After the COVID-19 pandemic prompted ADA leadership to transition the Scientific Sessions to a virtual event for the second year in a row, ADA staff and the 81st Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee used the successes and challenges of last year’s meeting to plan the five days of groundbreaking science and virtual events for this year’s meeting.

One of the biggest lessons organizers learned last year was how highly meeting registrants value real-time interaction.

“People want to connect with each other,” said Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, ADA Chief Scientific and Medical Officer. “We’ve really enhanced the ability for people to interact together so they could get the most out of the meeting content, but also the important discussions that happen around the content.”

This year’s Scientific Sessions, which will take place  June 25–29, will incorporate expanded opportunities for attendees to interact with speakers, exhibitors, and one another. All sessions in the educational program will have a chat function to facilitate comments and questions, and select sessions will feature live video Q&A discussions.

“All of this really allows us to network with each other and think about and digest all of the incredible content that’s presented at the meeting,” Dr. Gabbay said. “This is the world’s greatest meeting around diabetes.”

The 81st Scientific Sessions will offer a deep dive into every aspect of diabetes research through more than 850 individual presentations and more than 1,000 ePosters. ADA also will honor the recipients of its highest National Scientific and Health Care Achievement Awards and feature special award lectureships sponsored by ADA Professional Interest Groups.

“The Planning Committee has developed so many great sessions, it’s impossible to see everything that you are interested in during the five-day meeting,” Dr. Gabbay said. “But a virtual meeting allows you to learn on your own time and from just about anywhere you choose.”

That convenience extends beyond the live meeting dates. Meeting registrants receive unlimited access to the virtual content for about three months following the meeting.

“So if you don’t get to catch it all during those few days of the actual meeting, you have 90 days to watch anything and everything in diabetes,” Dr. Gabbay said.

Attendees can earn up to 34.25 continuing education credits during the live, virtual meeting (June 25–29) and up to 340 CE credits post-meeting (June 30–September 29).

The ADA 2021 Scientific Sessions meeting app will be available about a month before the meeting for registrants to plan their live and post-meeting itineraries.

On June 24, before the start of the educational sessions, Industry Day will provide an opportunity for meeting registrants to visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall and view the Industry Learning Hub, which will feature Product Theaters, Corporate Symposia, and Diabetes Learning Bytes.

Several other aspects of the in-person Scientific Sessions experience also carry over into the virtual meeting space.

The Shop Diabetes Store will be open during the meeting, and Scientific Sessions registrants will receive a 30% discount on all books and official ADA merchandise. Every purchase supports diabetes research, advocacy, and education programs.

The 5K@ADA Virtual Challenge invites runners and walkers to participate any time between June 25–27 at the location of their choice to help raise awareness about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

Scientific Sessions registration should be completed via ADA’s secure online registration portal. Advance registration pricing is available through May 13, and final registration pricing is available May 14–Sept. 29. The first 4,000 U.S. attendees to register for the virtual meeting will receive a Welcome Box in the mail.