Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the common questions we expect you may have about the Conference considering the coronavirus pandemic. This FAQ has been updated to reflect this year’s Virtual Conference.

There are two sections:

  1. A list of questions by topic area. Clicking on the topic will take you to that section of answers. Clicking on a specific question will take you to its answer.
  2. The questions (repeated) along with their answers.

List of Questions

IAJGS 2020 Virtual Conference Plans

  1. When will the Virtual Conference be scheduled for?
  2. How long will the sessions be and how many sessions will there be each conference day?
  3. What technology will be used to deliver a conference?
  4. Will there be charges for attending a Virtual Conference?
  5. Will there be interactive Question & Answer periods during the sessions?
  6. Will there be a library function to allow delayed viewing of any live or recorded presentations?
  7. Will it be possible to purchase the records of a Virtual Conference after the scheduled event if I didn't register and pay for the Virtual Conference?
  8. Will there be special events like films, SIG/RD annual meetings, or game show nights?
  9. Will Special Interest Group (SIG) and Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) meetings appear on the schedule?
  10. How will topics and lectures be chosen for a Virtual Conference?
  11. How will a Virtual Conference handle different time zone issues?
  12. Will Vendors/Sponsors be able to participate somehow in a Virtual Conference?
  13. How will speakers be chosen for a Virtual Conference?
  14. Will speakers be given the option to change their “Opt Out” answers from their initial agreement responses?
  15. Who will choose which lectures or topics a speaker might present?
  16. Who owns the rights to the recordings of a lecture in a Virtual Conference?
  17. How will speakers be compensated for participating in this Virtual Conference?
  18. How does speaker compensation agreements in this Virtual Conference apply to future IAJGS conferences?
  19. Can new speakers apply to be considered for the Virtual Conference?
  20. What types of volunteers will IAJGS need for a Virtual Conference?
  21. How can I volunteer to help with planning the Virtual Conference?
  22. How can I volunteer to help on the day of the Virtual Conference?
  23. What is the Expiry Date for a Virtual Conference Subscription?

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IAJGS General Questions

  1. Will the IAJGS Annual Meeting of the Members Take Place at the Virtual Conference?
  2. Will the IAJGS 2020 Awards still be conferred, and if so, when?
  3. Will the IAJGS 2020 Grants still be conferred, and if so, when?

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Answers to Questions

Answers to IAJGS 2020 Virtual Conference Plans

Q.  1. When will the Virtual Conference be scheduled for?
  A. 

The IAJGS 2020 Virtual Conference on Jewish Genealogy will be held during the weekdays of Monday, August 10, through Thursday, August 13, 2020.

Q.  2. How long will the sessions be and how many sessions will there be each conference day?
  A. 

Each Session will be one hour in length, and there will be 15 minutes between sessions. The sessions will be scheduled in two blocks of three sessions with a two-session intermission between the blocks. This two-session intermission can be used as “explore time” to watch pre-recorded videos or to attend other special interest group and birds-of-a-feather meetings that may be scheduled during that time.

Q.  3. What technology will be used to deliver a conference?<
  A. 

We are using a production company called eShow, and they use a virtual conferencing platform called BigMarker.com. eShow will provide a menu-driven application so attendees will enter the “Attendee Service Center” and not rely on email links with passwords as in a Zoom environment. This will not be a Zoom environment.

Q.  4. Will there be charges for attending a Virtual Conference?
  A. 

Yes.

Q.  5. Will there be interactive Question & Answer periods during the sessions?
  A. 

Yes.

Q.  6. Will there be a library function to allow delayed viewing of any live or recorded presentations?
  A. 

Yes. Our provider calls this function “On Demand”, and it will be provided to paying conference attendees. We understand that the recording of a Live Session may take up to six hours to process before it appears on the conference On Demand Menu.

Q.  7. Will it be possible to purchase the records of a Virtual Conference after the scheduled event if I didn't register and pay for the Virtual Conference?
  A. 

No.

Q.  8. Will there be special events like films, SIG/RD annual meetings, or game show nights?
  A. 

Yes.

Q.  9. Will Special Interest Group (SIG) and Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) meetings appear on the schedule?
  A. 

The Conference Organizers are hosting SIG/RD and BOF meetings during the Virtual Conference and extending attendance to these sessions “free” as a public service for people who have paid to attend the conference and for those who register as a “Limited Access Attendee” (this is an option on the registration form).

Q.  10. How will topics and lectures be chosen for a Virtual Conference?
  A. 

The Conference Organizers, particularly the Conference Chair and the Program Chair, will recommend a program to the IAJGS president and schedule the Virtual Conference.

Q.  11. How will a Virtual Conference handle different time zone issues?
  A. 

We anticipate that a potential Virtual Conference would primarily consist of pre-recorded lectures and those could be viewed both during a scheduled time and on-demand for those in other time zones or for repeat viewings. The conference lectures would be open only to paying registrants and the on-demand feature would be available for a defined period of time.

Q.  12. Will Vendors/Sponsors be able to participate somehow in a Virtual Conference?
  A. 

Yes! We are reviewing offerings that will potentially include an Exhibitor/Sponsor Module and expect to provide marketing opportunities as well as the opportunity to thank our sponsors in our potential Virtual Conference.

Q.  13. How will speakers be chosen for a Virtual Conference?
  A. 

Speakers will be selected from the large pool of speakers who signed acceptance agreements with us for the San Diego In-Person Conference in the event of a Virtual Conference. The conference organizers reserve the right to invite additional speakers at our own discretion - in the unlikely event that an overview of the Virtual Conference schedule appears to have a thematic or expertise "hole" in it. However, we do not anticipate re-opening the abstract submission process again in 2020 for a Virtual Conference.

Q.  14. Will speakers be given the option to change their “Opt Out” answers from their initial agreement responses?
  A. 

If a speaker’s accepted proposal is selected for a potential Virtual Conference and they have somehow “opted out” already in terms of providing PowerPoint Slides and/or permission to record them, then the conference organizers will contact the presenter to ask if they would consider changing their “opt out” choices. We will only select presentations for which we can provide synced PowerPoint slides and from speakers who agree to be recorded and to make those recordings available to our paying audience during the time period that we specify.

Q.  15. Who will choose which lectures or topics a speaker might present?
  A. 

Lecture, topics, format and schedule will be determined by the Conference Organizers, chiefly the Conference Chair and the Program Chair.

Q.  16. Who owns the rights to the recordings of a lecture in a Virtual Conference?
  A. 

Typically, the conference owns the recording rights and would be restricted from sub-licensing those rights. However, in this case, we are still reviewing our options. It is most likely, that the IAJGS would retain the rights.

Q.  17. How will speakers be compensated for participating in this Virtual Conference?
  A. 

At the Virtual Conference, speakers have been offered “free registration” for the Virtual Conference in return for their participation as the primary speaker in it, whether for a live session or a recorded “On-Demand” lecture.

Q.  18. How does speaker compensation agreements in this Virtual Conference apply to future IAJGS conferences?
  A. 

Any arrangement between the IAJGS and conference speakers in a potential Virtual Conference will have no bearing on future In-person conferences. The IAJGS Speaker Policies are currently under review as part of an Ad Hoc Committee and will remain a separate IAJGS decision.

Q.  19. Can new speakers apply to be considered for the Virtual Conference?
  A. 

No. The Conference Organizers will not be accepting applications for any new offerings whether from currently accepted speakers or from outside that speaker pool. The Virtual Conference will have fewer speakers and presentations than already accepted for the cancelled San Diego in-person conference.

Q.  20. What types of volunteers will IAJGS need for a Virtual Conference?
  A. 

The Conference Organizers are still determining the resources needed for a successful Virtual Conference given our audience's particular interests and needs. At this point, we believe that we will need: people to train our speakers; people to train our registrants; moderators/hosts for live interaction while waiting for a session to begin and for moderating and consolidating the questions that come in during live Q&A sessions; and, finally, a HelpDesk volunteer staff to handle real time technical problems during the scheduled Virtual Conference.

Q.  21. How can I volunteer to help with planning the Virtual Conference?
  A. 

Thank you for your interest! Please write to Volunteers@iajgs2020.org

Q.  22. How can I volunteer to help on the day of the Virtual Conference?
  A. 

Thank you for your interest! Please write to Volunteers@iajgs2020.org

Q.  23. What is the Expiry Date for a Virtual Conference Subscription?
  A. 

The Expiry Date for access to the IAJGS 2020 Conference “On Demand” Lecture Library will be 60 days from the end of the conference.

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Answers to IAJGS General Questions

Q.  1. Will the IAJGS Annual Meeting of the members take place at the Virtual Conference?
  A. 

Yes, the IAJGS Annual Meeting of the Members will take place according to the IAJGS By-Laws on Wednesday, August 12, 2020. See the conference schedule.

Q.  2. Will the IAJGS 2020 Awards still be conferred, and if so, when?
  A. 

Yes. The IAJGS 2020 Awards will be announced at the IAJGS Annual Meeting of the Members. Tangible certificates or plaques would be mailed directly to recipients after the Annual Meeting, and media publicity would follow.

Q.  3. Will the IAJGS 2020 Grants still be conferred, and if so, when?
  A. 

Yes. These grants—the Rabbi Malcolm Stern Grant and the John Stedman Memorial Grant—have been awarded independent of and prior to the Virtual Conference in order to allow the funds to support projects that might be able to be propelled by the Shelter-at-Home experience the world currently faces. The grant recipients will be announced at the IAJGS Annual Meeting of the Members.

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