2020 Annual Conference & Expo Postponed
Under the circumstances, the ALA Board of Directors has made the decision that it is no longer viable to move forward with ALA’s 2020 Annual Conference & Expo as originally scheduled. In our hearts we had hoped to find a path through these uncharted times to a safe and successful event, but postponement of the event is unavoidable at this time. In the meantime, we’ll continue to recalibrate and analyze various models related to our contracts, terms and conditions in order to come to a timely and informed decision that allows for a level of confidence in protecting the long-term financial health of the Association.
With this decision to postpone, I know that you may have questions about next steps and how this impacts you and your organization. Our immediate focus is to reach a decision on finding a date for postponement in 2020, and we are considering several possible 2020 dates. If we are unable to find a 2020 date, we may need to postpone until 2021. We remain committed to having that decision made no later than the week of March 30, if possible.
In addition to the timing of our event, we know there are a number of issues that require resolution, including but certainly not limited to:
- How this will impact our refund policy for attendees and exhibiting business partners
- How to handle existing registrations and hotel reservations
- How speaker availability will affect the line-up of education sessions
- Whether there will be virtual options for those who can no longer attend on a rescheduled date
Please know we are working to address these and numerous other variables in order to create a comprehensive and effective plan. We truly appreciate your patience as we pivot direction for our Annual Conference and work through all these considerations.
If you have any immediate questions about Annual Conference, please email [email protected]. If you have any other questions, please email [email protected].
One last reminder — if you or anyone in the legal management community are looking for information on how to prepare for and manage this fluid situation, please check out the following:
Thank you for being such an integral part of the ALA community and for making ALA the amazing and invaluable network and resource that it is. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding in these tumultuous times.
Sincerely,
April L. Campbell, JD
ALA Interim Executive Director