SIPS RECENT NEWS
October 29 2021
UPDATE ON SIPS2021 DECISION - October 29 2021
Due to the current COVID situation across the world and the various existing travel restrictions across countries,
we sent out an email to all 677 authors of SIPS2021 requesting their opinions on possible alternatives related to SIPS2021, which was planned to be held during November 28th 2021 - December 2nd 2021.
After extensive preparation on our side, we presented the following alternatives:
1. The first option was to keep the same original dates (November 28th 2021 - December 2nd2021) but change the venue from Thailand, to a location in the Caribbean or Central America where there are less travel restrictions and more countries are on the green list for more international travelers. We made arrangements and tentative bookings in the following places: the Melia Caribe Beach Resort Punta Cana or Dreams Playa Bonita Panama. In this case SIPS 2022 would still be held in Phuket in the same hotel in approximately the same dates (November/December 2022).
2. The second option was to postpone SIPS 2021 at the same hotel in Phuket with the same symposia in the spring of 2022. Since May to October is the rainy season in Phuket, the end of spring would be the last optional dates. We would be able to arrange this with the hotel in Phuket.
3. The third option was postponing the SIPS 2021 and all symposia for another year and hold it in November 2022 - December 2022. We also made tentative arrangements with the hotel in Phuket for this option.
After feedback,
over 80% of all 677 authors suggested that we postpone SIPS2021 for another year, to ensure the best success of the symposiums for all authors, attendees and guests, and to enjoy the stay without COVID restrictions such as masks and limitations. With this in mind, we have reached the decision to postpone SIPS2021 that was to be held from November 28th to December 2nd to November 27th to December 1st of 2022. SIPS2022 will take place in the same hotel in Phuket, Thailand. By consensus, having an on-line summit has been considered not viable for SIPS, since the majority of scientists and attendees have had negative experiences with online meetings.
Please note that all 9 Nobel Laureates and our VIP guests have confirmed their attendance in the above new dates.
This decision was made in the best interest of all authors and attendees of SIPS2021 due to many COVID restrictions and travel limitations from various countries that are described below:
1. Thailand is still considered a High-risk country/ Red Zone country for many countries as determined by their government (Example: UK, US etc). Travelers from these countries who travel to Thailand would have to quarantine for 10 - 15 days upon arrival back to their country
2. Many countries such as Japan and South Korea are advising their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Thailand, and limiting the travel of individuals in and out of the country (even for low-risk countries such as the Caribbean), for personal and business reasons. If individuals were to travel they would be obligated to quarantine upon return arrival for 10 days, making attending SIPS2021 not an option for them.
3. Many states/cities in Australia like Brisbane are in lockdown and are imposing a curfew and people are not allowed to travel more than 15km away from their residence, due to the strict stay at home order. This also makes attending SIPS2021 unfeasible for these individuals.
4. In Canada and the US, some universities just recently updated their travel advisories to not allow international travel until the end of April 2022
5. Many people and government forecast that the situation will not be ready for travel by April 2022
6. Many confirmed attendees have stated that having SIPS in the Spring of 2022 would be unrealistic, as almost all meetings in Asia have been cancelled up to May 2022
7. Due to the rainy season of Thailand occurring during May to October, we would be able to do SIPS in the same location only in November 2022
After discussing with numerous SIPS2021 authors, Attendees, Noble Laureates, and VIP guests the consensus was that postponing SIPS2021 to 2022 would be in the best interest of all, as in 2022 we are more confident that COVID restrictions will lift, and travel will be easier and safer for all attendees.
Please note that in light of the new dates all abstracts, registrations and hotel bookings will be transferred:
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All registrations fees already paid will be valid, without increase. New registrations will also be at the same value without increase.
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All of the current hotel bookings at the same hotel will be valid for the new dates. New bookings will have the same prices as well, without any increases.
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All abstracts and papers already submitted will be valid for the new dates. The authors will have the option to modify/update all abstracts and/or papers with any new materials or data. New additional abstracts and papers will always be welcomed
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Authors that have booked airline tickets, please note that
because of COVID they are transferrable to the new dates or refundable for free. If you have any problems in this direction, please feel free to contact us, in order to give proper official justification to prove the postponement of SIPS due to COVID, if needed.
- If deemed appropriate and feasible, we suggest that authors who had funding approved for this year to participate in SIPS2021, still pay the registration fees and book the hotel now that way we can transfer them in totality for next year.
We look forward to meeting you
in person, without masks to fully enjoy the summit and all that Phuket has to offer next year during SIPS2022 in November 27th to December 1st of 2022
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach us at
symposiums@flogen.org
Best regards,
SIPS 2020 and 2021 Organizing Committee
September 6 2021
UPDATE : COVID-19 Reopening of Thailand as of September 6 2021
FLOGEN Star Outreach and SIPS have kept a close eye on the COVID-19 situation in Thailand to ensure the safety of our attendees. The Thailand Tourism and Sports Ministry vows to open the whole country without quarantine by January 2022.
For more information on this, please see the link below:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2176951/tourism-ministry-sets-january-date-to-reopen
This news coupled with the earlier news that Phuket has re-opened for fully vaccinated international tourists without quarantine restrictions under the Sandbox Program is very promising.
We will keep our guests and attendees updated as much as possible on SIPS2021, and look forward to seeing you all there.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach us at
symposiums@flogen.org
Best regards,
SIPS 2020 and 2021 Organizing Committee
July 15, 2021
Good News from Phuket - July 15, 2021
In accordance with this, Phuket, Thailand has re-opened for international tourists without quarantine restrictions, as of July 1st, 2021. This quarantine restriction has been withdrawn for individuals who are vaccinated, and allows them the freedom to enjoy that all Phuket has to offer upon landing. More information regarding this can be seen here:
This is the first good news, and we expect to hear more positive news in the future thanks to the distribution of the Corona-virus vaccines that have occurred over the past few months.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach us at
symposiums@flogen.org
Best regards,
SIPS 2020 and 2021 Organizing Committee
April 28, 2021
Update on COVID-19 situation - April 28, 2021
With the development of corona-virus vaccines last November, we expect that by fall this year that the majority of people will have been vaccinated and travel restrictions will be lifted.
Should the situation not change by then, we will postpone the summit to a later date when it is safe to travel again. For the time being, we are proceeding as usual and committed to organizing a successful summit from 28 November to 2 December 2021 bringing together Nobel Laureates, esteemed professionals and scientists from across the globe. We cordially invite you to continue submitting abstracts and papers which will remain valid in case the summit is postponed to a new date.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach us at
symposiums@flogen.org
Best regards,
SIPS 2020 and 2021 Organizing Committee
October 27, 2020
COMBINING SIPS 2020 WITH SIPS 2021
November 28 - December 2, 2021 at Hilton Phuket Arcadia, Thailand
As of now, the COVID-19 situation in Europe has gotten worse after some improvements the months before. Many countries are returning to full lockdown due to a "second wave" of COVID-19. Various countries have asked their people to cancel all travel outside, in addition to the stricter lockdown regimes. Whether or not we agree with the government's decision, we must still respect it.
Many countries in Asia request that anyone who enters the country must undergo a quarantine period for two weeks. This two-week quarantine is true for China, Japan, Thailand, and various other countries as well. At this time, the only countries which we know about who do not require the mandatory quarantine on arrival are Brazil, Mexico, and Turkey.
Since Thailand is included on the list of countries with a mandatory two-week quarantine on arrival, this makes it near impossible to have the summit at the original dates of November 29 - December 3, 2020.
In view of this situation, the SIPS 2020 Organizing Committee had two options. The first being that we hold SIPS 2020, in April 2021. However, after further discussion, many advised against it, stating that it is too early to travel and that the vaccine might not be available in all countries in such a short time frame. This was also the opinion of all Nobel Laureates. After more discussion, we acknowledged that May to October is the rainy season in Phuket, so the next choice would be to host the event in November of 2021. This extra time would allow many countries to lift their lockdown measures, possible vaccines to be available, and various other beneficial factors.
With all of that in consideration, the SIPS 2020 Organizing Committee has decided to host SIPS 2020, from November 28 - December 2, 2021, and to combine SIPS 2020 and SIPS 2021. This decision ensures that all, abstracts and papers submitted to SIPS 2020 will be valid for the combined SIPS 2020 and 2021. Authors will be able to update and modify the abstracts and full papers if necessary. Also, all registration fees paid for SIPS 2020 will be valid for the combined SIPS 2020 and 2021 without any increase. As well, all 9 Nobel Laureates have confirmed their presence during these dates for hosting SIPS 2020 and 2021.
At FLOGEN Star Outreach, we acknowledge the pressing issue of COVID-19 in all countries, and thank you for your understanding and support as we continue to plan for a great SIPS 2020 and 2021. If you have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact us
SIPS 2020 and 2021 Organizing Committee
symposiums@flogen.org
July 1, 2020
COVID-19 Situation
In light of the current COVID-19 situation, health of the attendees is always a prime concern to us. In this regard, we are monitoring the situation daily.
Since almost all conferences planned in September, October, November and December 2020 are still being held and have not been postponed, as of now we are keeping the summit dates the same and we are continuing to accept abstracts. The following is a partial list of conferences that are not postponed. There are in Asia, US, Europe and everywhere.
The conferences that are postponed to 2021 seem to be because they cannot be held during winter time. In Thailand, it is summer in December. Furthermore, the COVID-19 cases in Thailand are very low for the moment and because the Thailand government is planning to sponsor SIPS 2020, we are keeping the original dates.
Nevertheless, we have a plan B and we will postpone if and when necessary. The postponement criteria will be based on the official travel advisories from WHO (World Health Organization), those of the host country and other countries. If they officially announce that it is not safe to travel, we will postpone for some months. We will closely follow the travel advice from Europe/US governments and from World Health Organization as an official criterion. This is also the criteria to postpone with the hotel since we have a big financial liability to them.
We hope that a vaccine or at least a cure is found before. You never know. They are speaking that by August we should have something to start with.
We are receiving abstracts every day. We have close to 200 abstracts submitted until now. They are being submitted every day. Authors from France have even booked the flights to Thailand and have been asking to book the hotel in Thailand. Some are asking about our special airlines prices. We already have many special rates given to us by airlines very recently and many others are coming. Please see the information on the website (
www.flogen.org/sips2020/page.php?p=21). No airline told us that there is an issue with COVID for the dates of our summit.
In this point of view, the abstracts may be submitted as soon as possible since the system will be still open for a limited time. The registration fees are not required to be paid at the same time of abstract submission, but later. In case of any eventual postponement, the abstracts submitted for the current dates will be valid for the new postponed dates. If potential authors need more time to submit abstracts they can contact us and we are willing to give more time to facilitate the formalities with their workplace.
Again, please rest assured that the safety of all of us is our priority. If WHO (World Health Origination) and government official advise avoiding non-essential travel at the time of the summit we will postpone the summit and will hold it at the same place and at the same hotel for some months later. The new potential new dates will be chosen in broad consultation with the authors. We will make a decision later when the official travel advisory is posted in order to be legally responsible for the terms of the financial liability contract we have with the hotel.
It would be a great pleasure to have you join us. Should you have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at
symposiums@flogen.org
SIPS 2020 Organizing Committee
