Important Conference Update
An update from the ALA Board of Directors
It is no longer viable to move forward with ALA’s 2020 Annual Conference & Expo as originally scheduled (May 3-6 in Salt Lake City). Although our hope was to find a way to hold a safe and successful event this year, after evaluating availability, we were unable to find a viable 2020 date.
This is not the ideal outcome; however given the uncertainty and fluidity of the current situation, we feel that the best service to our membership is to begin looking forward to celebrating ALA’s 50th anniversary and building out a vibrant 2021 Annual Conference & Expo, which will be held April 25-28 at Chicago’s Navy Pier.
So what happens next?
We have worked with our Annual Conference planning partners to outline options for our registered attendees and exhibiting business partners. We feel they provide a course of action that can best meet your needs today or help you plan ahead for 2021.
REGISTERED ATTENDEES
Option 1: All existing conference registrations will be automatically transferred to the 2021 conference dates. These registrations will also receive free access to an online educational experience highlighting numerous AC20 speakers and sessions. This virtual experience is expected to be scheduled this summer, and other details will be shared with you as soon as they are available.
Option 2: You may transfer your (now 2021) Annual Conference registration to a colleague within your organization or chapter (see substitution details in our FAQs ).
Option 3: Submit a cancellation request for a full refund in writing to [email protected].
EXHIBITORS AND SPONSORS
A member of our sponsorship team will be in touch to recontract all exhibits and sponsorships for the 2021 Annual Conference & Expo. The options available will be to transfer your spend to the 2021 conference or receive a full refund. Please stay tuned for details.
Also, any services ordered through GES i.e. furniture, carpet, electrical, labor, etc. will get a 100% refund. If anything was ordered through the convention center i.e. catering or internet, those will get a 100% refund as well.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
For hotel bookings, reservations made directly into the “ALA block” via OnPeak at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center, the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown or the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake will automatically be canceled and fully refunded.
If you have any immediate questions about Annual Conference, visit our FAQs or email [email protected].
If you have any other questions, please email [email protected].
We know that this will create significant gaps in our members’ personal and professional development plans. That only deepens our commitment to be here each and every day as a critical and dependable resource for every legal leader and manager. Your ALA team’s focus is now on developing and delivering timely, accessible content that members and the legal community urgently need to navigate the challenges immediately in front of them and their business.
We are relentlessly pursuing new opportunities for delivering the continuing education and certification credits typically received at Annual Conference, including an online education experience highlighting sessions originally planned for Salt Lake City. In addition, we are developing new channels to offer networking and engagement with peers, business partners and subject matter experts, as well as repositories for resources and best practices.
We recognize that delivering this emerging content as quickly as possible is vital, but we will always take the steps necessary to meet our members’ high standards before it is deployed. We have already created and delivered fresh content geared toward handling the pandemic as a legal management professional, so please be sure to explore:
If you are looking for specific information and resources, you can reach us at 847-267-1252 or [email protected] and we will make sure you get the assistance you need.
While no one yet knows what is to come as we look ahead to ALA’s fall events or even to 2021 and ALA’s 50th anniversary, we are confident that we will be here to support you and your legal management needs every step of the way. We also thank you for your patience as we worked through some of these difficult decisions, keeping the best interests of our stakeholders, as well as the long-term viability of our Association, in mind. Thank you for being by our sides and for making ALA the truly awesome community that it is!
Sincerely,
April L. Campbell, JD
ALA Interim Executive Director