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Subject:	Sponsored and Endorsed Meetings
Effective Date:	June 2005
Revised:	August 2007

A.  Requirements 
Spring Sponsored Meetings 
When your meeting is sponsored by ASBH, the meeting will have the appearance of an ASBH event.

• ASBH will receive and process meeting registrations and will send confirmation letters to attendees.
• ASBH will contribute $2,000 to the local planning group to defray the expenses of speakers, food and beverage, and/or other costs associated with producing the meeting. For any profits the meeting realizes, ASBH will be reimbursed for its support ($2,000) and then share evenly the remaining profits with the hosting organization.
• ASBH will provide membership brochures to the local planning group for inclusion in attendees’ meeting materials.
• ASBH will provide the ASBH logo to the local planning group for inclusion in promotional materials. ASBH will review and approve all promotional materials before final production and distribution.
• An ASBH representative will address the meeting attendees at the meeting.
• ASBH requests the email addresses of meeting attendees for a one-time membership solicitation.
• ASBH will promote the meeting to its members on its Web site and in ASBH publications.

The local planning group (typically a member and others from their university) submits a proposal to the Board at least 4 months in advance of the meeting which must include:

1. description of theme or topic
2. names and affiliations of organizers (one of whom must be a member of ASBH)
3. disclosure of additional support and sponsorship
4. intended date and location of conference
5. intended audience
6. plans for future publication of conference proceedings
7. indemnification clause:
   [Local planning group and university] shall indemnify and hold harmless the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) from all liability resulting from any and all negligent acts or omissions of [Local planning group and university], its agents, or employees.

• The local planning group will solicit and review the abstracts.
• The local planning group will develop and create the promotional materials and final program and submit them to ASBH for review and approval before final production and distribution.
• Financial and administrative support of the local planning group/university must include: 
  

1. meeting space
2. audio-visual support
3. travel/lodging for all presenters
4. all honoraria for invited presenters
5. promotional and programmatic materials such as posters and programs
6. all food and beverage
7. all other meeting related expenses

Endorsed Meetings
ASBH promotes meetings it endorses on its Web site and in member publications. ASBH does not provide any other support.

• The local planning group (typically a member and others from their university) submits a proposal to the Board at least 30 days in advance of the meeting which must include:

1. description of theme or topic
2. names and affiliations of organizers (one of whom must be a member of ASBH)
3. disclosure of additional support and sponsorship
4. intended date and location of conference
5. intended audience
6. indemnification clause: [Local planning group and university] shall indemnify and hold harmless the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) from all liability resulting from any and all negligent acts or omissions of [Local planning group and university], its agents, or employees.

• The local planning group and university will provide all financial, administrative and programmatic support.
• The program materials should indicate that ASBH endorses the meeting.
• ASBH requests the email addresses of meeting attendees for a one-time membership solicitation.

B.  Restrictions

ASBH will neither co-sponsor nor endorse bioethics or medical humanities classes, seminars, or courses. Unlike an academic conference or a meeting, whose primary objective is the exchange of ideas among a group of participants, classes, seminars, and courses have a designated faculty, a predetermined curriculum, and educational objectives. It should be noted that while some conferences, such as ASBH’s own annual conference, enable health care professionals to acquire CME credit, this must be secondary and peripheral to the primary goals of any conference or meeting endorsed by the association.

Spring Sponsored Meetings

• time of year:  January through June
• location: central site such as a college or university campus or conference center
• affiliation:  college, university, or other non-profit organizations only
• registration fee:  a reasonable discount for ASBH members is appreciated

Endorsed Meetings

• time of year:  October is exempted
• location:  central site such as a college or university campus or conference center
• affiliation: college, university, or other non-profit organizations only
• registration fee:  a reasonable discount for ASBH members is appreciated  

Co-sponsorship of Sessions at Other Professional Meetings

On a cost-neutral basis, ASBH may co-sponsor sessions on bioethics and humanities at other professional association meetings that do not conflict with the mission of ASBH.  Examples might include ethics or humanities sessions at medical specialty meetings, other health professional meetings, or academic society meetings in history, sociology, law and other fields related to bioethics and humanities.  Co-sponsored sessions will be advertised using routine ASBH communications to members and ASBH sponsorship must be acknowledged by the partnering organization.