A guide to RSNA 2020 registration categories and fees
RSNA 2020 was scheduled for 29 November through 4 December 2020 as the Radiological Society of North America’s annual scientific assembly in Chicago. The meeting was designed for radiologists, researchers, technologists, residents, fellows, exhibitors, and healthcare teams seeking education, networking, and access to the latest imaging research.
The event ultimately moved to a fully virtual format because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That change affected the practical meaning of registration: attendees no longer needed a convention-center badge, Chicago accommodation, or local transport to participate in the scientific programme. However, understanding the original registration structure remains useful for anyone reviewing the meeting, its archived materials, or its related hotel and group-registration information.
Fees depended on professional status, RSNA membership, and whether someone registered as an individual or as part of an organized group. The published registration portal was the final authority for eligibility and payment details, particularly because the 2020 event format changed during the planning cycle.
How the 2020 meeting format affected registration
RSNA 2020 was promoted as a Chicago meeting before the health emergency changed its delivery. Early planning therefore involved venue access, hotel room blocks, travel arrangements, and registration services for individuals and delegations. Once the annual meeting became virtual, registration focused on access to online presentations, educational sessions, exhibits, and meeting content.
This distinction is important when reviewing historical fees. A charge that might normally support an in-person badge, printed materials, venue services, or on-site attendance could be revised for a digital programme. Hotel reservations and meeting registration were separate transactions, so cancelling or changing a room booking did not automatically change a registrant’s status.
Attendees who had planned to travel could also review transportation options such as shuttles, rideshares, and trains. Those details were most relevant to the original Chicago format rather than the final virtual experience.
Main registration categories
The central category was the RSNA member registration. Active members generally received the most favorable rate, reflecting the benefits included with annual society membership. Members should have had their RSNA identification or account credentials available before beginning registration because the system could use those details to confirm eligibility.
Nonmember registration was intended for qualified professionals who wanted to attend without holding current RSNA membership. This category typically carried a higher fee than member registration. Physicians, scientists, administrators, and industry professionals should have checked whether their occupation affected the available rate or required supporting information.
Residents, fellows, and other trainees were usually offered a reduced registration option. Eligibility could depend on current training status and, in some cases, verification from a programme director or institution. Students, technologists, and allied health professionals may also have had dedicated categories or reduced pricing, depending on the registration form in use.
Understanding the fee structure
The fee schedule for RSNA 2020 should be read alongside the event’s format announcement. Early rates, regular rates, and late rates may have applied at different points in the registration window, while member and nonmember prices could differ substantially. A discounted trainee fee did not necessarily apply automatically; the registrant still needed to select the correct category and meet its requirements.
The following summary describes the principal groups that prospective attendees would typically review. It is a guide to the registration framework, not a substitute for the archived RSNA payment page or an individual registration receipt.
| Registration category | Typical eligibility | Fee considerations |
|---|---|---|
| RSNA member | Current society member | Usually the lowest professional rate or a member-specific virtual rate |
| Nonmember professional | Qualified attendee without RSNA membership | Generally higher than the member price |
| Resident or fellow | Doctor in accredited postgraduate training | Discounted rate, often subject to verification |
| Student | Eligible student in a relevant programme | May require proof of enrollment |
| Technologist or allied professional | Imaging, clinical, or healthcare professional | Category and price depended on the registration portal |
| Group or delegation | Team registering through an organizer | Pricing and access could be managed separately from individual bookings |
Because RSNA 2020 transitioned from an in-person plan to a digital meeting, published amounts may appear different across archived pages, emails, and booking records. Anyone reconciling expenses should use the amount actually charged, including any service fees, taxes, refunds, or credits shown on the receipt.
What registration usually included
An annual meeting registration generally provided access to the scientific assembly and its educational programme. Depending on the final virtual package, this could include live sessions, on-demand recordings, research presentations, digital exhibits, professional education, and online networking features. Access periods and replay availability were determined by the event’s operating rules.
Registration did not necessarily include accommodation, airfare, meals, or local transportation. In the original Chicago plan, attendees would have arranged rooms through the official hotel service or another booking channel. Group coordinators often needed to manage room blocks separately from the individual attendee list, especially when bringing a radiology department, university team, or hospital delegation.
The separation between meeting access and lodging also mattered for cancellations. A registrant might retain a meeting account while changing a hotel reservation, or receive a hotel refund without receiving an equivalent registration refund. Reviewing both confirmation documents helped prevent duplicate charges and missed cancellation deadlines.
Individual attendance and group registration
Individual registration was the simplest option for a single radiologist, trainee, researcher, or technologist. The attendee selected a professional category, entered contact details, confirmed membership or training status, and completed payment or any required authorization. Institutions sometimes paid on behalf of individuals, but the attendee still needed a personal registration record.
Group registration was more practical for hospitals, universities, imaging practices, and industry delegations. A coordinator could collect names, assign categories, monitor payment status, and coordinate hotel requirements. Groups should have identified one responsible administrator and maintained a separate record of registration confirmations, rooming information, and cancellation dates.
For a virtual meeting, a group booking did not create a shared physical room or convention badge. Each participant still needed the correct individual access credentials. Coordinators should therefore have checked whether the platform allowed transfers, substitutions, or centralized payment before submitting a large roster.
Practical checks before registering
- Confirm whether the attendee is an RSNA member, nonmember, trainee, student, technologist, or another eligible professional.
- Verify the event format and the access period included with the selected registration.
- Keep documentation for residency, fellowship, student status, or institutional affiliation if a reduced fee requires proof.
- Separate meeting registration costs from hotel, transportation, meals, and group administration expenses.
- Save the confirmation email, receipt, cancellation policy, and any revised instructions issued after the move to a virtual format.
A careful review of the registration category could prevent overpayment and make group administration easier. For historical records, the final confirmation and transaction receipt remain more reliable than an early promotional page, especially where the 2020 meeting’s transition changed the original Chicago arrangements.
If you are reviewing RSNA 2020 participation, organizing archived expenses, or comparing individual and delegation records, use the appropriate registration category as the starting point and match it against the final payment documentation. This approach keeps the meeting fee, hotel booking, and event-access details clearly separated.