General Information LOCATION
The 156th Annual Session of the Ohio Dental Association will take place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) complex, Columbus, Ohio at 400 N. High Street, 43215. The headquarters hotel is the Hilton Columbus Downtown Hotel, 402 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, (614) 463-1234; the Hilton is connected to the GCCC. Most ODA Annual Session events and courses will be held in the GCCC or the Hilton. ODA staff will be onsite at the GCCC from Wednesday, September 14 through Sunday, September 18.
FREE CE COURSES
The ODA Annual Session registration fee includes the ability to earn 18 free CE credits, online. All free CE courses can be accessed online from September 19 – December 31, 2022. In addition to the online courses, attendees have the opportunity to earn CE credits while attending the Table Clinics in person on Friday in the Exhibit Hall. New this year, interactive sessions titled ODATalks will be offered in the Exhibit Hall. All of the online courses offered, as well as the Table Clinics, and some of the ODATalks, qualify toward the Ohio State Dental Board’s biennium licensure requirement.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you have special needs and require accommodation to fully participate in the conference, please contact the ODA Annual Session department at (614) 4862700 prior to Annual Session, and the ODA Registration Desk located in the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) room A110 during the conference. The ODA complies with the
Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for accessibility for persons with disabilities.
TAX DEDUCTION
Deductions are permitted for educational expenses - including registration fees, transportation, meals and lodging. Check with your financial advisor for details.
MOTHERS' ROOM
The GCCC has a designated nursing mother room located on the Central Atrium. Family restrooms are located in Upper A-Pod (behind room A-210) and another in the Center Lounge restrooms near the South Café & Marketplace. These single-use areas are equipped with a seat, electricity and a lockable door. Mothers’ Rooms can also be used for personal medical needs.
MEDITATION ROOM
In an effort to support the holistic wellness of Annual Session attendees, the ODA and its Subcouncil on Diversity and Inclusion have created a space for meditation, reflection and/or prayer. The purpose of this space is to provide an accommodation for individual spiritual needs. The room is located at the Hilton Columbus Downtown Hotel, Mary Frances Merrill Room.
TWO-HOUR LUNCH BREAKS
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, most CE courses will break for two hours for lunch at various intervals between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., giving attendees the opportunity to spend time in the Exhibit Hall with no need to travel off-site for lunch – concessions and a dining area are located in the Exhibit Hall and in the main corridor outside the Hall.
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SEMINAR SEATING & COURTESY
Plan to arrive early: seating for all seminars is on a first-come, firstserved basis. Also, please set all electronic devices to “silent” during seminars. Seminar room locations will be on the Annual Session Mobile App.
ATTIRE
Business casual dress is recommended for the convention. Dress warmly, in layers, as meeting rooms tend to be cool.
COVID-19
Annual Session will follow all city, county, state and federal COVID-19 protocols and CDC policies in place during the 156th ODA Annual Session.
PHOTOGRAPHY RELEASE
Annual Session attendees grant permission to the Ohio Dental Association and their agents to utilize, in perpetuity, the attendee’s image or likeness in an effort to promote the Ohio Dental Association and its events or meetings. Attendees waive any right to inspect or approve the finished product or products and the advertising copy or other matter that may be used in connection therewith or the use to which it may be applied.
DISCRIMINATION/ HARRASMENT POLICY
The ODA has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at any of our meetings or events – in person or virtual. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, ODA asks that you
inform Suzanne Brooks, Director of Meetings & Conventions suzy@oda.org (614) 486-2700 ext. 14, so that we can take the appropriate action. The ODA onsite office is located in room A111 of the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC). Unacceptable Behavior is defined as: • Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form. • Verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, ODA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest. o Examples of verbal abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations, or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, ODA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest. • Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by ODA. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any ODA event staff.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For Annual Session program information, call the ODA Annual Session department at (614) 486-2700. For hotel information and/or reservations, contact your hotel of choice directly.
