‘Wander and wonder’: How to navigate your first ACR Convergence

The American College of Rheumatology Convergence is many things to many, many people.

Boasting more than 13,300 in-person and virtual attendees from 104 countries who attended approximately 450 sessions during its 2022 iteration, ACR Convergence is by far the largest rheumatology conference in the United States, and, alongside the EULAR Congress, among the largest in the world.

It is where clinicians gather to learn about the latest advancements in their field. It is where they present their research, network and engage with industry representatives. And it is where clinicians meet, and talk, with colleagues who they may only see once or twice each year.

But for the first-time attendee — and some returning regulars — it can be a dizzyingly intimidating challenge. How does one navigate the labyrinth of hallways and meeting rooms, the myriad advance programs, scientific, abstract and plenary sessions, poster halls and late-breaking presentations — to say nothing of the multiple networking lounges, exhibitor hall, patient perspective space, Thieves Market and much, much more?

The Healio Rheumatology Peer Perspective Board is here to help.

Healio Rheumatology recently polled members of its Peer Perspective Board on what ACR Convergence newcomers must see and do to get the most from their inaugural experience, as well as how to navigate it all.

“For me, every ACR meeting is my first,” said Allan Gibofsky, MD, JD, MACR, FACP, FCLM, professor of medicine and public health at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and attending physician and rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery. “I try to approach each meeting with the same sense of excitement as I did when I was in training. That way, I always learn something new and I’m never disappointed.”

Must see at ACR

This year’s ACR Convergence, scheduled for Nov. 10 to Nov. 15 at the San Diego Convention Center, will once again feature hundreds of presentations. What is considered most important depends on the individual, their interests and their areas of focus. However, there are a few sessions that the Healio board members recommended everyone attend.

“The Year in Review,” noted Cassandra Calabrese, DO, of the department of Rheumatologic and Immunologic Disease at the Cleveland Clinic.

Set for 7:30 a.m. Pacific time on Sunday, Nov. 12, this year’s Year in Review session will be presented by Tomas Mustelin, MD, PhD, of the University of Washington, in Seattle, and Philip Seo, MD, MHS, of Johns Hopkins University, with the former tackling basic science and the latter discussing clinical science.

“For me, a must is the pre-meeting Review Course and the Year in Review,” echoed Michael C. Schweitz, MD, former president of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations and co-founder of Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates of Palm Beach, in Florida.

According to Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, chief medical editor of Healio Rheumatology and professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, the “pre-course” highlights include the basic and clinical research conference, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11, which will cover pain in rheumatic diseases.

“The program looks really fascinating,” Calabrese wrote in a Healio Rheumatology editorial.

As for the meat of the meeting itself, Gibofsky stressed that the three plenary sessions — scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 12, Monday, Nov. 13, and Tuesday, Nov. 14 — are not to be missed.

“The plenary sessions have been designed to present some of the more practical and more important information, in both the basic and clinical sciences,” he said. “These should always be attended.”

Meanwhile, Gibofsky added that, at least in recent years, the late-breaking abstract sessions have left him cold.

“I used to be excited by the late-breaking abstract session, as in the past it was the showcase for topical and exciting presentations,” he said. “I fear that, more recently, many of the ‘late breakers’ have been submitted not for their exciting content, but because the original submission deadline was inconvenient.”

Must do at ACR

Although there is no shortage of things to do or events to attend at ACR Convergence, members of the Healio board who responded to the poll were unanimous in their support of one activity in particular: Checking out the poster hall.

“The poster hall is always at the top of my list, both to view interesting posters and meet up with colleagues,” Cassandra Calabrese said.

This year marks the return — after popular demand and attendee feedback — of the in-person poster hall for ACR. Attendees will find it in Hall C of the Convention Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Presenters will also be on hand to discuss their research from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily.

“The scientific posters are the best part of the conference. I don’t miss any of the days!” said Kevin Winthrop, MD, MPH, professor of ophthalmology at the Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University School of Public Health.

According to Gibofsky, the best way to see and digest the poster hall is to join a poster tour, which are led by senior faculty and operate from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

“One practical point for a newbie is to try and get on a poster tour,” Gibofsky said. “The tour leaders have already put a significant amount of time into separating the ‘wheat from the chaff’ and you should take advantage of their knowledge and experience. The tours tend to fill up quickly, so if you can’t get on one, try to follow one, so at least you can see which posters have been identified as particularly interesting.”

However, with all of the data being presented, either through the posters or the hundreds of plenary, scientific, abstract and late-breaking sessions, it can be easy for any attendee — let alone a first-timer — to overlook the other aspects of ACR Convergence. According to Gibofsky, it is no less important to, at times, focus on the purely social aspects of the meeting.

“Take time to socialize and reconnect with your peers and colleagues,” he said. “Attend your alumni event or make plans to meet up with colleagues at or near the convention center to catch up and share experiences and knowledge.”

Gibofsky added that simply taking some time to “wander” the convention center halls, without a specific plan, can also be time well spent.

“Take an hour to wander and wonder,” he said. “Walk through the poster hall and spend some time to learn about something new!”

That said, it is difficult to overstate just how important it is to plan ahead for ACR.

How to navigate it all

“A must to navigate the massive meeting is to go through each day’s talks and events and plan ahead,” Schweitz said.

The full schedule, along with timetables, speakers and abstracts, is available on the ACR Convergence website. Registered attendees can access the syllabi during, and for 1 year following, the meeting.

“The meeting has become bigger and bigger, meaning that to get the most out of it, you really have to do some advance planning as soon as the program and abstracts are released,” Gibofsky said. “I begin by scanning the abstracts to see if there are particular presentations that seem interesting, and only then do I drill down in my specific areas of focus.

“Plan your day and your route in advance,” he added. “Do not try to go to Hall A to hear your first presentation, then leave for Hall Z for your second, then return to Hall L for your third. You’ll miss a lot in each session — although you will get a lot of exercise.”

Another piece of practical advice is to download and use the ACR Convergence app, which allows users to build their own personalized itinerary of sessions and meet-ups, browse and bookmark abstracts, and find their way around the convention center with maps and directions.

“The app is indispensable for navigation,” Winthrop said.

However, part of successfully navigating ACR Convergence is understanding and accepting that the meeting is simply much too big for any single individual to see it all, at least in person. Fortunately, the vast majority of the sessions and presentations will be available on demand through the ACR Convergence website for 1 year following the meeting.

“Don’t feel that you have to see everything live. You can’t!” Gibofsky said. “Take advantage of the recorded sessions when they become available.”

According to Cassandra Calabrese, it is equally important to understand that spreading oneself too thin across the multitude of sessions and events is unlikely to do anyone any favors. Often, less can be more.

“Do not try to overdo it — you will take in and appreciate more if you do less,” she said. “The meeting agenda is your friend. For example, review the poster categories before attending the poster hall, select categories of interest to you, and within those pick a handful of posters to view in person.”