JAM 2021 and ESC Business Meetings
Recently the ESC Executive Council met with members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the meeting to discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic The Council learned that, although the LOC has taken steps to limit financial penalties, in the absence of a legislated prohibition of meetings, the penalty for cancelling the contract with the meeting hotel would be about $75,000. The Council also learned that the electronic infrastructure at the hotel is not adequate for the meeting to be a “hybrid”, with on-line and in-person participants. We are optimistic in light of Canada’s plans to vaccinate the majority of the adult population for COVID-19 by September 2021. ESC encourages members to attend the JAM if possible, but the Council is aware that some members will not be able to attend an in-person meeting because their employer will not approve travel to the conference. Although a final decision will be made in May 2021, the above information leads the ESC Executive Council to conclude that the most probable scenario for JAM 2021 is:
- There will be an in-person JAM 2021 on 14–17 November 2021 at Niagara Falls, Ontario as advertised (see https://www.entsocont.ca/esceso-2021-jam-english.html) .
- The meeting is expected to have lower attendance than normal, but will have the full range of scientific and social events normal at a JAM. There will not be an opportunity for on-line participation in these events.
- Board meetings and the Annual Meeting of Members, will not occur at the JAM. They will be conducted by video conference in October or November 2021, on dates that do not conflict with JAM.
Further information will be communicated to ESC members by Eblast and ESC News Feeds, as soon as possible, and updates will be published in the June and September issues of the ESC Bulletin.
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