General Questions
Q: Is it true that CORROSION 2020 has been postponed?A: Yes, due to ongoing concerns about the spread of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) and after numerous discussions with exhibitors and attendees, our Board of Directors determined that for the safety and well-being of the industry, the conference shall be postponed until June 14-18, 2020.
Q: Are the events postponed as well?A: All other events associated with CORROSION 2020 Conference & Expo are also postponed, including events hosted by the NACE Foundation and NACE Institute, and other activities organized by NACE International which will now take place in June. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.
Q: What happens if the situation with the coronavirus does not improve by June 2020?A: NACE staff will continue to monitor the situation and will consult with representatives from the City of Houston, George R. Brown Convention Center and local health authorities to ensure it is safe to host CORROSION 2020 this June.
Q: What about the National Research Shipbuilding Program (NSRP) Surface Preparation and Coatings (SP&C) Panel meeting that was scheduled in conjunction with CORROSION 2020 in Houston? Will it still go on our will it be rescheduled until June, too?A: The organizers of the SP&C Panel meeting have postponed until further notice. Information regarding an alternate date and location will be posted when it becomes available.
Q: I registered to participate in one of the Corrosion Technical Series events taking place at the Hilton-Americas on Saturday, March 14. Are those sessions postponed or will they still go on as scheduled?A: The Corrosion Technical Series educational events have been postponed until the week of June 13-20, 2020. NACE intends to reschedule the Corrosion Technical Series with the same speakers, based on their availability. Should the speakers who have already submitted presentations not be available, we will do our best to recruit additional speakers.
Q: I planned to attend the ISO meetings scheduled at CORROSION 2020, are they also cancelled, or will they go on as scheduled?A: All ISO meetings planned to be held in conjunction with CORROSION 2020’s original March dates will either be delayed or held in conjunction with CORROSION 2020’s new June 2020 dates or they will be held virtually on dates/times to be determined no later than Wednesday, March 11, 2020. NACE staff liaisons are currently reaching out to ISO and other stakeholders to determine the best options to meet constituent needs.
Q: I was planning to attend the NACE Corrosion Research Consortia meetings scheduled at CORROSION 2020, are they also canceled, or will they go on as scheduled? A: All Consortia meetings planned to be held in conjunction with CORROSION 2020’s original March dates will either be delayed or held in conjunction with CORROSION 2020’s new June 2020 dates or they will be held on different date(s) and locations to be determined. NACE staff are currently reaching out to Consortia stakeholder leaders to determine the best options to meet Consortia member/customer needs.
Attendee Questions
Q: I paid to attend CORROSION 2020 conference & expo in March but now that it was postponed until June I cannot attend, what are my options? A: NACE International is providing one of three options to individuals that are unable to attend the conference during June:
- Donate to the NACE Foundation – The NACE Foundation continues to be the only organization of its kind dedicated to preparing the future generation of corrosion professionals who will protect the world’s infrastructure from the effects of corrosion. The NACE Foundation invests in scholarships, training, and workforce development programs that affect the lives of students, teachers, and veterans. If interested, please contact firstservice@nace.org to request that your fee be applied as a tax-deductible gift to the NACE Foundation.
- Delay to CORROSION 2021 – If you are unable to attend CORROSION 2020 in June 2020, you can delay your registration until CORROSION 2021 scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City from April 18-22, 2021. Please contact firstservice@nace.org to request your deferral.
- Refund my CORROSION 2020 Fee – If you are unable to attend CORROSION 2020 this June 14-18, please contact our First Service (firstservice@nace.org) team by March 27th to receive a full refund. After March 27th our standard cancellation policy applies.
Q: If I already registered for the conference dates in March will my registration automatically roll over to June or do I need to register again?A: You do not need to register again. Your registration will roll over to June.
Q: When does registration reopen for June?A: Registration will reopen on Monday, March 16.
Q: I cancelled my registration due to the coronavirus and was told the standard cancellation policy applies. Will I receive a full refund now?A: If you contacted NACE to cancel your registration after February 1, 2020, please contact our First Service (
firstservice@nace.org) team to request a full refund. The standard cancellation policy applies to requests prior to February 1, 2020 that were unrelated to the coronavirus outbreak or government-imposed travel restrictions.
Q: I already cancelled my registration due to the coronavirus but now would like to re-register for the June dates. Can I re-instate my registration?A: Yes, please contact our First Service (
firstservice@nace.org) team to re-instate your registration. Please note, you will need to provide NACE with your payment information to process the registration if the fees paid were previously refunded.
Q: I am currently registered but unable to attend on the new dates in June 2020 for CORROSION 2020. Can I transfer my registration to a colleague? Is there a fee to transfer?A: Yes, your registration may be transferred to a colleague by contacting First Service (
firstservice@nace.org). The standard $100 transfer fee will be waived for CORROSION 2020.
Q: Is there a new advance registration rate deadline now for the June 2020 dates for CORROSION 2020?A: No, the standard registration rates apply. [The original advance registration deadline cutoff was January 24, 2020.]
Exhibitor Questions
Q: I’m currently scheduled to exhibit at CORROSION 2020. With the postponed event, will my booth space remain the same?A: Yes, while the date of the conference and exposition has been postponed, the floorplan and layout for the event will remain the same. NACE exhibit staff will contact exhibitors with any changes in advance.
Q: How are refunds being handled for Exhibit Space?A: NACE International is providing two options for exhibitors that are unable to attend the conference during June:
- Delay to CORROSION 2021 – If you are unable to attend CORROSION 2020 in June 2020, you can delay your booth registration until CORROSION 2021 scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City from April 18-22, 2021. Please contact Jackie Foster to request your deferral.
- Donate to the NACE Foundation – The NACE Foundation continues to be the only organization of its kind dedicated to preparing the future generation of corrosion professionals who will protect the world’s infrastructure from the effects of corrosion. The NACE Foundation invests in scholarships, training, and workforce development programs that affect the lives of students, teachers, and veterans. If interested, please contact Jackie Foster to inform NACE that you are unable to participate and will not need your booth in June. Your fees can then be applied as a tax-deductible gift to the NACE Foundation.
Q: We cancelled our registration due to the coronavirus but now would like to re-register for the June dates. Can our company re-instate our booth and registration?A: Yes, please contact
Jackie Foster to review the availability of booth space on the floor plan. Please note, you will need to provide NACE with your payment information to process the registration if the fees paid were previously refunded.
Q: Will exhibitors be reimbursed for third-party arrangements?A: Please review your agreement with your vendor. NACE International is not party to any arrangement between exhibitors and third-party providers.
Q: How will my advance to warehouse freight be returned?A: NACE Exhibits staff will work with Freeman for exact details on returning shipments in the coming days. Staff will communicate with exhibitors by Wednesday, March 11, 2020 with details.
Q: Is it possible for NACE and/or Freeman to store my freight in Houston until CORROSION 2020 occurs in June?A: NACE Exhibits staff will work with Freeman for exact details on storage possibilities in the coming days. Staff will communicate with exhibitors by Wednesday, March 11, 2020 with details.
Housing
Q: Will a housing company or travel agency be reaching out to me to rebook my room for the CORROSION 2020 conference in June? A: No, all reservations made for the March conference have been cancelled by the hotels and cancellation confirmation emails have been sent to everyone. Once the new housing blocks are available for reservations in late-March, exhibitors and attendees will be required to book through those links. Conference Direct is the official housing partner for CORORSION 2020.
WARNING - If you are contacted by any third-party company or travel agency other than Conference Direct, this is a deceptive company known as ‘room poachers’ and are not affiliated with NACE International for housing. Please visit nacecorrosion.org at the end of March to book your accommodations for CORROSION 2020 this June.
Travel-Related Questions
Q: If I booked my hotel through the official housing provider, Conference Direct, how do I cancel my reservation?A: All reservations made through the official housing block via
http://nacecorrosion.org will automatically be cancelled. No action is required from attendees to process the cancellation. Cancellation confirmations will be sent from the hotel directly. Please keep in mind that this type of communication can often end up in a ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ folder so please ensure to review your email thoroughly. NACE staff is working with Conference Direct to set up the website with revised availability based on the new June dates. NACE anticipates that this information will be available for attendees to make new reservations for CORROSION 2020 by the week of March 30, 2020. If you have any urgent questions, please contact
NACE@conferencedirect.com. Given the anticipated volume of inquiries, your patience is greatly appreciated as you may experience a delay in response time as we work through this process. You may also call (877) 305-5195 Monday- Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST.
Q: Can I get a refund for my hotel reservation if I did not reserve in the official room block?A: If you elected to book outside of the official room block, you will have to work directly with the third-party used for booking (i.e., Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire, etc.) or the hotel directly to determine if the reservation can be modified or if cancellation fees may apply.
Q: I’m an exhibitor that reserved a sub-block for housing at CORROSION 2020. What will happen to my sub-block of rooms?A: Conference Direct staff will be contacting all exhibitors that had a sub-block of rooms reserved for CORROSION 2020. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to reconfirm their rooming needs for the June 2020 dates and can make modifications, if necessary. Conference Direct will be contacting exhibitors using the email address,
NACE@conferencedirect.com. Please ensure this email address is on your ‘safe sender’ list to receive timely communications. Please keep in mind that this type of communication can often end up in a ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ folder so please ensure you review your email thoroughly. You may also call (877) 305-5195 Monday- Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST.
Q: Will NACE be reimbursing flight cancellation/rebooking fees?A: NACE is not liable for costs related to travel to Houston. Please contact your specific airline carrier to inquire about their change/cancellation policy. Due to the current situation regarding the spread of COVID-19, many major airlines are waiving cancellation and change fees. Please contact your airline directly to confirm.
CORROSION 2021 Questions
Q: What are the dates for CORROSION 2021?A: CORROSION 2021 is scheduled to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah from April 18-22, 2021.
Q: When will registration and housing information become available for CORROSION 2021?A: CORROSION 2021 registration and housing information will be available in October 2020.
Presenter in Forum, Symposia or Poster Session Questions
Q: I cancelled my presentation due to travel restrictions (government and/or company imposed), but now I’d like to participate in the June event. Would this be possible? A: Yes, anyone who submitted their final paper by the December 2019 deadline is eligible to present at CORROSION 2020 in June. If you previously cancelled your participation due to restrictions for the March 2020 conference, please email
papers@nace.org to notify staff of your desire to be added back to the schedule no later than Monday, April 6.
Q: I was planning to present at CORROSION 2020 in March and I still intend to present in the June event, do I need to contact NACE to confirm my participation? A: No, you do not need to re-confirm your participation at this time. NACE only needs to be notified if you previously withdrew your paper and wish to be re-instated for the June event, or if you planned to present in March and now are unable to participate in June.
Q: I am unable to participate in the June 2020 event now due to other scheduling conflicts? Can I withdraw my abstract? A: Yes, please email
papers@nace.org to notify staff that you need to withdraw your paper no later than Monday, April 6.
Q: If I am unable to participate in the June 2020 event, can I re-submit my abstract for consideration at CORROSION 2021? A: Yes, the call for abstracts for CORROSION 2021 is available now until Monday, May 11. Please visit
http://nacecorrosion.org/call-for-abstracts, for more details.
Q: Can I present the same paper at CORROSION 2020 in June and again at CORROSION 2021 in April 2021? A: No, published technical papers can only be presented once. NACE policies prohibit authors from presenting a paper that has been published at a previous conference.
Q: Now that the conference has been postponed, do I have an opportunity to make edits to my final paper? A: Yes, authors should contact
papers@nace.org to request that their final paper be marked as ‘Returned for Revisions’ so they can upload a revised final paper. The deadline to upload a revised final paper (as PDF) is Monday, April 13. Symposia Chairs/Vice Chairs will then have until Friday, April 24 to review the final papers and provide comments. Authors then have one week to provide edits so the Chair can review again and mark the final paper as ‘Approved’ by Friday, May 8 in the Paper Trail system. Please note the brief window to submit the revised files. Plan your schedule accordingly to ensure that you meet the deadline. Note, the majority of final papers should not require edits as the majority of authors already submitted their final version for the March conference dates.
Q: What is the status of the conference proceedings? If I originally withdrew from the March event or made revisions to my final paper, will the updated final paper be included in the conference proceedings?A: Yes, staff is currently working with the conference proceedings vendor to establish a process to reproduce the files to new USBs to reflect the accurate technical program. Revised papers will be included in the conference proceedings for the June event. To ensure that we can meet production deadlines, it is crucial that authors adhere to the revised deadlines.
Q: Opening up the process for symposia and the re-creation of the conference proceedings may create additional work for authors and Chairs/Vice Chairs. Why doesn’t NACE leave the process ‘as-is’ from the originally scheduled conference? A: The disruptions caused by the coronavirus are far reaching and have placed an extreme burden on many individuals. NACE staff recognizes the time and energy that goes into developing a technical paper for publication. Providing the ability for authors to make modifications to their final papers and/or presentations ensure that we serve the needs of our members/authors and deliver quality content to our attendees. This also provides authors that are unable to participate in the June event to withdraw their paper so they can submit for CORROSION 2021 or another alternative event should they wish to do so.
Q: Now that the conference has been postponed, do I have an opportunity to make edits to my presentation slides? A: Yes, the deadline to upload a revised Presentation (as PPT file) is Monday, May 11. NOTE: ALL presentations for symposia have been marked as ‘returned for revisions’ in the Paper Trail system. This requires ALL speakers to re-upload their PPT file even if they do not wish to make any edits. Symposia Chairs/Vice Chairs will then have until Monday, May 18 to review the Presentations and mark them as ‘Approved’ in the Paper Trail system. Similar to the final paper process, please note the brief window to submit the revised file. Plan your schedule accordingly to ensure that you meet the deadline.
Q: Will my presentation date and time for CORROSION 2020 in June remain the same as it was for the previously scheduled event in March? A: Presentation dates/times will not necessarily stay the same. While the days in which symposia are scheduled will likely remain the same, the presentation times will change based on the number of presentations for each symposium as well as the additions/withdrawals made by Monday, April 6. Symposia Chairs/Vice Chairs will be requested to re-organize the presentations in the Paper Trail system no later than April 17. NACE staff will send a notification to all authors the week of April 20th to provide the presentation times for the June event. The only instance where the date of the presentation may change is in situations where a symposium is a 1.5 or 2-day symposium and the presentation order may be shifted in a way which would push a presentation to occur on a different day.
Q: I am unable to present at the June event but my co-author is available, can they present on our behalf? A: Yes, co-authors can present papers on behalf of the primary author. Please inform NACE staff by emailing
papers@nace.org no later than Friday, April 24, 2020 of the change so this can be reflected in the printed program, the mobile app and online agenda.
Q: Can I submit a new abstract for consideration for CORROSION 2020? A: Unfortunately due to the time constraints of the draft paper, final paper and presentation review process, we are unable to accept no new abstract submissions for the June conference. Please visit the call for abstracts website (see above) to submit an abstract for consideration in the CORROSION 2021 program.
Q: Could you provide a concise table that outlines the milestones for the CORROSION 2020 event in June to ensure I do not miss a deadline? A: Below you’ll find a table that provides an overview of upcoming dates based on the postponed schedule. NACE staff encourages individuals involved in symposia (Authors, Chairs/Vice Chairs) to add these dates to their personal calendar to not miss the dates.
Revised Deadlines for CORROSION 2020 (June 14-18, 2020)
| Date(s) |
Milestone/Deadline |
| Monday, April 6, 2020 |
Current authors to notify NACE staff of withdrawal and previously withdrawn authors to notify NACE staff of request for reinstatement for CORROSION 2020 in June. |
| Monday, April 13, 2020 |
Final Paper Deadline for Authors and Copyright Assignment Agreement Deadline (if applicable)
NOTE: Paper will not be published without signed copyright assignment |
| Friday, April 17, 2020 |
Symposium Chairs to Arrange Presentation Order in Paper Trail |
| Friday, April 24, 2020 |
Deadline for Symposium Chairs to Send Comments to Authors on Final Papers
Deadline to Notify NACE Staff of Changes for Final Program Printing |
| Friday, May 1, 2020 |
Deadline for Authors to Return Corrected Papers for Final Approval |
| Friday, May 8, 2020 |
Symposium Chair Deadline to Mark Final Papers as Approved (if applicable)
NOTE: Papers not approved by this date will not be published in proceedings |
| Monday, May 11, 2020 |
Authors Deadline to Upload Presentation Slides for Review by Vice Chairs (ALL SPEAKERS MUST UPLOAD SLIDES) |
| Monday, May 18, 2020 |
Vice Chair to Provide Feedback on Presentation Slides
Vice Chair Deadline for Approving Presentations |
| Wednesday, May 27, 2020 |
Authors Deadline to Upload Revised Presentation Slides for Review by Vice Chairs |