This week, NMAC welcomes 1,000+ attendees, including the recently-appointed White House AIDS Czar, Francisco Ruiz, to the 2024 Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit. The Summit was created as our direct response to improving PrEP education and capacity-building for the HIV workforce, and is the largest training event for HIV PrEP case managers. Since 2016, we’ve educated thousands working on the frontlines to bring the promise of biomedical HIV prevention to communities in need.

The timing of this year’s Summit is critical because HIV PrEP is under unprecedented attack via the 5th circuit. So, our movement needs to unite in the fight against the HIVphobia, transphobia, homophobia, racism, and sexism that undermines our work to end the HIV epidemic in America among communities of color.

Summit Resources

* To get all the latest information, download the Guidebook app and search for 2024 biomedicalhivsummit

* The Summit program book is online and free for everyone.

The Summit brings together some of our greatest minds in current federal HIV programming. The Closing Plenary on Saturday, April 20th will be moderated by the newly-appointed Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), Francisco Ruiz. He will be joined by Dr. Robyn Neblett Fanfair (CDC), Dr. Pamela Klein (HRSA), and NMAC’s new Deputy Director of Programs (and former ONAP Director) Harold Phillips. Each of them will share their nuanced visions for bringing the science of HIV PrEP and U=U to all the communities impacted by HIV. Unfortunately, too many are missed, especially gay men of color, Black women, and the transgender community.

Getting Around Seattle, WA

I grew up in Seattle! It is beautiful, but expensive. A taxi or Uber from the airport to downtown costs over $50. A cheaper alternative is the light rail that goes from the airport to Westlake station (hotel is 0.2 miles away). It costs $2-$4 and takes 36 minutes.

Meetings costs after COVID have significantly risen. NMAC needed to make cuts in event offerings or significantly increasing registration fees. So, we chose the former to continue making the conference affordable. We are excluding breakfasts, which saves nearly $150,000 in conference expenses, but we will have coffee available. We have made sure to serve lunch on both days. A fun and cheaper breakfast option alternative is to walk 13 minutes or 0.5 miles to the Original Starbucks located in the famous Pike Place Market. The Market has several other affordable meal options and city sights!

Meet The Conferences Team

Danny K. Linden, Conferences Director

Alison McKeithen, Assistant Director of Conferences

Shanta’ Gray, Associate Manager of Conferences

Diane Ferguson, Conferences Coordinator

The Summit is bringing together so many known faces who have stepped into new roles! Should you need anything, reach out to our amazing NMAC conference team. You may notice another familiar face: Danny Linden returned to NMAC after 30 years as to be the new Director of Conferences because Tara Barnes-Darby was promoted to Deputy Director of Operations. Danny worked in conferences at NMAC back in the 90’s. Recently, he was the Director of Conferences for the National LGBTQ Task Force. Should you need anything, reach out to our amazing NMAC conference team who have worked tirelessly to bring you this incredible event.

After COVID, meeting costs have significantly increased. Without our donors’ support, NMAC could not convene the meeting. Thanks to PrEP in Black America for hosting a pre-summit. It will be an interactive discussion about changing the way HIV prevention research is conducted to have the best overall outcomes for Black communities.

Watching the next generation take over in the White House and former employees return to NMAC is my great honor and privilege. My generation did not think we had a future, yet here I am watching it grow. There are big storms ahead and we can only weather them together. See you in Seattle!

Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata