Dear Members,
WCA has elected to postpone the WCA First and WCA Worldwide 2020 conferences that were scheduled to be held in Macau in February/March.
Like many of you, we have been carefully watching and analysing the acceleration of infections and geographical spread of the Coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. Yesterday, the World Health Organisation declared the Coronavirus as a Global Health Emergency with the potential to expand, accelerate and infect new regions and countries.
The ongoing impact of the outbreak on Macau and the wider region is unpredictable and fluid and we have already seen significant restrictions on transport, visas and group gatherings as well as activities within the conference venue.
Many of you had already expressed extreme concern with proceeding with the conference, however, we wanted to ensure that we gave the situation every chance to stabilise or improve. Unfortunately, at the present time this has not happened and there is no current indication that this is imminent.
The health, security, safety and convenience of WCA members is always the decisive factor in all decisions we make and, after consultations with the venue, officials and local experts, we have taken this difficult but positive step.
We have been working hard on contingency arrangements for the conference and we will announce the revised plans regarding location and schedule as soon as possible. We are extremely confident that we will provide you with an even more exciting revised conference schedule that will bring you ever greater opportunities to build partnerships and business.
Meanwhile, we would like to thank all members for your ongoing support, patience and understanding, as well as your excellent input and suggestions.
What do you need to do now?
- WCA will provide you with full credit for your delegate bookings, booth bookings, sponsorship and all hotel bookings made directly with WCA. You can use this credit for the rearranged WCA Conference Week when announced, or for any other WCA Group event. For members that have booked event / merchandize sponsorship and booths we can transfer your sponsor and booth for the next conference and use your credit to guarantee you a booth in a similar position at the rearranged conference.
- If you do not wish to take the credit option, we can refund your bookings via Partner Pay. If you do not have a Partner Pay account, please contact your WCA representative for options. Please be aware that if you request a refund (rather than credit) for a booth then your position for the rearranged conference will be released and may be taken by another company.
- If you did not book your accommodation directly with WCA, please contact your booking agent/hotel for refund options.
- Please contact your airline directly for refund/rebooking options.
- Monitor all WCA announcements for information regarding the new arrangements and schedule.
- If you have any questions or need any other help or support, please do not hesitate to contact any of our worldwide staff who are ready to assist you at any time.
Once again, many thanks for your understanding and support.
