AGU Fall Meeting 2021: Important information for onsite and online press registrants

8 December 2021


AGU press contact:
Hope Garland, +1 (202) 777-7396, [email protected] (UTC-4 hours)


WASHINGTON—Important on-site and online information for press is now available for the AGU Fall Meeting 2021, where more than 20,000 attendees from around the globe are expected to assemble in-person and online for the largest worldwide conference in the Earth and space sciences. The meeting is 13-17 December at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and online everywhere.

Online press registration is available and will remain open throughout the meeting. For eligibility information, please visit the Press Registration Eligibility Requirements page.

Visit the Fall Meeting Media Center or read our previous media advisories for more information on attending press events, searching the scientific program, tips for covering the meeting, and more.

The schedule of press events, keynote lectures, and potentially newsworthy sessions is included in Media Advisory 4.

In this media advisory:

  1. Information for on-site participants
  2. Journalism awards reception
  3. Information for all registered press attendees
  4. The #AGU21 app: AGU Events

1. Information for on-site participants

COVID-19 safety protocols

Full vaccination against COVID-19 is required to attend #AGU21 in person in New Orleans, both in the convention center and for any off-site AGU events. Masks will be required inside the conference center unless you are actively eating or drinking.

Registered members of the media should receive an email from SafeAccess inviting them to create an account and provide their vaccination information. If you do not complete this step prior to arriving at the conference, you will not be able to receive your badge and attend the conference immediately. Please provide your vaccination information to SafeAccess as soon as possible to allow for processing time.

Updates and more information on #AGU21 COVID-19 protocols are available here. We recommend having a photo of both sides of your vaccination card on your mobile device, as restaurants, hotels and other venues around New Orleans may require proof of vaccination for entry.

Registration and badge pickup

Media registration will remain open for the duration of #AGU21. On-site participants will need to have provided proof of vaccination prior to receiving their conference badge (see above). Registered press should pick up a green Press ribbon at the press room to access the press rooms.

Check-in, badge pickup and full registration services will be located near the main convention center doors off Julia Street (Julia Street Entrance) in the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Registration at this location will be open:

  • Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Monday, 6:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
  • Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Two satellite registration locations will be open Sunday and Monday, but will be limited to badge pickup for registered attendees who have been approved by SafeAccess (i.e., proof of vaccination has been verified and approved).

  • Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel, on the first floor. Open:
    • Sunday, 12:00 – 8:00 p.m. CST
    • Monday, 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, in Baggage Claim area. Open:
    • Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. CST
    • Monday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST

Press room locations and information

On-site members of the press will need to bring a laptop or other device and wired headphones with a microphone to view and participate in press events. On-site members can meet with on-site press event panelists after most press events in the R05 quiet room; specific instructions for this will be given in each press event.

There will be on-site working locations for registered members of the media, all located on the second floor of the convention center, behind the registration area. Maps of the Convention Center can be found in the online portal and the app.

  • Press room
    • Location: R06/07
    • Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday; 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Friday
    • The press room provides working space for press registrants, including computer terminals and printers, Wi-Fi and internet hard drops, electrical outlets and space for working and socializing. Approved press registrants should check-in and pick up their green press ribbons in the press room upon arrival to gain access to the press rooms.
    • Meals: Some meals and light refreshments will be provided in the Press Room. Below is a schedule of meal times throughout the week:
      • Monday through Thursday:
        • Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
        • Morning coffee: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
        • Lunch: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
        • Afternoon coffee: 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
      • Friday:
        • Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
        • Coffee: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
        • Lunch: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
      • Press conference room:
        • Location: R08/09
        • Hours (same as press room)
        • The press conference room is intended for onsite press participants to participate in online press events and other online sessions. Join the Zoom press events from a personal laptop with wired headphones.
      • Quiet rooms:
        • Locations: R05, B211, B212, B213
        • Hours (same as press room)
        • Quiet rooms are available for carrying out interviews and other focused work where a quiet workspace is necessary.
        • Reservations, given in 30-minute increments, are required to use quiet rooms. Sign up on-site in the Press Room (R06/R07).
  1. Journalism awards reception

An informal reception for AGU’s 2021 Journalism Award winners will be held Tuesday, 14 December at 5:00 p.m. CT in the press room (R06/R07). Join us in recognizing our colleagues for outstanding Earth and space science reporting!

  1. Information for all registered press

Accessing press events

Press events are open to members of the media who have registered to attend #AGU21. Members of the media can register throughout the meeting here, but we recommend registering in advance to ensure you can attend all press events.

All press events will be held over Zoom and recorded. Links to access the press events can be accessed through the mobile Fall Meeting app or web browser portal. Once you are logged in to the #AGU21 app, click on “Program” and then select “Press” for the “Type” to access the links to all press events. Zoom links to press events will be posted closer the meeting.

On-site members of the press will need to bring a laptop or other device and wired headphones with a microphone to participate in press events. Press conferences and press briefings will be held via Zoom Webinar, where questions may be submitted via the Q&A box, and media roundtables will be held in open Zoom meetings.

We recommend you test your AGU and Zoom logins and Zoom audio/video prior to attending press events. Download and install the latest version of Zoom and your web browser ahead of time.

There will be dedicated space for onsite press registrants to access press events in the press conference room, R08-R09 on the second floor of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

If you are unable to access a press event before or during the event, please email [email protected].

Media resources

  • Tipsheets curated by the AGU Media Relations team, are available for a range of topics from agriculture to air pollution to space science. They are searchable by topic, date and time in the online Fall Meeting Media Center.
  • Registered members of the press can find press releases, multimedia and other press-related information posted by registered public information officers on AGU Connect’s Press Information Exchange.
  • Slides and other materials from press events will also be available in the Press Information Exchange.
  • Daily press releases from AGU will be posted in the AGU Newsroom, and keep an eye out for our daily email.

Accessing the scientific program

The scientific program can be browsed here, and all hybrid and online-only sessions will be accessible through the app (see below) and online portal. Pre-recorded content, including electronic posters and pre-recorded talks, is available for viewing now. We recommend you explore the different session formats to best build your conference schedule.

  1. The #AGU21 app

The #AGU21 app allows you to build a personalized meeting schedule, watch live and recorded sessions, participate in online press events and view the poster gallery. You can access it using a mobile device or your computer.

Log into both the AGU Events app and the browser-based portal to the conference using the same credentials with which you registered for the conference. We strongly suggest logging in to the app prior to the meeting to avoid any delays.

Using a mobile device? Download the app.

  • Search for AGU Events in the Apple Store or Google Play.
  • Make sure your device is running iOS Version 13+ or Android Version 8+. Note that some Android devices with limited memory are not supported (e.g., Moto G4 & Moto G5).
  • Sign in using the same email address and password that you used to register for Fall Meeting.
  • Navigate to the Press Event Schedule by clicking on “Program” and then selecting “Press” under “Type.”
  • Zoom links to press events will be posted closer to the meeting.

Using a computer? Set up a bookmark.

  • Head to https://AGU.org/fall-meeting and click on the Launch #AGU21 button.
  • Use Chrome or Safari for the best viewing experience.
  • Ensure to turn off any ad and pop-up blockers you have added to your browser or your system as these tools will prevent you from logging in and may incorrectly limit visibility of event related content or limit functionality that requires a pop-up (e.g., authentication).
  • Sign in using the same email address and password that you used to register for Fall Meeting.
  • Navigate to the Press Event Schedule by clicking on “Program” and then selecting “Press” under “Type.”
  • Zoom links to press events will be posted closer to the meeting.

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