AAS 243: Press Information | American Astronomical Society

243rd meeting

Press Information

243

243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society

New Orleans, Louisiana

7 – 11 January 2024

The AAS offers complimentary in-person meeting registration to bona fide working journalists and public information officers (PIOs) who will be attending on site in New Orleans.

At AAS 243, there will be a dedicated press office and a reservable interview room. We will hold press conferences Monday through Thursday, and Friday will feature an optional press tour to the LIGO Livingston installation (details to follow at a later date).

Scroll down for more information, or use the links below to jump to a topic.

Press Registration	Press Office	Press Conferences
Press Interviews	Press Tour	Resources for Presenting Scientists
Embargo Policy for AAS Meetings

Press Registration

AAS 243 will be an in-person meeting only; there will be no virtual attendance option for the general meeting. The press conferences, however, can be attended both in person and virtually via Zoom.

In-Person Press Attendance:

The AAS offers complimentary in-person meeting registration to bona fide working journalists and public information officers (PIOs). To request press registration, first check our eligibility criteria, then contact the AAS Press Office with your name and media affiliation (or “freelance” if applicable); please specify "AAS 243 IN-PERSON press registration" in the subject line. If your eligibility is confirmed, you'll receive a special promotional code that you can use to register for the meeting the same way regular attendees do, i.e., via the AAS 243 registration page.

Virtual Press Attendance (press conferences only):

If you do not plan to be on-site in New Orleans but you would like to attend the press conferences virtually, contact the AAS Press Office with your name and media affiliation (or “freelance” if applicable); please specify "AAS 243 VIRTUAL press conference attendance" in the subject line. You will be added to a virtual press conference attendance list and will be sent the press conference schedule and Zoom webinar links in advance of the meeting.

Press registration deadline: Wednesday, 3 January 2024.

View AAS 243 Press Registrants

In-Person Press Registration Instructions

*** Note: If you do not plan to attend the meeting in person in New Orleans, do not register for the meeting; there is no virtual attendance option for the general meeting. Instead, email the AAS Press Office to be added to the virtual press conference attendance list.***

Once you’ve received your press promo code from the AAS Press Office, you're ready to register. To do so:

1. Go to the AAS 243 registration page and click the orange "Register for AAS 243" button.

2. Sign in with your AAS username and password, which you've done before if you've attended a recent AAS meeting. If you’ve forgotten your login credentials, click the “Forgot username?” or “Forgot password?” link and follow the instructions that pop up. If you have trouble or don't know if you have an AAS account, email [email protected] for assistance.

3. Once signed in, click the “Register Myself” button. The page will reload and present you with several registration options at different prices. Select the “Press - Full Meeting Registration" option. Don’t fret about the cost shown there! When you enter your press promo code (provided to you by the AAS Press Office) at checkout, the fee will go to $0 — as long as you've chosen the press registration option and have a valid press promo code.

4. Answer the subsequent required questions and click the “Save Responses” button. If you wish to change any of your responses, do so and then click the “Update Responses” button.

5. Add any contributions, networking functions, and workshops you would like to attend. Note that the networking list includes the complimentary Welcome Reception on Sunday and Closing Reception on Thursday. If you choose to sign up for paid workshops or other events, or to make any of the suggested donations, you will need to pay full price for those. Your promo code covers only the registration fee for the science meeting.

6. Scroll down and click the “Proceed to Checkout” button. Enter your press promo code in the “Promotional Code” box (if you have trouble, check to make sure there are no leading or trailing spaces in the code!) and click the orange “Apply” button; you should now see the registration fee reduced to $0.

7. Click the “Submit Order” button to complete your registration; unless you opted to attend a paid workshop or make a donation, you won’t have to pay anything. The next screen will confirm your registration and display a receipt. You should soon receive a confirmation email from [email protected]. If you don’t see this emails in your inbox, check your junk/spam folder.

If you encounter any problems during the registration process, email [email protected].

Press Office

USRA Logo

Thanks to the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) for generously sponsoring the press office with refreshments for press registrants!

Location: Room 230, Level 2, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (900 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130)

Press Office Hours

Sunday, 7 January, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Monday, 8 January, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday, 9 January, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday, 10 January, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday, 11 January, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm

Press Office Staff

Dr. S usanna Kohler, AAS Communications Manager & Press Officer, +1 202-328-2010 x127
Dr. Kerry Hensley, AAS Communications Specialist & Deputy Press Officer, +1 202-328-2010 x138
Benjamin Cassese, AAS Media Fellow

The AAS 243 Astrobites Media Intern, Briley Lewis, will also assist in the Press Office.

Press Conferences

Location: Room 229, Level 2, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Press Interviews

Location: Room 228, Level 2, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Use the online signup sheet to reserve this room for use for press interviews at specific dates and times.

Press Tour

A special visit to the LIGO installation in Livingston, Louisiana — one of the two sites to first detect gravitational waves — will be conducted for members of the media on Friday, 12 January 2024. The visit will include scientific presentations, a tour of the site, access to the science center exhibit hall, and time for conversations with LIGO scientists. This trip will be free of charge, courtesy of LIGO, and include transportation between the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and LIGO Livingston and a catered lunch.https://aas.org/meetings/aas243/press-kit The tour will leave the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center at 9:00 am CST on Friday, 12 January and return at 3:00 pm CST. Registration for the tour has closed, but you may add your name to the waitlist here.

Resources for Presenters

If you have been invited to present at an AAS press conference, you may have questions about what happens at a press conference, how to prepare a presentation, or how to prepare a press release. The resources at the following link should address those questions:

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