You’ve waited all year, and the International Symposium on Human Identification is FINALLY almost here! Whether you’re hoping to learn about the newest technologies, meet experts in the field, or simply reconnect with friends that you haven’t seen in a while, ISHI promises to deliver both educational and networking opportunities. Our hope is that after the conference you return to the office with a renewed sense of passion for the important work that you do. So dust off your old ISHI tees and pack the sunglasses and comfy walking shoes. It’s time to take over Palm Springs!
Check in and Material Pick up
ISHI will be held at the Palm Springs Convention Center, located at 277 N. Avenida Caballeros. The Exhibit Hall and General Sessions ballroom are right next to each other in the Oasis Ballroom. You can get a feel for the Convention Center through their interactive maps, but don’t worry – there will be plenty of signage and staff to help you find your way. Your badge will be required to attend all functions, so be sure to keep it with you.
Speaking of your badge, check in for ISHI by visiting the self-service kiosks on in the Mesquite rooms across from the Exhibit Hall. Enter the first few letters of your last name to print out your badge, agenda, and tickets for any purchased workshops. Workshop tickets will be collected at the door, so hold on to your tickets and present them as you enter each workshop.
After printing your badge, collect your conference bag at the information desk. If you still need to make a payment or have questions, staff at the information desk are ready to assist.
Note that registration lines are longest on Monday and Tuesday mornings. Plan to allow yourself plenty of time at registration prior to any workshops or the General Sessions.
The ISHI Information Desk will be open during the following hours:
- Sunday, September 22 – 7:00am – 2:00pm
- Monday, September 23 – 7:00am – 6:00pm
- Tuesday, September 24 – 7:00am – 4:30pm
- Wednesday, September 25 – 8:00am – 4:30pm
- Thursday, September 26 – 8:00am – 1:00pm
After you register, be sure to take a walk through history in the ISHI museum next door.
Speaker presentations, Exhibitor Information, Poster Listing, Maps and More
Almost everything you need to know about the conference can be found on the ISHI 30 mobile application. The Crowd Compass app includes a schedule of the talks, presentation slides, poster information, speaker details, exhibitor information, and attendee messaging. To access the app, download the Crowd Compass Attendee Hub from your devices’ app store and then search for “ISHI” within the app. You can even share pictures that you’ve taken during the event by tapping on the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines to the upper left of the screen) and then navigating to the Activity Feed. Share a comment or picture by clicking on the + in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
If you like to take notes during the presentations, be sure to print out the presentation slides to bring with you before you leave home. Presentations can be downloaded from the conference website by clicking into the individual sessions from the agenda page. Poster abstracts can also be accessed from our website. You can also find the abstracts and presentations on our mobile app.
Do you have a question for our speakers? Submit a question through the ISHI app. Simply navigate to the session you’re attending through the ‘Schedule’ icon, scroll down to ‘Live Q&A’ and submit your question! Moderators will be able to see the questions you’ve submitted.
Networking Lunch
Plan to join a Table Talk during lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll have specially marked tables in the Smoketree rooms set aside for these discussions. The following topics will be discussed:
- Tuesday, September 24
- Dealing with the Stress of a Career in Forensic Science
- Genetic Genealogy as a Tool for Solving Cases
- Probabilistic Genotyping Assessing Reproducibility and Variability
- Wednesday, September 25
- Implementation of Rapid DNA
- You Got DNA from That?
- Best Practices for Cold Cases
If you are curious about these topics, be sure to join the conversation. Space will be limited, so we encourage you to register beforehand. A facilitator knowledgeable on the subjects will be leading the discussions.
Scavenger Hunt, Photo Opportunities and ISHI Social Media
Are you up for a challenge? Check out the Click scavenger hunt game on the Crowd Compass app! Take photos corresponding to listed challenges and accumulate badges. Challenge clues be found throughout the Convention Center, Renaissance hotel, streets of Palm Springs, and the Street Party dinner event.
The top 10 contestants on the scoreboard at the close of General Sessions will win fabulous prizes, which can be picked up at the information desk. In the event of a tie, winners will be chosen based on when challenges were completed.
We’d love to see your photos from the event! Share your photos with your colleagues back home on social media using the hashtag #ISHI30!
For the latest ISHI information, follow our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Use the Snapchat geo-filter and Facebook Frame that are accessible in the Convention Center to send snaps and photos to your friends at home! We also have a LinkedIn group that you can join to keep the conversation going after the conference. We’d love to have you tweet along with us during the symposium using the conference hashtag.
Answer the “Question of the Day’ at the interview station in the Exhibit Hall during the poster break on Tuesday and Wednesday and receive a $5 Starbucks gift card just for sharing your thoughts. A Starbucks Reserve can be found a short 5 minute walk away on 110 N Palm Canyon Drive.
Want to attend ISHI 31 in San Antonio for free?
Check your conference bag for the Exhibitor Passport. Visit with our exhibitors throughout the show and get 25 stamps in your passport. Turn in your completed form to the information desk and keep your fingers crossed that your name is announced during the morning break on Thursday.
Last but not least
Certificates of attendance will be sent out after the conference using the email address you provided when registering for ISHI. To guarantee that you receive your certificate, double-check your registration to ensure that we have an accurate email address on file.
If you have any questions before you arrive, please contact Sharon Zelanka. We look forward to greeting each and every one of you in Palm Springs!
P.S. Summer has not yet ended in California. The advanced forecast shows that temperatures will be topping 100 degrees (F) during the day and into the mid 70’s (F) at night. Meeting rooms will be air conditioned, so plan to bring a jacket or sweater just in case the meeting rooms get chilly.
