Date: 27 April 2020
Dear Colleagues,
Our thoughts go out to the people who have been affected by the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. We appreciate greatly the healthcare professionals, communities, and governments from around the world who are working to contain this novel coronavirus. The conference organizers and ISPAH have been carefully reviewing the conditions daily related to the spread of COVID-19 and the implications for our upcoming Congress. We have met recently with public health agencies and authorities and the Vancouver Convention Centre. We have also received considerable feedback from potential international delegates and speakers.
Based on this feedback, the local organizing committee and the ISPAH board of directors have made the difficult decision to postpone the 8th ISPAH Congress until October 12-14, 2021 in Vancouver, BC. Through our discussions, it became apparent that several factors would limit our ability to host a Congress in October 2020. This includes issues such as the potential for a second or third wave of the COVID outbreak in the fall of 2020, the inability for delegates to travel (or book travel) for the Congress, and the potential for the Vancouver Convention Centre to be continued to be used as a medical facility. Most importantly, we made this decision to ensure the health and safety of our members and all delegates.
We apologize for the inconvenience that this may cause in your plans for attending the Congress. It is our hope to continue building upon our symposia and program outline. This will include providing additional opportunities for abstract submissions and revised deadlines leading up to the 2021 Congress. This information will be updated shortly on our Congress website (www.ispah2020.com).
Abstracts, symposia, and workshops that have already been submitted will not need to be resubmitted for 2021.
The local organizing committee and staff are working on potential alternative approaches for delivering a virtual event in October 2020. The details regarding this event have not been confirmed; however, we are envisioning a one-day event that highlights some of the latest breaking information from symposia submissions. Additional information regarding this event will be provided when the details are confirmed.
The safety and security of our attendees, staff, and Congress personnel is our first priority. We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and provide maximum flexibility for our attendees. We trust that decision reduces some of your travel concerns during this time of uncertainty.
We appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Dr. Darren Warburton (Co-Chair) & Dr. Shannon Bredin (Co-Chair)8th ISPAH Congress, Vancouver, BC (2020/21)