracts) and poster exhibition abstracts

Information about the abstracts may not be published or presented before they are presented at the WPC 2013

For electronic posters/abstracts published on WPC 2013 CD-ROM only

Information about the abstracts may not be published or presented before Monday, September 30, 5:30PM ET. This time coincides with the opening of onsite registration at which point the CD-ROM containing the full text of all accepted abstracts will be distributed to delegates.  

Embargo breaks

• Breaking of the embargo policy by a reporter leads to: Immediate suspension of the reporter’s media conference credentials
• Immediate barring of the reporter from the meeting premises
• Removal of the reporter’s name from the WPC Media Distribution List
• No access to the WPC 2016If in any doubt, please contact the WPC 2013 communications team secretariat@worldpdcongress.org

If in any doubt, please contact the WPC 2013 communications team secretariat@worldpdcongress.org 

Background Resources

Parkinson’s Glossary of terms related to Parkinson’s that might be used in sessions given during the WPC compiled by the World Parkinson Coalition. 

WPC 2013: Join the Conversation

Get the latest conference updates and share your thoughts and ideas through the WPC 2013 Facebook and Twitter.

We are tweeting –@WorldPDcongress - and hope many of you will tweet along with us, using the hashtag: #WPC2013 to keep the conversation going.

Like the World Parkinson Congress on Facebook and stay in touch with the latest updates and developments. If your group or organization is participating in WPC 2013, we welcome posts of photos and videos of your work on this page. Tell us why you are coming to Montreal and what you hope to gain from WPC 2013.