Event Cancelled - 2020 ISTA Forum | TransPack and TempPack
March 11th, 2020: After extensive monitoring of recent developments surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak weve made the difficult decision to fully cancel the 2020 ISTA Forum with co-located events TransPack and TempPack that was to be held March 16-19 at Disneys Yacht & Beach Club Resorts in Orlando, Florida.
The ISTA leadership team is confident this is the right decision to meet our obligation to protect the health and safety of everyone attending, as well as to protect our high standards in delivering quality educational events. We feel this years program was one of the best weve put together and offered valuable information that supports our global community. We are exploring opportunities to provide this information to you in the future. A few important notes:
- Attendee Registration: ISTA will refund the full registration fee of all attendees and you will receive an email confirming your refund. Contact lisa@ista.org for questions.
- Walt Disney World Hotel Reservation: If you booked your hotel reservation through Walt Disney World Hotel Reservations and choose to cancel, we recommend you contact them immediately at 407-939-4686. Their official cancelation policy is you may cancel your reservation prior to 5 Days of your arrival to be refunded the one-night deposit secured to hold your room. If you cancel less than 5 Days of your arrival, that deposit will be forfeited. If you choose to still travel to Disney, the group rate will be honored.
- Exhibit Booth: If you have shipped your exhibit booth to the GES Warehouse, please contact Brittany Marchetti to begin the process of returning your shipment.
ISTA TempPack Program Canceled Due to Programming Challenges
March 6th, 2020: It is with disappointment that we have decided to cancel the 2020 TempPack event scheduled to take place at ISTA Forum March 16-19 at Disneys Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. TransPack, our co-located event, will proceed as scheduled.
This difficult decision was made due to programming issues that have arisen as the result of corporate travel restrictions impacting several TempPack speakers and attendees. It is important to us that we deliver educational events we are confident deliver high value and quality to our attendees. Unfortunately, we reached a point over the last few days where we felt this was no longer guaranteed. Your time is valuable and we respect that.
We were very excited about the 2020 TempPack program and appreciate the strong support we have felt from everyone. We are fully committed to build on this valuable event with your continued support moving forward. We are currently looking into the possibility of hosting an online conference or in-person event at a later date in 2020.
Please note:
- Attendee Registration: We encourage you to attend the TransPack program if there are topics relevant to your interests. If you do not have interest in attending TransPack, we will reimburse your registration fee. Please email lisa@ista.org with your intention.
- Walt Disney World Hotel Reservation: If you booked your hotel reservation through Walt Disney World Hotel Reservations, we recommend you contact them immediately. Their official cancelation policy is you may cancel your reservation prior to 5 Days of your arrival to be refunded the one-night deposit secured to hold your room. If you cancel less than 5 Days of your arrival, that deposit will be forfeited.
Statement on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
March 2nd, 2020: We want to assure you that we are actively monitoring the coronavirus developments closely and that your safety, and the safety of everyone attending TransPack and TempPack, remains our highest priority. We will continue to take direction from global and federal health officials such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding travel notices or restrictions on events of our size within the US. We are working closely with Disney World and they will maintain close relationships with local, state, national, and international public health authorities. At this time, we plan to move forward responsibly with hosting TransPack and TempPack, March 16-19, 2020 at Disneys Yacht & Beach Club Resorts.
Anyone from countries designated as a Level 1, 2, or 3 alert by the CDC, or anyone who has traveled or will travel to/through one of these countries 14 days immediately prior to March 16th is not allowed to attend the event for safety reasons. If you meet one of these criteria and have not yet been contacted by ISTA staff, please reach out to us immediately to discuss alternative options in lieu of attendance. Updates and impacted countries can be found on the CDC's Travel Health Notices page. Additionally, out of sensitivity to other attendees we ask anyone feeling unwell with cold or flu-like symptoms, or symptoms consistent with coronavirus, to not travel to the event. Monitor the CDC travel guidelines prior to your departure.
If you are not from or traveling to/through one of these countries, we look forward to welcoming you to the event. We are taking the following additional precautions this year to help maximize safety:
- Food serving considerations - we have decided to replace all buffet style meals typically provided at the Forum with safer alternative options. Disney is working with us on creating food stations with servers as well as offering our attendees pre-packaged options.
- Each attendee will receive hand sanitizers upon generously donated by SC Johnson and Mrs. Meyers upon check-in.
- An increased number of hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the conference center to promote good hand hygiene as supplies permit.
- Disposable, disinfectant wipes will be provided so commonly used surfaces can be routinely sanitized.
- We ask everyone to participate in a no-handshake policy at the Forum. Follow best practices such as coughing and sneezing into your elbow, using hand sanitizer and thoroughly washing your hands. The CDC and World Health Organization have offered some helpful advice about basic protective measures and to follow these travel and hygiene practices. Click here: CDC and World Health Organization.
We will continue to actively monitor and discuss the situation and will update you further on any new developments as required. Your safety at the event remains our priority and we look forward to making this years event a success.