The Fiber Broadband Association revealed on Sep. 15 that its 2020 Fiber Connect conference and exposition, already postponed to December due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now be held as a virtual event. The virtual version of the annual conference and exposition focused on fiber to the premises (FTTP) and related applications in the Americas will remain on the rescheduled dates of December 14-16, 2020.
“In light of the on-going COVID-19 emergency, the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), and considerable evaluation of the situation and potential options, we have decided to move to holding 2020 Fiber Connect as a virtual learning and networking experience on the previously scheduled dates of December 14-16, 2020,” wrote the Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Lisa R. Youngers in an letter emailed yesterday to “members and colleagues.”
Youngers wrote that ADTRAN, Clearfield, Corning, EPB, Kelley-Drye & Warren, OFS, and On Trac, Inc. have agreed to sponsor the virtual version of the show. The conference program has been removed from the event website pending possible changes.
“The Fiber Broadband Association represents a strong community that values collaborative exchange of information, ideas, and innovation,” Youngers continued. “While we are disappointed that we cannot gather in-person, we are excited to offer you quality education and opportunities to engage with your colleagues during these extraordinary times. You will receive more information about the virtual experience in the coming weeks.”
Attendees who had already registered for the live event will have their registrations automatically transferred to the virtual event. The association has decided to lower the price of registration to the virtual version; live event registrants who had paid a higher fee can expect a refund of the difference, according to an FAQ on the event website.
The Gaylord Opryland resort in Nashville, where the live event was scheduled to take place, will cancel any reservations in their system booked within the Fiber Broadband Association’s housing block. -- Stephen Hardy, Lightwave