Registrations for the world’s largest medical imaging conference are down almost 56% when compared to final tallies from the last in-person iteration, organizers revealed Monday.
The Radiological Society of North America expects about 19,000 attendees at its 107th annual scientific assembly, which kicks off Sunday, Nov. 28, in Chicago. Another 4,000 have registered to attend virtually, for a total of 23,000.
COVID-19 forced Oak Brook, Illinois-based RSNA to shelve the in-person portion of its conference in 2020, marking the first such cancellation since World War 2. Prior to the pandemic, 51,800 individuals registered for the 2019 version, more than double this year’s current total. Organizers indicated in September that they expected the numbers to dip, due to ongoing uncertainty and international travel restrictions. RSNA is also requiring attendees to provide proof of vaccination and wear masks while visiting the convention center.
President Mary Mahoney, MD, said the society is “extremely pleased” with the advance registration numbers.
“After two challenging years, our attendees were ready to return to Chicago for the world’s leading imaging forum and to engage with the state-of-the-art technical exhibition,” Mahoney said in a Nov. 22 statement. “We are thrilled to provide them with an extraordinary meeting experience—featuring a comprehensive mix of science and education programming—while taking great care to protect their health and safety.”
RSNA said it’s working closely with the City of Chicago and event space to ensure attendees’ well-being. Along with mandating masks and vaccination, McCormick place will routinely clean surfaces, place hand sanitizer stations throughout, socially distance seating and allow for wider aisles in exhibit halls. The society is also offering a “robust” virtual meeting for those unable to attend, which includes 100% of eligible programming (also available on demand through April 30).
More than 500 exhibitors will fill the scientific assembly’s massive show floor, including 100 first-time participants. RSNA indicated in September that vendor signups were down compared to previous years, but interest has still been “strong.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.