Frequently Asked Questions

A: In-Person Conference in Tampa, FL:

• Entry to all main conference sessions presented at the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference (Note: Preconference courses are an additional fee).
• Invitation to attend the ASPEN Expo Opening Reception on Saturday, March 2.
• Entry to the ASPEN Expo and Posters.
• Special conference bookstore discount for all onsite purchases.
• Opportunities to meet your peers at discipline and special interest section forums. Section membership is not required for attendance.
• Access to conference session recordings and handouts in the ASPEN eLearning Center. Recordings will not be available for the paper sessions, Premier Paper Session/Vars Competition, and any other presentation where a faculty member has not provided permission, usually the result of presenting unpublished data at the conference.
• Complimentary lunch in the ASPEN Expo on Sunday, March 3, and Monday, March 4.

A: Virtual Conference:

• Access to the live conference sessions presented at the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference through the ASPEN eLearning Center. (Note: Preconference courses are an additional fee).
• Access to session recordings and handouts in the ASPEN eLearning Center.
  *Recordings will not be available for the paper sessions, Premier Paper Session/Vars Competition, and any other presentation where a faculty member has not provided permission, usually the result of presenting unpublished data at the conference.
• Ability to engage and network with other virtual participants.
• See virtual conference FAQs

A: In-Person Conference in Tampa, FL:

• Entry to all conference sessions presented at the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference on the day you are registered (Note: Preconference courses are an additional fee).
• Access to the ASPEN Expo and Posters on the day you are registered (not available on Tuesday).
• Special conference bookstore discount for all onsite purchases.
• Opportunities to meet your peers at discipline and special interest section forums if they occur on the day you are registered. Section membership is not required for attendance.
• Complimentary lunch in the Exhibit Hall on Sunday, March 3 or Monday, March 4, if either are the days of your daily registration.

A: Virtual Conference:

• Daily virtual conference registration is not available. Virtual conference registration is for the full ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference. See virtual conference FAQs.

A: Access to the preconference course for which you are registered, preconference course materials, and access to the preconference course recording in ASPEN’s eLearning Center.

A: Two preconference courses—Nutrition for the Practicing Pediatric Clinician, Chaos on The Playground: Micronutrient and Fluid Management in Pediatric Nutrition Support and Post Graduate Course, Nutritional Aspects of Endocrine Care: Evidence, Cases, and Teams—will be held both in person and virtually. Recordings and handouts will be available in the ASPEN eLearning Center.

The Physician Preconference Course, Comprehensive Nutrition Therapy—Tactical Approaches in 2024 will be held in person only at the Tampa General Hospital in the Michael and Candace Valdes Family Auditorium. Recordings will not be available.

A: Yes, but registration fees will be higher if you register on-site.

A: No. While the course is designed for physicians, all healthcare providers are welcome. However, continuing education credit is provided only for physicians. 

A: Yes, you may register online or when you arrive on-site.

A: If you choose to register by mail, ASPEN must receive your registration form by February 14, 2024. If you mail your registration form after February 14, it will NOT be processed, and you will be required to register on-site or online at a possibly higher rate. (Early registration discount ends 12/12/2023 and advance rate discount ends 2/13/2024).

A: Participation in the full conference (in-person or virtual) allows an individual to claim up to 19.5 contact hours. Participation in preconference courses allows an individual to claim approximately 4 additional contact hours depending on the course.

A: Full-time students, trainees, and new practitioners within two years of receiving their license receive a discounted rate. Please visit the ASPEN membership page to review the full definitions of these categories to see if you are eligible.  To receive the discount, proof of student status or licensure date in the form of a letter from your department head, a copy of your semester schedule, or a copy of your license is required along with your printed registration form. If you submit your registration without the required documentation, you will be charged the full rate to attend.

A: No, you don't have to be a member. Significant registration discounts are available to members of ASPEN. Join ASPEN at the time of your registration and benefit from the member discounts for the conference.

A: Yes, please contact our office to receive the information necessary to process the transfer. Please note a $35 processing fee will be added to the final total.

A: Children (anyone under 16 years old) are not allowed in the exhibit hall.

A: You must be fully registered to attend the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference in order to gain access to the exhibit hall. One-day conference registrations are available.

A: ASPEN continues to monitor health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 at the annual conference venue. Attending the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference is done at your own risk and each attendee assumes full personal responsibility for participation.

A: ASPEN’s 2024 Nutrition Science & Practice Conference brings us back to the East Coast and enables us to honor a contract with Tampa that was put on hold by the COVID pandemic. ASPEN’s mission and values transcend politics as we exist “to improve patient care by advancing the science and practice of clinical nutrition and metabolism” and the annual conference supports this mission.

ASPEN will work with the Tampa community to produce a safe and comfortable conference. The conference will again provide a virtual option for those who need an alternative to in-person attendance. We hope that each person will participate in the conference in the manner most comfortable for them.

A: Yes. Changes must be made prior to the start of the conference and may be subject to higher registration fees based on the time of the change and the type of change being made (i.e., half-day course to full-day course).

A: Yes, but registration fees will be higher if you register on-site.

A: Yes, your spouse/guest may attend the session and is required to wear a guest badge ($50 fee), which can be picked up onsite at the registration desk.

A: The registration/badge pick-up hours are as follows:

• Friday, March 1, 2024: 1:00–5:00 PM ET
• Saturday, March 2, 2024: 6:00 AM–6:00 PM ET
• Sunday, March 3, 2024: 7:00 AM– 6:00 PM ET
• Monday, March 4, 2024: 7:00 AM– 6:00 PM ET
• Tuesday, March 5, 2024: 7:00 AM–12:00 PM ET

A: All daily and full conference registrants and preconference registrants are eligible to receive a certificate of attendance or continuing education credit. Exhibit personnel badges, guest badges or press passes do not include certificates or credits.

A: ASPEN does not offer a referral process, but attendees are welcome to utilize ASPEN Member Connect to contact others seeking a roommate for the meeting. You are responsible for making contact with other individuals and setting up your own hotel reservations.

A: To reduce the amount of paper and be more environmentally responsible, neither handouts nor a conference syllabus will be available. Instead, session outlines and information as submitted by the speakers will be available in late February in the ASPEN eLearning Center

A: Yes, if you cannot attend the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference you can contact the ASPEN office to have your registration transferred to a colleague for a $25 administrative fee (additional charges may apply, i.e., if you registered at the member rate and they are not a member). Registrations may not be shared.

A: ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference recordings will be available shortly after the conference ends in the ASPEN eLearning Center. Please watch your email following the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference for access information.

A: To receive continuing education (CE) credits for your attendance and participation in the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference, log on to ASPEN's eLearning Center. Your CE certificate will be available after completing the session and overall evaluations. Your CE certificate is saved in your transcript. April 1, 2024 is the deadline to complete your evaluations and claim CE credits. Credits will not be issued after this date—no exceptions.

A: All cancellation requests must be sent in writing to the ASPEN national office via email, fax, or standard mail. Cancellation requests made via telephone will not be accepted. A refund of the registration fee minus a $90 administrative fee for the in-person conference and $25 for each in-person preconference course will be issued if received on or before January 17, 2024. Cancellation requests received from January 18, 2024, and on or before February 14, 2024, will receive 50% of all monies paid less the same administration fees above. No refund will be issued after February 14, 2024, including paid registrants who do not attend in person.

Written requests via email may be submitted to [email protected] with the subject line: ASPEN 2024 Cancellation

Written requests via fax may be faxed to 301-587-2365.

Written requests via standard mail may be submitted to:
ASPEN 2024 Nutrition Science & Practice Conference Cancellation
8401 Colesville Road, Ste 510
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Must be postmarked by the deadline dates above

Refunds will be issued approximately 4-6 weeks after the conclusion of the conference. When you register for the conference, you will be confirming that you have reviewed and understand this attendee registration refund policy.

A: The poster sessions are a time to showcase the collective expertise of the practitioners and researchers who gather each year to share knowledge and advance the field of clinical nutrition. As an attendee, you will have the opportunity to meet the authors of the posters, learn more about their research, and have the chance to ask follow-up questions in real-time. The posters will be divided by topic areas, listed below.

Research Poster Topics

• Parenteral Nutrition Therapy
• Enteral Nutrition Therapy
• GI and Other Nutrition and Metabolic-Related Topics
• Critical Care and Critical Health Issues
• Malnutrition, Obesity, Nutrition Practice Concepts and Issues
• Pediatric, Neonatal, Pregnancy, and Lactation

To enhance the poster session experience this year, we will be having poster professors during the first day of poster sessions: Sunday, March 3, from 12:45-1:45 PM ET. We recommend attending this poster session if you would like to be guided by an ASPEN poster professor. The poster professor will guide attendees through the posters and engage with the poster presenters by having group discussions about the research being presented. There will be poster professors for each topic area, and you do not need to sign up in advance to take advantage of this opportunity; it is included in the conference registration. If you do not prefer to be guided by a poster professor, you will have the option to self-guide through both days’ events. Learn more about the poster sessions and poster professors.

A: To receive an invitation letter, you must first be a paid registrant. Once you have registered, email or call our office (301-587-6315) and we will send you a letter of invitation.

A: Certificates of attendance will be available for conference attendees online once the conference begins. The process to receive a certificate will be listed in the conference event platform in the ASPEN eLearning Center, under the tab “International Attendee Certificate”

A: Yes, but you must pay the registration fees for the course.

A: Exhibitors receive complimentary passes only to the Exhibit Hall. If exhibitors would like to attend educational sessions, they must be fully registered for the conference. Please email [email protected] for more information.

A: Exhibit booth set up can begin as early as 1:00 PM ET on Friday, March 1, 2024. Large booths that need additional set-up time must email Valerie Mickiewicz at [email protected] for approval.

Still have more questions? Our staff is happy to help! Call 301-587-6315 or 1-800-727-4567 Monday through Friday 8:30am-4:30pm or email [email protected].