GA4GH 12th Plenary Welcome Guide

Welcome to GA4GH 12th Plenary! 

GA4GH 12th Plenary (Connect, Plenary, and NIF) will be held at Park Hyatt Melbourne.

 

Park Hyatt Melbourne
1 Parliament Square, Off Parliament Pl,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3002

 

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country and their connections to land, sea, and community. We are coming together on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nations. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. 

 

We are sharing the following map and accompanying instructions to help guide you to each of our event and meeting locations. 

 

Arriving at the Conference

From within Park Hyatt: 

If you are staying at the Park Hyatt Melbourne, please use the lift to descend to the lower lobby level where the Connect and Plenary meetings (16 to 19 September) will be held. You can also make your way to the hotel lobby and take the stairs down to the lower lobby level.

 

From alternative accommodation: 

Please locate the Park Hyatt Melbourne, follow the long driveway up Parliament Square, and enter the hotel through the glass doors of the main entrance. You will enter the hotel on the lobby level. For Connect and Plenary, take the stairs, located on your left, or the lift, which is located down the hall to your right, to the lower lobby level.

 

Conference registration:

Once on the lower lobby level, you will enter in the foyer. Conference registration will be located outside of the Study, which is labelled with the question mark on the venue map. A member of GA4GH staff or our event planning partners will be stationed at the desk to support you with registration. Registration will begin on Sunday, 15 September from 14:00 to 17:00 AEST. Registration will also begin one hour before the start of each Connect or Plenary day. This is where you will receive your name badge. If you are presenting a poster, this is also where you will check-in on 18 September (from 8:00 to 9:00 AEST) to receive your assigned location when you arrive to mount your poster. You must have registered and collected your name badge to join the Plenary welcome reception on Tuesday, 17 September. A member of the event staff will be at the registration desk on Tuesday for those arriving on that day.

 

GA4GH 12th Plenary Mobile App

All of the below information and more can be found in the GA4GH 12th Plenary mobile app.  Through the app, you will be able to access meeting agendas and session locations, view speaker bios, create a customised schedule, and view the venue map. A QR code to download the mobile app will be available at the registration desk. Once you have downloaded the app, search “GA4GH” to add the event to your dashboard.

 

Event Agendas

All 12th Plenary (Connect, Plenary, National Initiatives Forum, and ancillary meeting) agendas can be found on our 12th Plenary event website and in our mobile app.

We also have a Linktr.ee with links to our conference website, agendas, conference feedback form, and Frequently Asked Questions.

 

16 and 17 September

Connect sessions will be held in Fairmont 1, Fairmont 2, Trilogy, and Park Lounge. These are labelled on the map. The Connect agenda with session locations is available on our website, at the registration desk, and on our event app.

 

Coffee and tea will be available in the morning and during the breaks in the foyer. There will be light snacks during break times. Please note, there is no formal breakfast.

 

Lunch will take place in a few locations in order to accommodate the number of attendees. 

  • If you are at a pre-lunch Connect session in Fairmont 1 or Fairmont 2, you will go to the foyer for lunch and take your lunch back to either of those rooms. 
  • If you are in a pre-lunch session in Park Lounge or Trilogy, lunch will be served in the Park Hyatt’s Radii Restaurant on the lobby level. 
  • If you are attending the OurDNA Symposium, you will remain in Trilogy for lunch.

 

The Human Pangenome Project Symposium on 16 September will be held in Trilogy. Those attending this symposium will eat lunch in the Radii Restaurant.

 

The Our DNA Symposium on 17 September will be held in Trilogy (where lunch will also be served).

 

The Plenary welcome reception (17 September) will be held in Trilogy, which is located on the lobby level. Passed hors devours will be served. Meeting attendees are invited to participate in a unique opportunity to get close and personal with native Australian wildlife. Wild Action, a leading organisation in sustainable wildlife education programmes, will join us onsite at the Park Hyatt with koalas, kangaroo joeys, wombats, reptiles, and much more. Made up of a team of scientists, Wild Action promises ethical and responsible tending to the animals in their care, in accordance with Wildlife Act 1975. Wild Action believes in education to inspire empathy and understanding among people to support conservation efforts and care for the natural world. There may be some instances where responsible interaction and touch is allowed. Hand sanitiser will be provided. You must have registered and collected your name badge to join the Plenary welcome reception. A member of the event staff will be at the registration desk on Tuesday to help you register if you are arriving on that day.

 

18 and 19 September

All Plenary talks will be held in the ballroom.

 

GA4GH booths with explanatory materials about Work Streams, Communities of Interest, the National Initiatives Forum (NIF), and the GA4GH Implementation Forum (GIF) will be stationed in the foyer. GA4GH Staff members and Work Stream Leads will be present at these booths during the Plenary Poster Session (18 and 19 September, 11:00 to 11:30 AEST) to share more about GA4GH activities and gather feedback from the community. You can also peruse the booths at your convenience throughout the Plenary days. If you are interested in getting involved in GA4GH activities, there will be sign-up sheets located at each booth.

 

Plenary Poster sessions will occur on 18 and 19 September, from 11:00 to 11:30 AEST. Please proceed to the space adjacent to the foyer to view poster presentations. If you are presenting a poster, please check in with the GA4GH conference registration desk, where you will receive your assigned mounting location. All posters must be mounted by 18 September from 8:00 to 9:00 AEST.

 

Coffee and tea will be available during the breaks in the foyer. 

 

A buffet lunch will be stationed in the foyer, and lunch will be eaten in the ballroom. A separate table will be labelled for those who have requested food for dietary restrictions. Several meetings will occur during lunch. If you are attending a lunch session, you will receive a “front of the line” ticket at registration. We ask for others to respect these tickets so lunch meeting attendees can get their lunch and make their way to their meetings promptly.

 

The Strategic Leadership Committee (SLC) lunch meeting will take place on 19 September from 12:45 to 13:45 AEST. Committee members may grab lunch from the foyer buffet line, using a “front of the line” ticket received at registration, and then go to the Park Lounge Board Room on the 19th floor.

 

The Indigenous Genomics lunch meeting will take place on September 18 from 12:45-13:45 AEST. This meeting is by invitation only. Attendees may grab lunch from the foyer buffet line, using a “front of the line” ticket received at registration, and then go to the Park Lounge Board Room on the 19th floor.

 

A NIF Cocktail Reception will be held on Thursday evening from 17:00 to 19:00 AEST in the Park Lounge. This reception is open to those who are registered to attend NIF in person. Network with other attendees ahead of NIF day, and enjoy light refreshments. You must have collected your NIF name badge from the conference registration desk located outside of the Study in the lower lobby level.  

 

20 September

The NIF meeting (on 20 September) will be held in the Park Lounge, located on the 19th floor of the Park Hyatt. Please use the lifts to ascend to the 19th floor.

 

During NIF, lunch will be served in the Park Lounge.

 

If you have registered for and are attending the Data Justice in Genomics and Health conference hosted by Monash University, please be on the lookout for conference details from the coordinators. The conference will take place at the Monash Law Chambers (555 Lonsdale Street Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia), with registration beginning at 8:00 AEST.

 

Additional Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Additional event FAQs can be found on our website, at this link.

 

Feedback

We welcome event feedback. Please share your thoughts through this form.

 

Participation Guidelines

Participation in GA4GH virtual and in-person meetings, conferences, and events (including 12th Plenary) constitutes an agreement to adhere to the GA4GH Code of Ethics and Community Conduct.

To ensure a safe, welcoming environment for you and others, please review the expectations listed in the code, as well as in the associated “Guidelines for respectful community engagement.”

 

Health and Safety

GA4GH prioritises the health and safety of all attendees. Please review our guidelines below and note that these are subject to change.

 

Safety at GA4GH events

GA4GH proactively supports an engaged, welcoming, and safe community via the Code of Ethics and Community Conduct. By attending GA4GH 12th Plenary and associated events, whether in person or virtually, you agree to adhere to this code. If you experience or witness harmful behaviour or a potential violation of the code, please report it. You may view our participation guidelines here.

 

Public health

By attending GA4GH 12th Plenary and all associated events in person, you agree to follow these guidelines:

  • You are welcome, but not required, to wear masks during the conference. You may ask for free masks and hand sanitiser provided by GA4GH at the venue. 
  • Do not attend GA4GH events if you develop cold- or flu-like symptoms, or test positive for COVID-19 or another communicable disease. If you fall sick during the conference, please do not attend the rest of the meeting in person. Please contact event manager Lori Lombardi Ryan at LLR@ocmg.net for assistance with next steps, or notify us anonymously. You can still participate virtually.
  • You may switch to virtual participation at any time, for any reason, by contacting operations [at] ga4gh.org. If you attend any portion of the event in person, you will be liable for the full cost of the registration. If you cancel prior to 2 weeks before the start of the meeting, you will receive a full refund.

 

Please respect others’ decisions, as attitudes, vulnerabilities, and healthcare access differ among cultures and individuals. Everyone should feel comfortable making choices that allow them to feel safe at GA4GH events.