Virtual #ANC21: What to Expect & FAQs

Given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and especially due to continued concerns for the health and safety of all members, industry partners, volunteer leaders, speakers, staff, and other stakeholders, SNA made the difficult decision on March 17, 2021 to move the Annual National Conference from an in-person event in Chicago to a virtual-only format.

Since March 2020, SNA has relied on public health guidance, federal and state-by-state event restrictions and member surveys to gauge whether to move major meetings to a virtual format. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Illinois has placed an order in effect limiting gatherings to no more than 50 people. While this order could be modified prior to expiration, McCormick Place, the site of the conference, has conceded that their ability to re-open for large events is not currently definitive by the state regulation.

We are confident that a new virtual format will allow us to provide an exceptional attendee experience that is the hallmark of the SNA Annual National Conference. We look forward to even more school nutrition professionals being able to attend with reduced registration fees and without the extra time and cost associated with travel.

Attending ANC has never been more convenient!

Monday, July 12 through Thursday, July 15 so as not to interfere with anyone’s weekend time. Pre-conference sessions will be scheduled for Monday July 12.

Virtual ANC will take place over four days, with education sessions mostly starting in the afternoons (Eastern Daylight Time). You can think of the first day of the conference as a “warm-up” day with pre-conference sessions. The Exhibit Hall will be accessible each day of the conference for people to explore on their own. Please check the website in the coming days for a more detailed conference agenda and speaker information.  

A computer, tablet, or smartphone that has a camera, microphone, and internet access (preferably high speed). We recognize that this will be a new experience for many and we plan to hold a webinar prior to the conference to walk attendees and presenters through the technology. For those presenting, we will also be providing some recommendations for improving the quality of video and audio during your presentation.

We are excited to announce our two keynote speakers are Crystal Washington and Ben Nemtin, who will inspire us and set the tone for a truly immersive virtual experience.

Chris Burkhardt, SNS
Executive Director, School Nutrition
Cleveland Public Schools, OH

Richard Browder
Director of School Nutrition
Brighton School District, MI
 

We plan to notify presenters by April 15. Please note that this date is subject to change.

Yes, the on-demand version of ANC 2021 is included in your registration. We recognize that it may be difficult for all attendees to attend every session, therefore the on-demand conference recordings will be available to attendees until August 31, 2021 for you to catch up on anything that was missed.

Each attendee must be individually registered for the event. CEU credits can only be earned/applied to the registered individual.

Participants will earn 8.5 CEUs for the live virtual event. However, all education sessions will be available on-demand until August 31, 2021 after the conference concludes, allowing an individual to earn many more CEUs.

Yes, key handouts will be available to print a few days prior to the conference.

Virtual ANC 2021 will take place in Eastern Daylight Time.

Once registration opens, please indicate your needs for accommodations on the registration form so that we can do our best to accommodate you. The conference will be close captioned.

Registration will open in mid-April and will be announced through SNA’s email system and website.

Registration fees will be reduced for the virtual event and will include access to all education sessions, exhibit hall, networking and special events. Additionally, all education sessions and exhibits will be available until August 31, 2021 so you can catch up on any education or visit booths you may have missed. Please check the SNA website for more details about registration rates in the coming days, including early registration discounts.

ANC 2021 rates are already significantly reduced. However, we do have some group discounts that will be available during the Early Bird registration period.

We are unable to offer one-day rates. Registration fees for the Virtual ANC are already reduced.

Webinar and video-conferencing platforms like Zoom are not free when used for events with 1000+ persons. Additionally, the complexity of a conference the size and scope of ANC requires a much more sophisticated and expensive technology platform to deliver the high caliber event attendees expect. To provide all our attendees with the best possible virtual experience, SNA will be using a state-of-the-art and robust virtual event platform. ANC will not be hosted on Zoom. Finally, conference fees ensure SNA can retain the staff needed to plan and run the event. With no travel and hotel costs this year, and reduced registration fees, attendee costs will be much lower this year and we hope many more will actually be able to attend.

The platform SNA is using for its first ever virtual Annual National Conference (ANC) is Swapcard. Some key information you should know, which is also provided in your registration confirmation:

• Your personalized email link to access the platform will be sent to you at the end of June, at least two weeks prior to the first day of the conference which will be July 12th.
• The email you used to register (and to which this email was sent) will be used for your event credentials on Swapcard.
• The invitation email will be sent from noreply@swapcard.com . We recommend you work with your IT department to whitelist this email ahead of time to ensure you receive all platform communications.

Once you have access to the platform, you will be able to create your personal profile (areas of interest, district size, etc.), begin exploring the Exhibit Booths and making appointments with exhibitors, peruse the Product Marketplace, select your favorite Education & Training sessions and add them to your schedule, and see who you might want to connect with virtually….all of this in order to make the most of your experience!

We have selected a robust virtual experience platform to deliver a state-of-the-art virtual event with features that strive to provide valuable engagement opportunities such as:

• Recorded and live feed booth demonstrations
• On-the-spot opportunities to connect
• Appointment setting capabilities and live chats
• Real-time event analytics
• Built in virtual networking events

As with our in-person conference, SNA will offer exhibitors directors-only exhibit hall time and extended exhibit hall access over the course of all four days. Exhibitors will also have the option to work with our AV partner to create high-end audio-visual productions for additional fees.

Sponsors will have an extended array of sponsorship opportunities within the digital platform, new opportunities through focus groups and the popular culinary demonstrations.

For sponsorship opportunities, please email Nita Artis, Business Development Manager, at nartis@schoolnutrition.org. For exhibitor opportunities, please email Crystal Harper-Pierre, Exhibit Sales Manager, at charper@schoolnutrition.org.

We are confident that we will be able to provide you with a superb exhibiting experience and hope you will continue to support school nutrition professionals this year by exhibiting at our virtual event. But if you wish to transfer your fees, please email Crystal Harper-Pierre, Exhibit Sales Manager, at charper@schoolnutrition.org.

Please note: Information subject to change. For any additional questions, please email meetings@schoolnutrition.org.