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Hello from the 2026 Annual Meeting co‑chairs, Emily Burger and Torbjørn Wisløff. In this
quarter’s newsletter, we wanted to share some of our approaches to getting a head start on
designing the content for the 2026 Annual Meeting in Oslo. In addition to the standard
program, the Program Committee—together with several dedicated SMDM member
volunteer ambassadors—has curated a set of symposia, panels, and debates. These sessions
allow us to showcase the kinds of high‑quality, distinctive formats that SMDM is known for,
especially in regions where the Society may be less familiar and where strong examples help
convey who we are. These curated sessions serve as a form of early outreach and visibility,
helping us introduce SMDM’s mission and style to new audiences before the Call for
Abstracts closes. You have already seen a few examples of highlighted sessions in Society emails.
We also wanted to take a moment to describe the thoughtful approach we’re taking with
industry funding this year. As co‑chairs, we have been working closely with SMDM’s
Development Committee, to take a careful approach to inviting industry support for up to two
symposia sessions at the Oslo Meeting (distinct from the aforementioned sessions above).
Potential supporters were invited to propose broad topics, which were thoroughly reviewed
and approved by the Program and Development Committees and presented to the Board.
After that point, a strict firewall was implemented to ensure that industry did not play a role
in shaping the session content, selecting speakers or panelists, or influencing any scientific
content. This process reflects the Society’s longstanding commitment to scientific integrity
while thoughtfully exploring a structured, transparent way to involve industry, a key
stakeholder in using the tools of decision science, without compromising our Society’s core
values. We will closely review this approach after the meeting and evaluate whether it should
be continued, refined, or expanded in future years. We are genuinely excited for these two
sessions—the content is being developed and the speakers identified. We look forward
joining you at these important sessions in Oslo.
And now, a quick—and slightly lighter—note on logistics. Many of you have noticed that the
hotels are a little way away from the University of Oslo campus (see the SMDM map). That’s
true: all of our suggested hotels are in the city center, close to the social events, networking
dinners, and even the King (well…his palace at least). They’re all about 2 miles from
campus. Our preferred hotel, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia (~$185 per night), has a tram stop right outside the front door of the hotel, and it will whisk you up to campus in about 15
minutes. Plus, it offers a pool, and a truly Scandinavian breakfast buffet, complete with
smoked salmon, warm rye bread, waffles, cheeses, yogurt, bacon, eggs, berries, and—of
course—endless coffee. We highly encourage staying here and making your way to the
university in an easy, environmentally friendly way. The other suggested hotels are also
located downtown, and several of them are closely clustered. Two of these are Thon hotels,
where we have arranged a 12% discount for conference participants.
Looking forward to seeing you in Oslo!
Sincerely,
Emily and Torbjørn
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