The ABE Program Office is pleased to invite ABE Master Teacher Fellows for an in-person meeting in Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dates: 3-4 April 2025

Location: Amgen Cambridge/Boston, 360 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02141

Important Details:

• COMING SOON: Event agenda and participant informational packet
• Please read the ABE Travel Policy Guide. Travel and lodging costs are covered by the ABE Program Office. Travel arrangements will be made by the Program Office.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Find answers to your questions about RSVPing and booking travel, flights, hotel, visas, what to bring, meeting agenda & location, food & meals, and travel reimbursement.

Still have questions? Email abeinfo@edc.org. Note: we will be updating this with more information as we get closer to the meeting.

How do I RSVP?

Complete the Registration Form by February 1, 2025. Please indicate whether you will need a visa invitation letter.

What do I do if I can no longer attend the meeting?

Please email ABEInfo@edc.org to let us know you can no longer attend and we will follow up with next steps.

I need to change my booked flight. Who do I contact?

Please contact Gordian Travel International by emailing edc@gordiantvl.com directly to change a booked flight.  Note that you are responsible for paying for any travel changes after the flight is booked.

Can I request business class seats?

ABE will provide economy seats on flights the day before and the day after events. If you plan to extend your trip for personal reasons and/or prefer to upgrade your flight or select your seats, this will be at your own cost.

What hotel will we be staying at?

The hotel is the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Boston – Cambridge
Address: 400 Soldiers Field Rd, Boston, MA 02134

Phone: +1 (617) 783-0090

How far is the hotel from the meeting venue?

The hotel is about 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers from the meeting location. Shuttle services will be provided for travel to and from the hotel for meeting days.

Who is responsible for obtaining a visa?

You are! We will assist in any way that we can. Please start the visa process early to ensure that you obtain a visa in time to attend the meeting.

How do I request a visa invitation letter?

Please indicate if you need a visa invitation letter when completing your Registration Form. To request a visa invitation letter, email ABEInfo@edc.org. Please specify information that needs to be included in the letter.

NEW! For International Travelers: EDC Travel Advisory Release

All international travelers are required to sign a Travel Advisory Release form. EDC’s security department will contact all international travelers for signature. If you do not receive this document, please reach out to abeinfo@edc.org 

Do I need a credit card?

You are required to present a credit card when checking into any U.S. hotel. The hotel will put a hold on your card for incidental expenses (room service, laundry, etc.). If you don’t incur any incidental expenses during your stay, your card won’t be charged, and the hold will be removed.

To ensure that you can complete the check-in process at the hotel, please contact your bank before departure from your home country to make sure you can use one of your existing credit or debit cards for international travel. The bank will ask you to specify where in the U.S. you’ll be visiting and on which dates. Please obtain confirmation from your bank that your request has been granted and that the card can be used during your trip to California.

Participants wishing to withdraw money, rent a car, or use their credit/debit cards for any purpose should also contact their bank to make sure the card(s) can be used for international travel prior to their trip. If you do not have a credit card, please contact abeinfo@edc.org as soon as possible.

What is the dress code?

The dress code for the meeting is business casual. For lab activities, please bring close-toed shoes.

Do I need to bring a laptop?

We ask that all guests bring their personal laptops and power adapters, and that session presenters bring laptop projector adaptors. If you have questions about this, please reach out to ABEinfo@edc.org. 

Meeting Agenda & Location

Is there an agenda available?

COMING SOON

Where will we be meeting?

Amgen Boston/Cambridge

360 Binney Street 

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141 

USA

The meeting space is 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles from the hotel.

Will all meals be provided?

Many of them will! Breakfast is on your own. Coffee, tea, pastries and lunches will be provided at the meeting. Dinners will be on your own. See the Travel reimbursement section below for more information on what is reimbursable.

Are accommodations made for dietary restrictions?

We do our best to accommodate the dietary restrictions we’re aware of. Please complete the Registration Form to let us know of your dietary needs.

What is ABE’s reimbursement policy?

Flights:

ABE will provide economy seats on flights the day before and the day after events. If you plan to extend your trip for personal reasons and/or prefer to upgrade your flight or select your seats, this will be at your own cost. 

Lodging:

ABE will book and pay for your hotel room one day before the event, during the event, and one day after the event. You may arrange to stay for additional days; however, these hotel costs will not be covered by ABE, and you will need to arrange your own accommodation. In the event of canceled flights, please notify the ABE Program Office immediately. If you are in a location where you will need a hotel due to your cancelled flight, the Program Office will arrange a hotel booking for you. If you are not able to reach the Program Office, you may book a reasonably priced nearby hotel and submit for reimbursement.

Visa: 
ABE will reimburse you for visa application fees. Please provide a receipt.

Daily expenses:  

Reimbursable expenses: It is our policy to reimburse participants for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred while attending events for ABE. For example, you may submit the following for reimbursement: 

• Taxi and/or Uber fares to and from the airport.
• Taxes and tips within the incidental rate provided on the table below. 
• For any meals not provided by the hotel or at the meeting, you can request reimbursement at the following rates. Please plan on specifying the meal(s)—breakfast, lunch or dinner—and date of the meal for each request.  

Breakfast

First & Last Day of Travel: $17.25

All Other Meeting Days : $23.00

Lunch

First & Last Day of Travel: $19.50

All Other Meeting Days : $26.00

Dinner

First & Last Day of Travel: $28.50

All Other Meeting Days : $38.00

Incidentals

First & Last Day of Travel: $3.75

All Other Meeting Days : $5.00

Items that are not reimbursable:  

• Meal costs for meals that ABE provides (if you choose not to join that meal) or which exceed the daily per diem maximum
• Meal costs outside of travel times. For example, if you have a flight on Thursday evening, you may submit for reimbursement for Thursday lunch (depending on when you need to begin travel) and dinner, but not for Thursday morning’s breakfast
• Alcoholic beverages
• Leisure expenses incurred while in attendance (including travel to/from leisure activities)
• Personal costs including laundry, pet sitting, or dependent care
• Flight upgrades or seat selection
• Additional baggage (above 1 bag)