AIRS 2020 CONFERENCE CANCELLED 

To all AIRS members and friends,

We emailed you on March 5^th – which now seems a long time ago – saying that “AIRS will be monitoring the situation regarding our conference, and if we need to make changes, we will let our members know immediately.”

The AIRS Executive Committee met this morning and made the decision to cancel our face-to-face conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, scheduled for June 8-10, 2020.  We will instead aim to develop an online e-conference with maybe 15-20 sessions held over a 2-3 days period at a time to be decided later. (Obviously in the midst of COVID-19, we do not want to set a firm date at this stage).
 

The conference dates are barely 10 weeks away, and we assessed the following factors:

• Many of our members are moving into prominent roles in providing information relating to COVID-19
•  Many members are part of government or other organizations that have announced travel bans
• Michigan has declared a state of emergency, and there is likely to be a federal declaration later today
• More states are announcing limitations on the size of public gatherings
• Individuals are worried about any travel that potentially puts their families at risk

Cancellation was the only responsible choice and we would like to thank everyone who had already made a tangible commitment such as presenters, exhibitors, and sponsors.

Our members serve the most vulnerable people. Older adults and persons with disabilities are especially at danger to this virus, and many of those are also the people who find it more challenging to obtain trusted information. Many of our 211s and I&Rs are also being formally mobilized in preparation for their role in working with their public health and emergency management partners. 

The safety and well-being of our members is our top priority at this time. Please watch for upcoming information as we explore e-conference options.

We hope to see as many of you as possible in New Orleans, Louisiana, for #AIRS2021.

In service,

Catherine Rea                                              David Jobe
AIRS President                                             AIRS Vice President and Conference Chair
Heart of Florida United Way                     United Way of Greater Houston
catherine.rea@hfuw.org                            djobe@unitedwayhouston.org