Sponsored Presentations
Simple version: if you mention the name of a product or entity then your presentation is considered a sponsored presentation. Sure, it gets more complicated, but start with that understanding. Read on for additional, non-exhaustive, detail.
If your presentation, whether poster or workshop, promotes a single product, set of products, or entity, then your workshop is considered a “sponsored” presentation. Sponsored presentations require payment of a session sponsorship fee. Only products associated with Conference Exhibitors or HAPS Sponsors or HAPS Partners may be included in sponsored presentations.
Products that are free may not be required to pay this fee, but “free” websites, apps, and software are rarely truly free. They just collect payment through a non-traditional method, so read the privacy policies and look up the ownership of the “free” resource before asking HAPS to not collect the sponsorship fee. Things that are truly free are offered by institutions like foundations, not tech start-ups. Also, tech startups tend not to be HAPS exhibitors.
Similarly, if your presentation has a premise that either directly or indirectly promotes the interests of a separate, non-HAPS entity then your presentation is considered a sponsored presentation.
This policy can broadly include any material or product that requires purchase for full, unfettered adoption; products that are currently free, but are intended to be sold in the future; products that are offered as a free version with limitations; and products that are a free subset of a larger not-free resource.
Whether you are an A&P instructor or a properly registered exhibitor, the policy is applied equally. All sponsored presentations are marked as “sponsored” in all conference materials.
See examples below for actual application of this idea. Contact the business office if you have any questions about your specific situation.
Examples of workshop and posters that might be sponsored:
1) I am a HAPS member working on a new computer simulation that I hope to sell later. I haven’t made any money yet. I will give away free copies of my software to everyone at the Annual Conference and let HAPS give it away to members for a year.
This is sponsored because there is (a) a single, named product, and (b) an intent to sell the product in the future. In essence the author is using HAPS as a marketing vehicle to generate beta testers. HAPS does not believe in offering member benefits that are in any way restricted – in this case a one year restriction and restriction to this early version of the software.
2) I am an A&P instructor and I have found the most amazing and FREE app (or videos, computer simulations, etc). I want to give a presentation so that everyone knows about this awesome free resource.
This is sponsored because (a) there is a single, named product and (b) although it appears to be free it generally is not actually free. Startups are not in the business of losing money and know that the desire to get something free can allow us to pay in non-monetary ways or simply use the free product to drive recognition of their paid products. As with the previous example, the product being advertised will be using HAPS as a marketing vehicle. We recognize that this can sometimes get tricky and that some institutions do actually provide truly free products (HHMI and OpenStax are examples that have exhibited at HAPS in the past). In most cases all of this is a moot point, because the resource provider is not an exhibitor and thus the proposal to promote this product will not be accepted.
3) I am a representative of a non-profit that sells curriculum and want to give a talk about this curriculum.
This is sponsored because the curriculum is sold. It does not matter that the curriculum is being sold by a non-profit, it is still being sold and thus requires purchase for adoption.
4) I am a HAPS member and I totally changed everything about how I teach by using Product X. Product X is fantastic and everyone should be using it. I earn nothing from them – in fact I bought my copy using my own money because Product X is just so wonderful. I am just so impressed and want to share.
This is sponsored because Product X is a commercial product. It does not matter that you are not being paid to promote their product. HAPS suggests that you contact Product X and tell them what you plan to do and ask them to exhibit at the HAPS Annual. Only exhibitors may have sponsored workshops. If that is not an option, then you will have to broaden your workshop topic.
5) I am a HAPS member and a marquis author for Publisher X. My book has sold millions. I want to give a workshop about this really cool thing I learned about muscles and nerves while I was researching my book. I think that there are lots of misconceptions about this topic and I would like to help clear things up. This is clearly stated in my book, so wondering if my workshop is sponsored or not.
This is not sponsored because the author is simply sharing information. It makes no difference that the author has included this information in a book.
6) I am a HAPS member and an expert on pacemakers. I would like to give a talk explaining the reason that the new technology being used by Pacemaker X is cutting edge and fantastic. Other brands are miles behind. I don’t earn anything from Pacemaker X and don’t even do surgery – I have a Ph.D. not an M.D.
This is a sponsored workshop because the talk is predicated on discussing only one specific brand. If the talk were about pacemakers in general or the underlying technology, and not about this specific brand of pacemaker, then it would be considered as simply sharing information. As described above, this talk sounds like a commercial for Pacemaker X.
6) I am a HAPS member and a representative of a separate, outside organization. I believe that this outside organization is great and that HAPSters should hear about this outside organization and what we do, what we promote, and what we believe. This outside organization is a 501(c)(3) and thus is considered by the IRS to be a non-profit.
This is a sponsored workshop because in this case the outside organization is the entity. As with example number 3 above, HAPS does not differentiate among organizations based on their tax status. Most HAPSters have outside interests and are members of multiple organizations