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SCC 75th - Annual Scientific Meeting & Showcase
Interview with Erica O´Grady, CAE, CEO
The Society of Cosmetic Chemists
What are your expectations for the 75th Annual Scientific Meeting - SCC75?
We are excited to meet face-to-face again and have an exceptional program planned for SCC75. This year, we’ve added an additional half-day of education featuring a panel on “75 Years of Beauty and Beyond,” a welcome happy hour, a 75thAnniversary Gala, a multitude of networking opportunities, and eight outstanding technical sessions featuring more than 35 expert speakers and moderators.
Much like other events returning to in-person for the first time since the pandemic, we expect attendance to be slightly lower this year. With the Biden Administration opening the US Border to international travelers with proof of vaccination on November 8th, we’re certainly optimistic that we’ll have a safe and successful meeting!
What has been the response of your members?
Registrations to date are down from prior years; we are hopeful that our members and the industry will continue to support the annual meeting this year. We suspect that many potential attendees are waiting to see what the status of the COVID-19 pandemic is as we get closer to the meeting dates. With more than 65% of the population fully vaccinated (as of Oct. 18) in New York, it is currently one of the best places to safely hold successful in-person events.
SCC sincerely thanks our generous sponsors for this year’s event. The continual support of these companies, many of them repeat sponsors, is what gives us the ability to produce the industry’s premier education and networking event providing the best in cosmetic science information and innovation.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the Sheraton NY Times Square this December 13-15!
What is your admission policy with respect to safety?
The health, well-being and safety of our attendees is of utmost importance to us. In conjunction with New York City guidelines for hotels, conventions, and meetings, we are requiring:
- Proof of full vaccination for attendees;
- Mandatory mask-wearing throughout the event space (except during meals); and
- Implementing social distancing protocols when possible.
For our attendees’ comfort and convenience, there will be hand sanitizer available throughout the meeting space and we’ll also have “social distance comfort” button on attendees’ badges so others will know their contact preferences as they approach them – indicating if it is OK to shake hands, offer an elbow bump, or if they wish to be greeted from a distance.
Many organizations have used the virtual options like webinars to keep their membersinformed. Will you continue to offer a hybrid option to your events?
As we have done in prior years, we will continue to record the scientific sessions, keynotes, and other events at the live meeting and offer them in an on-demand format through our Media Library and Resource Center online after the meeting. We are evaluating hybrid virtual/in-person meeting options and intend to make a decision shortly in that regard. Interested parties can find the latest information on our website at www.scconline.org/annualmeeting2021
