Guidelines for Industry Participation in ILAE International and Regional Congresses.
The aim of these guidelines is to ensure a long-term, consistent definition of standards for Industry participation and the regulation of commercial interests at ILAE Congresses and Regional Congresses. These guidelines set out a framework for commercial sponsors’ long-term involvement in, and financial support of, ILAE congresses. They also reflect the mutual commitment of ILAE and Industry to a congress of which the main objective is high scientific content within an acceptable cost structure. As a general policy, it is anticipated that any company that is associated with a congress will show good citizenship and will comply with and abide by these guidelines.

Please note that these guidelines are currently being reviewed by ILAE’s Resource & Mobilization Task Force so a newer version of these guidelines will be available in the second half of 2025.

ILAE invites industry sponsors to participate in their international or regional congresses. Epilepsy Congresses are planned and supervised by ILAE structures and developed by a selected SOC, with the assistance of the Congress Secretariat. (In some world regions ILAE congresses may be organised separately.)

Venue and date: Congress venue and date are determined by ILAE, with prior evaluation of all logistics and cost-effectiveness aspects. The selection of congress venue and dates by ILAE will be made taking account of all the conflict of interest policies concerned (ILAE, host country, sponsors’ countries) where possible. ILAE retains the right to modify the preselected venue and dates in unforeseen circumstances.

Industry-sponsored activities: ILAE congresses generally last for 3 to 5 days, allowing space and time for sponsored activities, mainly satellite symposia and exhibition booth activities.

The congress programme is usually composed of plenary sessions, discussion groups, seminars, keynote lectures, symposia, poster and oral communications. It also includes teaching sessions (in collaboration with ILAE educational structures). This scientific and educational content is under the sole responsibility of the SOC.

Sponsored activities may be planned together with the industry partner, and integrated in the scientific programme, following the recommendations included in this document.

As a general principle, the sponsored activities should not overlap or conflict with other scientific, educational or social sessions. Reciprocally congress schedules will be planned, in as far as possible, in such a way as to have satellite symposium timeslots unopposed by other congress sessions.

Conflict of interest policies and other codes of conduct: This industry participation in epilepsy congresses must comply at all stages with the ILAE policy on Conflict of Interest. The regulations specific to the host country of the congress, as well as the codes of conduct or standards of procedures of the industry partners and their concerned affiliates, should be taken into account at the early stages of the congress planning. All the conflict of interest policies concerned (ILAE, host country, sponsors’ countries) will be taken into account in the planning stages.

This document provides guidance and recommendations on the following issues of the sponsorship process

2: CONGRESS SPONSORSHIP PROSPECTUS

2.1 The Congress Secretariat will provide a formal sponsorship document (the prospectus) approximately 12 months in advance of a congress to potential sponsors of a congress. This document should include:

• A statement of the objectives of the congress (scientific and educational)
• The demographics of previous events
• Expected attendance at the specific congress
• Itemised costs relating to satellite symposia, exhibition space and any other support opportunities
• The pre-payment and cancellation policies that apply to sponsoring companies for satellite symposia slots, exhibition space and any other sponsorship items

2.2 All costs should be based in either Euro or US Dollars. All agreements should be covered by legally binding contracts.

3: SPONSORED SATELLITE SYMPOSIA

ILAE encourage industry to propose sponsored satellite symposia, as educational and scientific sessions within the congress programme. CME credits may be attributed for attending these events.

3.1 Manuals containing full rules and regulations for satellite symposia and other sponsored sessions will be made available at least three months before the congress begins, and these must be complied with. Any industry sponsor that does not comply with the rules and regulations will not be permitted to continue with their sponsored events and will not be refunded for the sponsorship fee.

3.2 Industry sponsors may distribute promotional materials concerning their satellite symposia and are entitled to use the name and logo of the congress in these materials, which must be approved of in writing in advance by the congress organisers. The use of congress name and logo on promotional material should be used only to indicate that the symposium will be held within the particular congress and should in no way be seen as an endorsement of the sponsor’s product.

3.3 Congress programme schedules will be planned, in as far as possible, in such a way as to have satellite symposium timeslots unopposed by other congress sessions.

3.4 The international congress schedule should allow a minimum of sixty minutes’ running time, and the regional congress schedules should allow a minimum of 30 minutes’ running time for satellite symposia. The congress organisers will endeavour to provide additional preparation time.

3.5 Abstracts from satellite symposia may be included in the main abstract publication of a congress, subject to the approval of the SOC. It will be the sponsoring company’s responsibility to comply with all local call-for-abstracts deadlines.

3.6 An industry sponsor may design a satellite symposium to provide information about a specific product or device. However, satellite symposia must adhere to all the guidelines in this document, and must devote no more than 30% of the content (or of the satellite symposium’s duration) to product related material and adherence with this rule shall be overseen and enforced by the satellite symposium chair and presenters. Satellite symposium content must be free of commercial bias for or against any product. All the conflict of interest policies concerned (ILAE, host country, sponsor’s country) must be respected. It is the responsibility of each sponsor to ensure that they comply with all regulations and restrictions.

3.7 Any information concerned with commercial products must be objective, well-balanced, and based on scientific standards generally accepted in the medical community. The content of slides and reference materials must remain the ultimate responsibility of the satellite symposium chair and presenter. All the individuals in this responsibility chain must provide a disclosure form for any relevant conflict of interest, according to the ILAE policy on Conflict of Interest.

3.8 To ensure the scientific credibility of satellite symposia, and to avoid overlap or conflict between satellite symposia or between satellite symposia and the academic programme, satellite symposium titles, programmes, presenters and topics must be approved by the scientific committee of the congress in writing in advance. Sponsors of satellite symposia are encouraged to make contact with the SOC as early as possible in the development of the programme, for guidance on the direction, theme and speakers of their satellite symposia and for advice in ensuring that the preferred satellite symposium programme does not coincide with that of another satellite symposium or congress session.

3.9 The speakers in a satellite symposium may be chosen and proposed to the SOC by the sponsor. However, there are specific rules stipulated by ILAE that must be taken into account and may influence this choice. The number of satellite symposia in which the same speaker/chair may participate is limited. The current limitation is two appearances: twice as speaker or twice as chair or once as speaker and once as chair. This is considered as separate to speakers’ appearances within the rest of the congress programme. ILAE Executive Committee members speaking at sponsored sessions are bound by the Conflict of Interest and disclosure documents.

3.10 The sponsor of a satellite symposium should cover the congress registration fees and travel and accommodation costs for the chair and speakers of their satellite symposium.

3.11 Since being an invited speaker or chair in a satellite symposium may entail personal financial benefits, members of the ILAE leadership, as well as SOC members who may have an influence on the congress programme, must comply with the internal policies of the ILAE Conflict of Interest and disclosure.

3.12 An industry sponsor may insert one digital file on its satellite symposium in the virtual congress bag and may display posters advertising its satellite symposium on-site at a congress in the allocated areas and at the allocated time. An industry sponsor may avail of the opportunity to have electronic notification of its satellite symposium sent to all registered participants in advance of a congress and may have a web-link from the congress website to this invitation. Any such promotional material must be approved of in writing in advance by the congress organisers.

3.13 Other commercial promotional materials may be displayed or distributed in designated areas with the prior written approval of the congress organisers.

3.14 Satellite symposia are subject to evaluation by the organisers and by the attendees. All evaluations, including attendances figures, will be transmitted to the sponsor.

4: OTHER INDUSTRY-SPONSORED ACTIVITIES

4.1 Industry-sponsored poster sessions will be permitted only when the sponsorship of the session is clearly noted in the title of the session. These sessions will be located in a clearly identifiable area, either an ‘Industry Sponsored’ section of the poster area or a separate room. Posters to be included in industry-sponsored poster sessions, whose abstracts have not already been reviewed and approved as congress abstracts, must be submitted for review and approval by the congress scientific committee in advance of a congress. Abstracts of industry-sponsored poster sessions will not appear in the on-line or paper supplements of the official congress publication, such as Epilepsia. Commercial promotional materials may be displayed or distributed in designated areas, with the prior written approval of the congress organisers.

4.2 The satellite symposium rules will form the basis of the rules governing other sponsored activities like therapeutic updates, workshops, etc. However, such activities will be treated on a case-by-case basis by the congress organisers.

4.3 Awarding of prizes (poster or platform presentations), or sponsorship of a themed group of posters, may be considered as an opportunity for industry sponsorship, subject to written approval by the congress organisers.

4.4 Industry sponsors may only organise any event, including, but not limited to, any press conference, off-site meeting, scientific session, product launch, etc., during a congress with the prior written approval of the congress organisers and should provide the congress organisers with the dates and details of any events that it is planning to hold during a congress. Such events should not conflict with any part of the congress programme or ILAE educational activities.

4.5 Requests for off-site sponsored sessions or meetings will be dealt with on an ad hoc basis by the organising/scientific committee(s) of a congress with the Congress Secretariat. Such events should respect the rules and regulations and conflict of interest policies of ILAE, the host country and the sponsor’s country, as well as those of any other regulatory body or industry association in the host country and the sponsor’s country, such as EFPIA, EUCOMED and IPCAA. Furthermore, it is expected that a company wishing to organise an off-site sponsored session or meeting should be a major sponsor of the congress and would usually organise a satellite symposium within the congress programme.

Activities such as advisory board meetings, faculty dinners, etc. are not considered “off-site sponsored meetings” and therefore will be excluded from this approval process. All other off-site events sponsored by industry should be labelled “closed” events and be exclusively reserved for those delegates invited by the company to attend the congress.

5: EXHIBITION

5.1 The Exhibition hall or area is an integral part of the congress, offering exhibitors the opportunity to share information with meeting attendees. The area allocated to exhibition should be in a location with convenient access to and from the main congress areas. The exhibition hall or area should however be clearly indicated as such and separate from the scientific session areas.

5.2 Exhibitors should comply with the local congress centre guidelines in terms of materials delivery and construction times. However, a minimum build-up period will be allowed, which will be specified per congress, with access for loading and unloading. Floor plans and exhibitors’ manuals will be accurate and made available at least three months before the congress begins.

5.3 The exhibitors’ manual will contain full rules and regulations for exhibiting companies and these must be complied with. Any exhibitor or exhibition booth that does not comply with the rules and regulations will not be permitted to continue exhibiting and will not be refunded for the exhibition fee.

5.4 Material displayed on exhibition booths, whether pharmaceutical information, equipment, or items for free distribution, should comply with the international codes of practice and regulations of the host country. It is the responsibility of each exhibitor to ensure that they comply with all regulations and restrictions.

5.5 Space allocated to exhibition use will be provided with adequate firefighting facilities, emergency exits and corridors between the exhibits to allow rapid evacuation.

5.6 The congress organisers will endeavour to provide storage space close to the exhibition area. The amount of space provided will be determined by the area available within the congress facility. In the case that extra storage space is required, the costs will be borne by the exhibitor.

5.7 The congress organisers will ensure that all exhibitors are aware of conditions requiring them to show due consideration to other exhibitors for the duration of the exhibition regarding sound projection and any other activities, which may affect other booth operators.

5.8 All exhibitors must display an official exhibitor badge or delegate badge at all times during the congress. As access to the exhibition area is restricted, all booth builders are required to wear booth constructor badges during set up and dismantling.

5.9 Persons, exhibitors, companies, or organisations may not display or demonstrate products, processes or services; solicit orders; or distribute advertising materials anywhere in the venue (outside of the Exhibition Hall) or in any hotel contracted by the congress organisers.

6: COMMUNICATIONS & USE OF ILAE BRANDS AND LOGOS

6.1 Only the ILAE may authorise an industry sponsor to disseminate information about an ILAE activity to the medical community. The content of such information is the responsibility of the ILAE, and any such information must identify the activity as produced by the ILAE or their designated organiser.

6.2 Industry sponsors may use the ILAE logo(s) on communications to the medical community about an ILAE-related academic activity, only with written permission from ILAE.

6.3 Industry sponsors may use the congress logo on communications to the medical community about a congress-related academic activity, only with written permission from the congress organisers.

 7: ENDURING MATERIALS

7.1 ILAE is responsible for the quality and content of any enduring materials of a congress, including printed material, digital media and other audio and visual materials intended for distribution as a result of the congress. As such, the creation of such materials is at the discretion of ILAE. An exception to this rule is made for satellite symposium materials, which remain under the responsibility and ownership of the sponsor of the satellite symposium.

8: CATERING

8.1 All the conflict of interest policies concerned (ILAE, host country, sponsor’s country) must be respected regarding food and beverages being offered by exhibitors and/or sponsors. It is the responsibility of each exhibitor and /or sponsor to ensure that they comply with all regulations and restrictions.

8.2 Events (including those organised by commercial sponsors) should not compete with, nor take precedence over, the academic and satellite sessions of the congress. Industry sponsors may not organise any event, including but not limited to company dinners, receptions, etc., during a congress that conflicts with any part of the social or scientific programme and should provide the congress organisers with the dates and details of any events that they are planning to hold during a congress.

9: ADVERTISING & USE OF BRAND NAMES

9.1 Brand names may be used by an industry sponsor on specific occasions, namely: at its exhibition booth and in advertisements in the announcements and final programme book. Permission will be given in writing. All the above are subject to compliance with the regulations of ILAE, the host country and the sponsor’s country.

9.2 All advertisements and/or advertising or promotional material, both printed and electronic, which is circulated to delegates via the congress secretariat and/or in congress publications, must be approved of in writing in advance by the congress organisers.

10: SUPPORT FOR DELEGATE PARTICIPATION

Industry sponsors may be willing to financially support the participation of delegates to the congress. ILAE welcome any such initiative that assists with the dissemination of knowledge about epilepsy. This support may enable some delegates, for whom it would be otherwise impossible, to attend a congress, and it complements the bursary programmes organised by ILAE for some of its congresses. In situational cases, all the conflict of interest policies concerned (ILAE, host country, delegate’s country) must be respected. It is the responsibility of each sponsor to ensure that they comply with all regulations and restrictions.

11: SPONSORSHIP ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

11.1 Sponsorship is acknowledged in all digital platforms, any printed materials and on the congress website.

11.2 Industry sponsors are encouraged to display a list of past and present support for ILAE activities at their booths in the exhibition hall.

12: EVALUATION OF SPONSORED ACTIVITIES OUTCOME

The following evaluation information will be communicated to each sponsor after a congress:

• Attendance at satellite symposia and at the congress, impressions of the exhibition hall, etc.
• Evaluation of the satellite symposia content by delegates and SOC