One-hundred ninety-four sessions were organized along five tracks: basic science; clinical science; epidemiology and prevention science; social sci- ence, human rights, and political science; and implementation, health systems, and econom- ics. There were big-name speeches — including opening-session remarks from World Bank Presi- dent Jim Yong Kim, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and, appear- ing remotely, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; keynote addresses by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sir Elton John, and former First Lady Laura Bush; symposium presenta- tions by Sen. John Kerry, Bill Gates, and Whoopi Goldberg; and closing-session remarks from U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and former President Bill Clinton. There was a 111,000-square-foot exhibit hall

with 220 exhibitors and thousands of posters — with hundreds more posters displayed in hallways and rooms throughout the convention center, for a total of 3,844. A 128,000-square-foot Global Vil- lage, free and open to the general public, offered hundreds of education, cultural, advocacy, and networking programs, plus 116 nongovernmental and marketplace booths. At the Positive Lounge — a private, elegantly decorated suite of meeting rooms — HIV-positive attendees could store their medication, have something to eat, and relax and refresh themselves. More than 90 affiliated meetings, workshops,

and other events took place throughout the city, from a performance of Larry Kramer’s play “The Normal Heart” at Arena Stage, to the 2012 Gay Men’s Health Summit at George Washington University, to a session for the Global Health Service Partnership at Peace Corps headquarters, to a display of segments of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall. And 75-plus confer- ence hubs around the world presented broadcasts from AIDS 2012 along with original on-site pro- gramming; they included a hub for sex workers in Chennai, India, and one for intravenous drug users in Kiev, Ukraine. Then, inside and outside the convention cen-

ter, there were the protests and performances — ridiculing politicians, questioning pharmaceu- tical funding, and, especially this year, demand- ing that sex workers and drug users also be included under the conference’s umbrella, even though the lifting of the U.S. ban on HIV-positive visitors doesn’t apply to them. The protesters

58 PCMA CONVENE SEPTEMBER 2012 PCMA.ORG

Basic Training HIV is a sensitive issue — politically, culturally, and personally — and Washington, D.C.’s meetings and hospitality community was well aware of that when it committed to hosting the 19th International AIDS Conference. At every level, training for the industry professionals who would be working with and waiting on attendees and other participants throughout the city was a priority.

The local secretariat for AIDS 2012, headed up by Tiffany Gilliard, distributed a series of English- and Spanish-language documents in June and July to every hotel and restaurant in the city, as well as to staff at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. In June, the materials included frequently asked questions about “HIV/AIDS at Work and in Our Lives,” “Top 5 Things You Need to Know When Talking With Kids About HIV/ AIDS,” and information about National HIV Testing Day, which was June 27. In July, more basic information about HIV/AIDS and the conference was disseminated, along with five hypothetical scenarios that shift managers were encouraged to go through with their staff each day for a week.

“There will be 20,000 delegates from 200 countries visiting DC,” the AIDS 2012 ofice wrote when it sent out the July documents. “Many will be living with HIV — helping employees understand the basics about HIV is vital to their ability to service all guests.”

Events DC, which runs the convention center, presented mandatory training for all of its employees, culminating in an all-staff meeting the week before the conference opened. “I don’t like to refer to this as sensitivity training,” said James Smith, assistant director of convention management for Events DC, “but I think most people understand if you use that term.

“All of the attendees aren’t [HIV-]positive and haven’t developed AIDS, but they’re all sensitive to terminology. You don’t ‘get’ AIDS. You don’t ‘catch’ AIDS. You have the HIV virus that then weakens your immune system and takes you into AIDS. It’s that kind of conversation that you have with your staff. Something as basic as a word choice could make the difference with someone feeling comfortable or not feeling comfortable.”

LEVI STRAUSS AND CO. IS AN OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF AIDS 2012: XIX INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE

HIV/AIDS AT WORK

AND IN OUR LIVES WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

During the week of July 22, you will service and meet people who have dedicated their lives to fighting the global epidemic, including people living with HIV. We want to ensure you can help your team know the facts.

Instructions The following activity can be used as an engagement activity delivered in shifts by managers, or an informational document posted in break rooms. If using this material as an activity for shift teams, managers should: • Ask each shift team one question per day. • Ask the same question to each shift that day. • Refer employees to resources from DC Department of Health and other fact sheets in this package.

• Continue activity for 5 days. Or, if providing this material as a reference, post this package in your break room or on your intranet.

How do I find out more about HIV/AIDS resources, testing, treatment and care? I don’t want anyone else to know I’m asking.

Visit www.aids.gov or www.doh.dc.gov/hahsta or www.hivtest.org. Call the D.C. Department of Health at (202) 671-4900 or 311.

LEVI STRAUSS AND CO. IS AN OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF AIDS 2012: XIX INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE

AT WORK NOW?

WHY ARE WE BRINGING UP HIV/AIDS

• In Washington, D.C. over 3% of residents are living with HIV/AIDS, a rate higher than the World Health Organization’s definition of an epidemic.

• In the U.S., nearly 50,000 people are newly infected with HIV each year. • Every day, more than 7,000 people around the world will be newly infected with HIV and join the 34 million already living with this disease.

This July, Washington, D.C. will host the world’s largest conference on HIV/AIDS. More than 20,000 people from around the world will be in town to discuss how we can begin to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

During the week of July 22, you will service and meet people who have dedicated their lives to fighting the global epidemic, including people living with HIV. We want to ensure you know the facts.

How Can You Help Turn The Tide On HIV?

• Learn the facts • Get tested and know your status • Stop the stigma

Get Answers to Your Questions Learn More about Free HIV Testing Sites D.C. Department of Health Visit www.doh.dc.gov/hahsta or www.hivtest.org Call (202) 671-4900 or 311

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