#WMS2024
#WMS2024
We’ve tried to put ourselves in your shoes and give you as much information as possible about the WMS 2024 Congress in Prague, Czechia. Maybe this is your first time attending a scientific congress, or perhaps you are just a planner who likes to know what’s happening before it happens. Either way, we hope you find this Guide helpful.
You can use the menu at the bottom of this page to skip between sections, either by day or event type. You can use the translate function on the web page to access this information in whichever language makes it easiest for you to read. You can also use the information and frequently asked questions pages of the website for further information.
Throughout the Congress, members of the Azura Event Management team are on hand to help. We'll be dressed in black and wearing orange or pink flowers to make it easy to identify us. Please feel free to approach any of us with questions, if you need assistance, or if you would like an introduction to someone else at the Congress.
We will be developing the 2025 version of this guide using your feedback, so please be sure to tell us what you think. We’re very interested to know whether you found it helpful, whether there’s anything missing and whether you have any ideas for how it could be better and more useful next year.
Our 2024 Congress takes place at the Prague Congress Centre in the centre of Prague. The Congress Centre has a dedicated Metro station - Vyšehrad station on Line C (the red line on the Prague Metro Map).
There is not a direct line from Prague airport (Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)) to the Congress venue. You can catch the number 59 bus – buy your ticket before you board - from the airport to Veleslavín Metro station, which is on line A (the green line) and change at Muzeum onto line C (the red line). Alternatively, taxis are available at the airport or can be booked in advance to take you to either the Congress Centre or your hotel.
The ride-hailing app, Bolt, is also popular in Prague. It works in a similar way to Uber or Lyft. To use the app, we recommend you download the app and register before you travel.
The Metro and trams are the main modes of public transport in the city. For travelling into or out of the city, you can use buses and trains. The website has a dedicated Metro and ticket information page.
Every delegate at the WMS 2024 Congress will be provided with a travel pass for use on public transport throughout the Congress. You will receive the pass when you pick up your name badge at the registration desk, so will need to make your own way from the airport and to the Congress Centre. The travel pass will be for unlimited use for the full length of the Congress and you are welcome to use it for your own social activities as well as for Congress activities. Your Congress name badge will serve as your ID when using your Travel Pass, so please make sure you have it with you whenever you travel. Please note, we will not be able to replace lost or damaged Travel Passes. If you need a replacement, you will need to buy one, which you can do at any Metro station.
This useful online guide provides more information about getting around in Prague.
You can use contactless payments to buy tickets on public transport Ticket machines on trams, buses, and at metro stations accept contactless credit cards and mobile devices
The currency in Czechia is the Czech Crown (CZK), also known as Czech koruna (Kč). You can find live exchange rates online using this link.
Large hotels, shops, and restaurants often accept payment both in CZK and Euros. Local shops, bars, entertainment venues, and tourist attractions usually accept payment in Czech Crowns only. Pay by mobile (via Google Pay and Apple Pay) and major credit cards (including contactless cards) are widely accepted at hotels, shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants in Prague, but some local shops, markets, and cafés prefer cash.
The native language in Prague is Czech. Many people also speak English and Russian. This website provides some Czech greetings including audio files of how to say them.
The WMS Pre-Congress Teaching Course takes place for the day and a half immediately before the Congress begins. This year, that’s 7th and 8th October.
The venue is the Prague Congress Centre and the rooms for the Pre-Congress Teaching Course are Club Rooms D and E.
The Course will be delivered and attended by established and young physicians, researchers, therapists, and neuropathologists from all over the world.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the modern approach and developments in myology during the Course, which will also be streamed for online-only attendees.
The first day of the course (Monday 7th October) features presentations from a number of established experts in the field. On the second day (Tuesday 8th October), we will look at participant case presentations with patients in the room. Delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions about the diagnosis, treatment, symptoms and progress of each of the patients. In the interests of patient confidentiality, we are unable to live-stream the sessions on Tuesday.
Whether you’re joining in-person or virtually, you can take advantage of our live translation service, Wordly. Simply follow this link: https://attend.wordly.ai/join/XMWQ-2749. Simply enter https://attend.wordly.ai/join/XMWQ-2749 and select the language you want the translation in.
Throughout the Course, there will be refreshment breaks, including lunch on the first day. We encourage all delegates to use these breaks as opportunities to network. If you don’t know anyone in the room, feel free to approach one of the Congress management team. We can provide introductions.
All in-person delegates are also invited to attend the Course dinner on Monday evening. It’s a great opportunity to network with other Course attendees and faculty. The venue for dinner is Kandelabr, QUBIX Office Building, Štětkova 1638/18, 140 00 Praha 4. The event starts at 19:30. The restaurant is within easy walking distance of the Congress venue and the Congress team will help make sure you get to the right place at the right time. Please meet in the Congress Centre ground floor foyer by the Information Desk at 19:20 to walk to the restaurant together. There is no formal dress code for the Course Dinner.
If you haven't yet confirmed your place or you no longer wish to attend, please contact [email protected] so we can amend transport and restaurant numbers accordingly.
When you registered for the Congress, you will have had the opportunity to select a number of additional activities such as the Meet the Experts session and group activities. You’ll find a full list of what you have booked in your confirmation email. We will also send you an email with your joining instructions in the days before the Congress, which will provide this information again.
At the start of the Congress, you will need to visit the registration desk at the Prague Congress Centre.
If you have registered to attend the Pre-Congress Teaching Course (PCTC), you will be able to visit the registration desk on Level 1 in the Club Foyer at the top of the escalators. If you aren’t attending the PCTC, you will need to visit the registration desk on the Ground Floor when you arrive at the Congress.
The Congress registration desk will be open at the following times:
On Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, you should expect short queues or small crowds in the registration desk area as these are our busiest times but we will make sure we have plenty of people processing registrations and answering your questions.
At the registration desk we will give you your name badge, lanyard, a pass for the Prague Metro, and Legacy Token. You’ll need to wear your name badge at all times so organisers can easily identify you. Your name badge will also feature a number of coloured symbols. These relate to specific pre-booked events, any dietary requirements you have made us aware of, and your ticket type to make it easy to see what you have booked. We have included a key to the symbols here [add key].
We have two lanyard types. Our standard lanyard is selected by most attendees. We also offer a social distancing lanyard. This reminds other Congress attendees that you have requested personal space. This may be due to a weakened immune system and caution around airborne viruses, or it may be because you are uncomfortable with close personal contact. If you would prefer a social distancing lanyard, you can select this when you visit the registration desk.
If you are arriving at the Congress with your luggage, we are able to store bags for you at the registration desk.
Our Local Organising Committee invites all in-person delegates to join them for a welcome reception in the exhibition hall on Tuesday 14:30-16:00 once you have collected your name badge. With a focus on scientific education, networking and wellbeing, we will be serving drinks and light refreshments and providing an initial opportunity for you to meet your fellow delegates and get to know our Congress sponsors and exhibitors.
This first look at the Congress Exhibition is also an opportunity for you to plan how you want to spend some of your time at the Congress. You can decide which of the exhibition stands you might want to return to and even schedule visits with the exhibitors to talk about your work and/or theirs.
The Exhibition will be open at the following times:
Throughout these times, you are welcome to view the exhibition stands and talk to exhibitors. We ask that meetings between exhibitors and Congress delegates do not take place while the Congress scientific sessions are also running.
To facilitate informal meetings, our Exhibition will feature two meeting pods. We have added these to our exhibition space for WMS 2024 to provide comfortable spaces for informal meetings. To help us meet everyone’s needs, we have come up with these brief guidelines:
If you are presenting a poster you might want to head to the poster hall and get set up. This year we have the poster hall and industry exhibition nearby and our industry sponsors are hosting a welcome reception, including refreshments between 14:30 and 18:00 in the second-floor foyers.
This is a good time to find where you will be displaying your poster. All the posters are in numerical order and we will have put up individual signs to highlight first-time presenters and early career contributors. We will also provide pins or Velcro you can use to attach your poster to the poster board. There will be volunteers on hand to help you.
As it is an open area, you might find that some people start viewing your poster even though this won’t be one of the programmed poster viewing sessions. We encourage you to engage with any visitors and use the opportunity to talk about your work.
This meeting is for members of the Executive Board and secretariat only. The Executive Board meets virtually once a quarter and has an in-person meeting on the opening day of the Congress. Within the Executive Board Meeting, the Board will hear bids from potential hosts of the 2028 Congress and will select the successful bid.
The first Industry Symposia take place from 16:30-17:30 on Tuesday 8th October. You can register your interest for these in advance and will have received emails describing what will be included in each one along with the booking link.
Industry Symposia will also take place on:
Wednesday 9th October 07:45-08:45
Wednesday 9th October 19:00-20:00
Thursday 10th October 08:15-09:15
Each session will have two Symposia running in parallel. You can catch up with the ones you are unable to attend using our virtual platform.
The Industry Symposia are 60-minute sessions provided by our industry sponsors. The topics are designed to be interesting and relevant to our audience. Each session will include a presentation and the opportunity to ask questions. You can ask a question by raising your hand in the room or you can submit a question through our Congress app or virtual platform.
Many of the Industry Symposia sponsors will provide food and drinks as a part of their session. You are invited to help yourself to these and then take a seat for the presentations. If you would like to follow up with the presenters, you will be able to find them at their exhibition stand throughout the Congress or use the directory feature in the Congress app to contact them virtually.
The opening ceremony marks the official start of the Congress. It will take place from 18:00-18:45 in the Congress Hall. It will start with a short welcome from this year’s Local Organising Committee representatives who will hand over to [add detail here]. Joining the audience for the opening ceremony will provide you with your first opportunity to feel part of the whole Congress. There won’t be audience participation in this session.
The networking reception is an informal event that provides the first opportunity for delegates to meet and catch up. You will need to have registered and paid to attend the networking reception. Your name badge will have a [which symbol] if you are registered to attend. If you are not registered to attend, your time is your own to explore Prague, meet colleagues or head back to your hotel.
The networking reception will take place in the Panorama Hall and Zoom Room on the first floor of the Congress Centre from 18:45 to 21:00. You can make your way there immediately after the opening ceremony. We will be serving food and drinks and will provide options that meet all dietary requirements [link to food and drink info]. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink options will be available. There will be some music playing but this event is an opportunity for people to network and chat so the volume won’t be overwhelming.
As with all Congress events, there is no official dress code. Some people will be wearing the clothes they have travelled in, some will be in business dress, and others will be dressed more casually. As the networking reception starts immediately after the opening ceremony, there is no real opportunity for or expectation of people changing their clothes for the evening.
You are welcome to leave whenever it suits you. The event will finish at 21:00 and the Prague Metro runs until midnight. In previous years, some delegates have made plans to meet colleagues for social activities after the Congress activities draw to a close; you may prefer to head back to your hotel. Your time is your own.
Because the Congress Centre is located near to the centre of Prague and we are providing travel passes, we are not running shuttle buses this year. We encourage you to use public transport. Prague prides itself on being a walkable city and you may find that on foot is the best way to get around.
From 7:45-8:45 our second set of industry symposia take place. There will be light refreshments served so if you want to skip breakfast at your hotel you can get food and drink at the Congress. You can find out more about what happens in the industry symposia using the day one description.
The Congress welcome is hosted by the WMS President Volker Straub. It takes place in the main Congress hall and we encourage you to attend. It’s an event that helps set the tone for the whole Congress and describe what to expect.
The morning programme continues in the main Congress hall with the first scientific content following straight on from the Congress welcome. Sessions run from 9:15-10:45 and 11:15-13:15 with a 30-minute break from 10:45-11:15 for refreshments and exhibition/poster viewing.
The scientific presentations on day one all follow Topic 1: Acquired muscle disorders. Invited speakers (INV in the programme) will start each of the morning sessions with oral presentations (O in the programme) to follow. Each of the invited speaker presentations will last 30 minutes and each oral presentation will last 15 minutes including time for questions. There will be time for questions after each presentation.
You can ask questions by putting your hand up in the room. We will have microphones in the room to make sure you can be heard by the speakers on the stage. Alternatively, you can submit questions via our virtual platform and app. The moderators on stage will be responsible for selecting the questions.
If your question isn’t selected you can follow up with the speaker during the Congress. There are many scheduled networking events and refreshment breaks. If you particularly want to speak to one of the presenters you can ask the team at the registration desk to provide an introduction. Within the Congress app, you also have access to a full directory of Congress attendees and can contact them through the app.
None of the scientific sessions are mandatory. We encourage you to attend all of the sessions to get the most out of the Congress but if there are sessions that aren’t relevant to your work or you need to spend some time catching up on emails, there are plenty of spaces throughout the Congress venue where you can sit away from the presentations.
We have scheduled refreshment breaks at frequent intervals throughout the day. We encourage you to use these breaks in the schedule to attend to any personal needs, stay hydrated, and network with other Congress delegates. At each of the breaks we will provide a selection of food and drink designed to meet all dietary needs.
Our industry exhibitors and poster displays are both within easy reach of the Congress hall, so refreshment breaks provide the perfect opportunity for you to interact with our exhibitors or view posters.
We encourage our industry exhibitors and patient advocacy groups to send their scientific representatives to the Congress so they can share their latest projects, trials, and breakthroughs. Away from the presentations in the Congress hall, the networking opportunities are the biggest draw of the WMS Congress. Please do take the time to visit our exhibitors and find out what they can share.
If you need to use our refreshment breaks to take a break from the crowds and the stimulation the Congress provides, you might be glad to know we have dedicated spaces to support you. Our Quiet Room is a tech, food, and chat-free space where you can go to decompress. Our Multi-faith Room is a space for prayer or quiet reflection.
Our Meet the Experts lunch is a new event for 2024 and is designed to provide small-group networking and informative discussions. Table hosts will be experts in the field of NMD and will share their experiences, but it is also an opportunity for attendees to actively participate in the conversation around each table. It will take place in the Zoom Room on the first floor (this is not a “Zoom”/ virtual event, that’s just the name of the room). We will be providing lunch in the room so you don’t need to worry about missing out on the food served in the exhibition hall. If you are attending this session, you will be encouraged to change seats at regular intervals in order to meet more of the experts in attendance.
This networking lunch is only open to pre-registered delegates. There is currently a waiting list for spaces.
Now in its third year, our Congress Debate has become a popular session. This year, our debate topic is "can the costs of gene therapies in neuromuscular disorders be justified?" The debate will be moderated by Francesco Muntoni from University College London, Great Ormond Street Hospital in the UK and Teresinha Evangelista from the Institut de Myologie in France. You can participate in the debate either in the room or through our virtual platform.
Our poster sessions continue throughout the Congress. There are scheduled poster sessions in the programme each day but feel free to walk through the posters during any of the refreshment breaks.
During each of the dedicated poster sessions, we will be serving drinks including alcoholic drinks and light refreshments. We will cater to all dietary requirements.
Our posters will be displayed in the first-floor Forum Hall. There will be around 700 posters representing the latest work of some of our delegates.
Because so many of our delegates are presenting posters, you may find that presenters aren’t with their posters when you view them. There are four poster sessions throughout the programme so you can try another time. Alternatively, if you particularly want to speak to a poster presenter we recommend you try to contact them through the attendee directory in the Congress app.
If you are a poster presenter, we recommend you spend at least some of the poster session near your poster, that way if people want to ask questions you can be there to answer them. We understand that you’ll want to view other posters too so try and balance your time. Our Prize Committee will tour the poster presentations to make their prize selections.
Immediately following each of the poster sessions, we are holding short oral presentations. These last 30 minutes and each will feature five presentations. These have been selected from submitted abstracts and provide an opportunity for people to share their work in more detail and ask questions. Our moderators in each room will manage questions and keep everything running to time.
Each presentation will last five minutes including two minutes for questions. We will run three short oral presentation sessions simultaneously. These will take place in the North Hall, Terrace 2A, and Terrace 2B. We will post a timetable outside each room so you can check you’re in the right place for the session you want to see. You can ask a question by raising your hand in the room. If you don’t get a chance to ask your question, you can follow up directly with the presenter through the directory in the Congress app or by visiting their poster in the poster hall.
If you are presenting, you will have received an invitation by email to present your work. We will tell you in advance of the Congress when and where you will be presenting and invite you to attend a virtual briefing. You will also be able to find this information in the Congress programme on our website or in the Congress app. You should make your way to your allocated presentation room about 10 minutes before the full session starts even if you’re not on first. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the room, ask any questions of our technical team or the moderator, and make yourself comfortable before the session starts.
It's natural to be nervous. If you are, we recommend breathing deeply before you start, speaking slowly, and remembering you’re the expert; you’ve been invited to speak because our Programme Committee was so impressed with your work. The moderator for your session is there to support you and will help with the questions.
The NMD Board Meeting is for members of the NMD Journal Board only. If you are not on that Board you do not need to attend.
This session will take place in the Zoom Room on the first floor. With a focus on early careers and professional development, it will provide information and insights into current and future opportunities within the field of NMD including academia, corporate/industry, and across a range of healthcare settings.
The panellists, including senior level industry representatives, will share their own career pathways as well as providing guidance to delegates on the range of career opportunities and pathways available.
We will be providing lunch in the room so you don’t need to worry about missing out on the food served in the exhibition hall.
This session and networking lunch is only open to pre-registered delegates. There is currently a waiting list for spaces.
Our group activities provide an opportunity to leave the Congress venue and experience some of our host city. They also give you a chance to get to know some of your fellow delegates and build connections that might advance your work. You will have had the opportunity to sign up to the group activities when you registered for the Congress. Details of what you booked will be in your confirmation email and joining instructions email along with the start time and meeting place.
Our group activities are normally fully booked by the time the Congress starts, so if you haven’t already registered you may find there isn’t space to join later. We’ll always do our best to accommodate you and will run a waiting list in case anyone decides not to attend. If you have booked a group activity and decide not to go, please let us know at the registration desk so we can give your place to someone else.
We recommend you dress appropriately for the activity you are participating in. Several of our group activities include walking tours, so we recommend comfortable shoes. The weather in Prague in October may be cool and could be rainy. Please check the weather forecast and make sure you are going to be warm enough and protected from the weather if it is bad. Our group activities will go ahead in all but the most extreme conditions.
You can find information about our group activities on the Congress website. The description of each activity includes how you will get there. In some instances, this will be by mini-bus transfer.
After your group activity, your group will be directed to or dropped off at the Kaiserstein Palace in the centre of Prague for the networking reception. If you have registered for the reception, you can make your way inside; otherwise, you can use your time to explore Prague or use your Metro ticket to make your way back to your hotel.
If you have booked a group activity but decide not to attend, you will need to make your own way to the Kaiserstein Palace for the reception.
This event takes place at the Kaiserstein Palace in the centre of Prague. You will need to have pre-booked to attend. If you have attended a group activity, you will have been directed to or dropped off at the Palace. If you have not attended a group activity, you will need to make your own way there using your WMS Metro ticket. The nearest Metro station is Malostranské náměstí.
The Palace is one of the most interesting buildings in Prague, originally built in 1714 and opened as a cultural monument in 1964. We will serve drinks and canapes at the reception and invite you to continue conversations with other Congress delegates in these beautiful surroundings [music/ entertainment?]. The reception will continue until 20:00 after which you can continue to explore Prague, go for dinner, or use your Metro ticket to return to your hotel.
There is no dress code for this event and we expect most people to attend wearing the clothes they wore for the group activities. We do recommend you make dinner reservations in advance to avoid disappointment.
With more than 1000 specialists in the field of neuromuscular disorders together in Prague, we’re taking the opportunity to solve some of the complex cases that have challenged clinicians.
We will be updating the details of this session closer to the date of the Congress, so please check back to find out exactly what will be involved.
The General Assembly is for current WMS members. It’s our equivalent to an annual general meeting. Members of our Executive Board, including WMS President, who will provide an update on the Society’s progress over the previous year, current priorities, and achievements. There will also be an update on WMS finances from the WMS Treasurer and a WMS membership update from the WMS Secretary. WMS members will be asked to approve the content of the meeting. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions. Lunch will be provided in the South Hall for General Assembly attendees.
If you are not a WMS Member or if you would rather spend the time viewing the poster exhibition, the industry exhibition and poster exhibition will continue throughout the session and lunch will be served.
This is an internal meeting for selected industry representatives, WMS Executive Board members, and Congress organisers. If you have not been asked to attend this meeting, you can continue to enjoy the lunch break and poster session.
Our Networking Dinner on Friday night is our gala or Congress dinner. A three-course meal will be served and then a band will play music so people can enjoy dancing. There is no formal dress code but people who attend the Networking Dinner tend to use the opportunity to dress up.
If you would like to attend the Networking Dinner you need to pre-register. When you arrive at the venue we will tick you off on our list and give you a dietary requirement place card if appropriate. Please place this card in your place setting for your server to see clearly. We will work to ensure there are menu options that meet all dietary requirements. We will also have an alcohol-free table for those who would be more comfortable sitting with others who don’t drink alcohol.
Transport will be by Metro. You can use your WMS Metro card and there will be staff at the Congress Centre Metro Station and at the dinner venue to guiding you.
The Networking Dinner starts at 19:15 two hours after the Congress finishes. If you would like to use the time to explore Prague before dinner you are welcome to make your own way to the dinner.
The event finishes at 01:00 but you are not expected to stay until the end and are welcome to leave whenever suits you. You can use your Metro card to make your way back to your accommodation or continue your night out in Prague.
This is our keynote lecture named after WMS founder Victor Dubowitz. This year the speaker is Jeffrey S. Chamberlain from the University of Washington School of Medicine in the USA. His lecture is entitled Gene Replacement Therapy Approaches for Genetic Neuromuscular Diseases.
The 30-minute lecture will include time for questions and the session will be moderated.
Each year our Prize Committee reviews all of the presented abstracts and selects those that are most deserving of prizes. You can read about previous prizewinners here. Everyone who submits an abstract is eligible for consideration by the Prize Committee. There is no additional application process.
If your name is called during the Prize Giving Ceremony, please make your way to the stage. You will be presented with a certificate alongside the other winners and runners-up in your category. You will be asked to stay on the stage for a moment while we take photos of individual winners and then a group photo before returning to your seat.
If you need to travel home before the Ceremony and win a prize, we will mail your certificate to you.
You can find more information about the categories and prizes on the relevant page of the Congress website.
We will briefly showcase the forthcoming 2025 WMS Congress which will take place in Vienna. No audience participation is required.
In a symbolic ceremony, the Local Organising Committee of the 2024 Prague Congress will hand over the WMS flag to the Local Organising Committee for the 2025 Vienna Congress. No audience participation is required.
After we close the Congress, we will serve a light informal buffet-style homeward lunch. It’s a final opportunity to catch up with fellow delegates, say goodbye, and have something to eat before heading home. If you need to get to the airport, there’s no need to stay and if your flight isn’t until later you’re very welcome to stay for a while.
Whenever you’re ready to leave, you can head to the airport or train station to start your journey home. We will provide luggage storage on the Saturday for anyone who needs to check out of their hotel before coming to the final Congress day.
Your Congress Metro pass will work until the end of the day on Saturday so you can use it for transport out of the city. Remember there isn’t a Metro station at the airport so you will need to catch a bus or organise a taxi.
The Congress finishes at 14:30 but organisers will remain on site until around 15:30 when we have been asked to vacate the venue. You are welcome to use the space until then.
If you aren’t travelling until later, your hotel may be able to store your luggage so you are free to explore the city a final time. Alternatively, there is a left luggage service at Prague Central Station (Praha Hlavni Nadrazi) which is on the red Metro line (line C) and between stations on both the green (line A) and yellow (line B) lines.
If you would like to stay in Prague on the Saturday night you are welcome to book additional nights accommodation. If you are an invited speaker and your accommodation is being arranged by Congress organisers, please let us know in advance that you would like to stay on in your hotel. We can arrange the additional nights but will need to pass the cost on to you.
The WMS prides itself on being inclusive and making our Congresses as accessible as possible. We appreciate that people with very young children may find it particularly difficult to travel. We have a family-friendly room at the Congress and you are welcome to bring young children. You will be responsible for supervising your children at all times. Last year delegates brought their partners with them to supervise the children. You can find more information on our website. The entire Congress will be live-streamed to the family-friendly room.
As well as snacks and activities for small children, our family-friendly room will include a private space for breastfeeding or pumping.
Opening times:
Monday 7th October at the Pre-Congress Teaching Course 08:00-19:00
Tuesday 8th October at the Pre-Congress Teaching Course and Congress opening sessions 08:00-21:00
Wednesday 9th October 07:30-20:00
Thursday 10th October times 08:00-16:00
Friday 11th October 07:30-17:30
Saturday 12th October 08:30-14:00
Alternatively, you may want to travel without children but struggle with the costs of providing care for them at home while you are away. Our Caregiver Grant provides up to £1000 to people who either provide or need care to help cover the cost of replacing that care while you are away.
We encourage you to keep in touch with your loved ones while you are with us at the Congress. If you are video calling from the Congress, please be mindful of those around you and considerate of presenters. Taking or receiving calls of any kind during presentations is not allowed.
At WMS 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, we launched our legacy tokens initiative. Instead of using Congress funds to create branded merchandise which is not in line with our environmental sustainability ambitions, we decided instead to dedicate £10,000 to our Congress legacy. We are building on our 2023 success in Prague and will once again be dividing a £10,000 donation between four local good causes selected by our Local Organising Committee.
You will receive a token (a small round wooden disk featuring the WMS logo) along with your name badge when you register on your first day of the Congress, and an additional token at each Industry Symposia you attend. You can "vote" for the charity you would like to receive the donation on your behalf by depositing your token in the corresponding box. The clear boxes make it instantly visible to all delegates how popular each charity is.
The full and summary Congress programmes are available on the Congress website. Once the app goes live in the few days before the Congress, you will also be able to access the programme there.
Our Congress app gives you access to all kinds of Congress information, from the programme to the attendees directory. If you need help with how to use the app, please visit the helpdesk at the registration desk and we’ll do our best to assist you. The app works best with a good mobile data signal so if you don’t have roaming in Prague you’ll need to log on to the Congress venue wifi. Signs with the password will be up around the venue.
As well as our quiet room, we provide a multi-faith space for people to use for prayer and quiet reflection. We provided this room for the first time at our 2023 Congress and received feedback that washing facilities would be beneficial. We have added these to our multi-faith room for our 2024 Congress. You can find the multi-faith space in room 222.
Opening times:
To support early career researchers and clinicians as you raise your professional profile, we will once again be providing opportunities to have professional profile photos taken. You'll be able to use these photos for presentations, programmes and more. All profile photo sessions will take place in Club Room H at the following times.
Congresses are full of opportunities to learn and experience new things, but they are also rich in stimulation, and with the constant outward facing and switched on nature they can also be overwhelming, exhausting and triggering, both mentally and physically.
We will have a dedicated quiet space which we are calling our Quiet Room in Room 221 on the second floor of the Congress Centre (it will be signposted in the venue) where you can take some quiet time to reground before returning to the congress activities. No devices, talking, eating or food will be allowed so that the space is truly welcoming and calming for all.
Opening times:
We also encourage you to take time out of your congress day to get some fresh air.
Food and drink will be available at intervals throughout each day. We have worked hard to make sure we are meeting the needs of all dietary requirements, whether health-based, cultural, or personal preference.
Substantial food will be available at meal times. Snacks will be available during refreshment breaks and in the poster sessions. Water and fruit will be available at all times and tea and coffee will be served each morning as delegates are arriving.
If you need something to eat outside of these times, for example if you are diabetic, please let the Congress organisers know and we’ll be able to provide something appropriate for you.
We appreciate that your first Congress can be daunting, but rest assured our WMS audience is a very friendly one and delegates are eager to meet and learn from one another. If you would like to be introduced to other delegates when you arrive, please let us know via email in advance or at the registration desk at the venue. We will be happy to make some introductions so that you feel more comfortable.
The Myology Café is a regular virtual networking session for anyone involved in the field. At our Congresses, we bring our virtual Café into the real world. Our Congress Myology Café will be serving barista made hot drinks. It will be open for all the programmed refreshment breaks. Check the signs in the Café to see when we’ll be holding meetings and other informal sessions.
The networking reception is an informal event that provides the first opportunity for delegates to meet and catch up. You will need to have registered and paid to attend the networking reception. Your name badge will have a [which symbol] if you are registered to attend. If you are not registered to attend, your time is your own to explore Prague, meet colleagues or head back to your hotel.
The networking reception will take place in the Panorama Hall and Zoom Room on the first floor of the Congress Centre from 18:45 to 21:00. You can make your way there immediately after the opening ceremony. We will be serving food and drinks and will provide options that meet all dietary requirements [link to food and drink info]. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink options will be available. There will be some music playing but this event is an opportunity for people to network and chat so the volume won’t be overwhelming.
As with all Congress events, there is no official dress code. Some people will be wearing the clothes they have travelled in, some will be in business dress, and others will be dressed more casually. As the networking reception starts immediately after the opening ceremony, there is no real opportunity for or expectation of people changing their clothes for the evening. You are welcome to leave whenever it suits you. The event will finish at 21:00 and the Prague Metro runs until midnight. In previous years, some delegates have made plans to meet colleagues for social activities after the Congress activities draw to a close; you may prefer to head back to your hotel. Your time is your own.
Because the Congress Centre is located near to the centre of Prague and we are providing travel passes, we are not running shuttle buses this year. We encourage you to use public transport. Prague prides itself on being a walkable city and you may find that on foot is the best way to get around.
The Myology Café is a regular virtual networking session for anyone involved in the field. At our Congresses, we bring our virtual Café into the real world. Our Congress Myology Café will be serving barista made hot drinks. It will be open for all the programmed refreshment breaks. Check the signs in the Café to see when we’ll be holding meetings and other informal sessions.
Our group activities provide an opportunity to leave the Congress venue and experience some of our host city. They also give you a chance to get to know some of your fellow delegates and build connections that might advance your work. You will have had the opportunity to sign up to the group activities when you registered for the Congress. Details of what you booked will be in your confirmation email and joining instructions email along with the start time and meeting place.
Our group activities are normally fully booked by the time the Congress starts, so if you haven’t already registered you may find there isn’t space to join later. We’ll always do our best to accommodate you and will run a waiting list in case anyone decides not to attend. If you have booked a group activity and decide not to go, please let us know at the registration desk so we can give your place to someone else.
We recommend you dress appropriately for the activity you are participating in. Several of our group activities include walking tours, so we recommend comfortable shoes. The weather in Prague in October may be cool and could be rainy. Please check the weather forecast and make sure you are going to be warm enough and protected from the weather if it is bad. Our group activities will go ahead in all but the most extreme conditions.
You can find information about our group activities on the Congress website. The description of each activity includes how you will get there. In some instances, this will be by mini-bus transfer.
After your group activity, your group will be directed to or dropped off at the Kaiserstein Palace in the centre of Prague for the networking reception. If you have registered for the reception, you can make your way inside; otherwise, you can use your time to explore Prague or use your Metro ticket to make your way back to your hotel.
If you have booked a group activity but decide not to attend, you will need to make your own way to the Kaiserstein Palace for the reception.
This event takes place at the Kaiserstein Palace in the centre of Prague. You will need to have pre-booked to attend. If you have attended a group activity, you will have been directed to or dropped off at the Palace. If you have not attended a group activity, you will need to make your own way there using your WMS Metro ticket. The nearest Metro station is Malostranské náměstí.
The Palace is one of the most interesting buildings in Prague, originally built in 1714 and opened as a cultural monument in 1964. We will serve drinks and canapes at the reception and invite you to continue conversations with other Congress delegates in these beautiful surroundings [music/ entertainment?]. The reception will continue until 20:00 after which you can continue to explore Prague, go for dinner, or use your Metro ticket to return to your hotel.
There is no dress code for this event and we expect most people to attend wearing the clothes they wore for the group activities. We do recommend you make dinner reservations in advance to avoid disappointment.
The morning programme continues in the main Congress hall with the first scientific content following straight on from the Congress welcome. Sessions run from 9:15-10:45 and 11:15-13:15 with a 30-minute break from 10:45-11:15 for refreshments and exhibition/poster viewing.
The scientific presentations on day one all follow Topic 1: Acquired muscle disorders. Invited speakers (INV in the programme) will start each of the morning sessions with oral presentations (O in the programme) to follow. Each of the invited speaker presentations will last 30 minutes and each oral presentation will last 15 minutes including time for questions. There will be time for questions after each presentation.
You can ask questions by putting your hand up in the room. We will have microphones in the room to make sure you can be heard by the speakers on the stage. Alternatively, you can submit questions via our virtual platform and app. The moderators on stage will be responsible for selecting the questions.
If your question isn’t selected you can follow up with the speaker during the Congress. There are many scheduled networking events and refreshment breaks. If you particularly want to speak to one of the presenters you can ask the team at the registration desk to provide an introduction. Within the Congress app, you also have access to a full directory of Congress attendees and can contact them through the app.
None of the scientific sessions are mandatory. We encourage you to attend all of the sessions to get the most out of the Congress but if there are sessions that aren’t relevant to your work or you need to spend some time catching up on emails, there are plenty of spaces throughout the Congress venue where you can sit away from the presentations.
We have scheduled refreshment breaks at frequent intervals throughout the day. We encourage you to use these breaks in the schedule to attend to any personal needs, stay hydrated, and network with other Congress delegates. At each of the breaks, we will provide a selection of food and drink designed to meet all dietary needs.
Our industry exhibitors and poster displays are both within easy reach of the Congress hall, so refreshment breaks provide the perfect opportunity for you to interact with our exhibitors or view posters.
We encourage our industry exhibitors and patient advocacy groups to send their scientific representatives to the Congress so they can share their latest projects, trials, and breakthroughs. Away from the presentations in the Congress hall, the networking opportunities are the biggest draw of the WMS Congress. Please do take the time to visit our exhibitors and find out what they can share.
If you need to use our refreshment breaks to take a break from the crowds and the stimulation the Congress provides, you might be glad to know we have dedicated spaces to support you. Our Quiet Room is a tech, food, and chat-free space where you can go to decompress. Our Multi-faith Room is a space for prayer or quiet reflection.
Our Meet the Experts lunch is a new event for 2024 and is designed to provide small group networking and informative discussions. Table hosts will be experts in the field of NMD and will share their experiences, but it is also an opportunity for attendees to actively participate in the conversation around each table. It will take place in the Zoom Room on the first floor (this is not a “Zoom”/ virtual event, that’s just the name of the room). We will be providing lunch in the room so you don’t need to worry about missing out on the food served in the exhibition hall.
This networking lunch is only open to pre-registered delegates. There is currently a waiting list for spaces.
Our poster sessions continue throughout the Congress. There are scheduled poster sessions in the programme each day but feel free to walk through the posters during any of the refreshment breaks.
During each of the dedicated poster sessions, we will be serving drinks including alcoholic drinks and light refreshments. We will cater to all dietary requirements.
Our posters will be displayed in the first-floor Forum Hall. There will be around 700 posters representing the latest work of some of our delegates.
Because so many of our delegates are presenting posters, you may find that presenters aren’t with their posters when you view them. There are four poster sessions throughout the programme so you can try another time. Alternatively, if you particularly want to speak to a poster presenter we recommend you try to contact them through the attendee directory in the Congress app.
If you are a poster presenter, we recommend you spend at least some of the poster session near your poster, that way if people want to ask questions you can be there to answer them. We understand that you’ll want to view other posters too so try and balance your time.
