Why has the congress been postponed?
The leadership of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) have been closely following the current health crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions and a ban on indoor meetings are currently in place in The Netherlands and it is difficult to ascertain how the situation will evolve in the coming months.
As a result of these factors and our responsibility to protect the health of our faculty, delegates, staff and suppliers, the ESTS Board agreed that postponing ESTS to June 2021 was the only responsible course of action.

Will the congress be postponed to a later date?
Yes, the 29th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery will now be held in The Hague, on Sunday 20 June 2021 to Tuesday 22 June 2021.

The 30th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery will be held in Milano, Italy in the first week of June 2022.

Will I be refunded for the cost of my registration fee?
Your registration will be automatically transferred to ESTS The Hague 2021. If you can no longer attend, you can transfer your registration to a colleague or you will be also given the opportunity to request a refund (please send your refund request before 1 August 2020)
After this date all registrations will automatically be transferred to ESTS 2021.
If you are unable to attend ESTS The Hague 2021 you will be refunded on the credit card you used to register or by bank transfer if the payment was made by this method.
Please note that the registration will only be refunded to the account used for the payment of your registration. Please send your refund request before 1 August 2020.

I cancelled my participation in the Congress before it was officially postponed. Will I be eligible for a refund?
Yes.

My registration was managed by a sponsor or agency, what should I do?
From our side your registration is still valid.
Please get in touch with your sponsor or agency to arrange your participation in June 2021

What steps should I take to get reimbursed for the costs related to my travel / accommodation?
For hotel accommodation please contact the agency or hotel to cancel your booking and check the cancellation conditions. For your airline travel, contact your airline directly and if you have taken a travel insurance, contact your provider for information about the cancellation procedure.
You can find on the Congress website an official letter from the Congress that states the new dates. The COVID-19 is the reason for these dates moving and should be accepted as good reason by all suppliers. Please download this letter and include it with your request for moving the dates.

I am an invited as a Faculty member. Will the Organizing Secretariat cancel my flights and hotels or should I do it myself?
- If the ESTS Organizing Secretariat reserved your flight and/or hotel, we will cancel these on your behalf. No action is required on your part. We will reschedule all your bookings and will get in touch with you within a few weeks to verify your new arrival and departure dates. - If you booked your flight and/or hotel yourself, please contact your airline and booking agent directly. You can find on the Congress website an official letter from the Congress that states the new dates. The COVID-19 is the reason for these dates moving and should be accepted as good reason by all suppliers. Please download this letter and include it with your request for moving the dates.

Hotel, Airline Company or travel agency did not accept to reschedule or reimburse my booking for free, will the Congress reimburse me?
Neither ESTS, nor the Organizing Secretariat can be responsible for financial engagements taken by third parties. The social instability and travel limitations caused by COVID-19 outbreak are good reasons for the Organizing Secretariat to move the Congress to future dates in order to guarantee the wellbeing and safety of all delegates, staff and suppliers involved in this event.

What will happen to my assignments?
Invited Faculty: If you accepted a Faculty role for ESTS 2020, you will be contacted shortly to renew the acceptance of this role.
Abstract presenters: Your abstract will not automatically be transferred to the meeting in The Hague in June 2021. The abstract platform will open again in December 2020. There is no guarantee that the abstracts accepted for The Hague 2020 will be accepted for next year if re-submitted.
Submission to EJCTS: authors are encouraged to submit their work to the EJCTS at the earliest possibility.

I am an industry sponsor of the ESTS Annual Congress 2020, whom should I speak to about my booking?
For all industry queries related to exhibition, symposia and sponsorship bookings contact: Ms Asun Marzo amarzo@viajeseci.es

I am an exhibitor and/or sponsor--will my fees be refunded?
- The possibility of a virtual meeting in October 2020 is being explored and we hope that you will be willing to support a new and exciting format.
- We hope that you will commit to exhibiting and/or sponsoring the Congress on the new dates. If yes, then we will transfer your booth booking and/or sponsorship and guarantee the same conditions and place on the floor plan as had been confirmed for 2020.

If you decide to cancel your booth booking/sponsorship and let us know by 1 August 2020. If you do then decide to join the Congress in 2021, we will not be able to guarantee the same location on the floor plan and/or sponsorship package.

Please email amarzo@viajeseci.es with your decision by 1 August 2020.