Updated to include finalized dates
We have heard from many of you about the potential effect of COVID-19 on your attendance at MLA ’20, including health concerns and institutional travel bans.
With our top priority being the health and safety of all members and participants at our meeting, the MLA Board of Directors met on March 11 to discuss and approve rescheduling MLA’s annual meeting to Saturday, August 15–Wednesday, August 19, 2020, in Portland, OR.
What’s Next?
- The MLA staff team, leveraging the negotiating power of MCI | USA, has been able to establish August 15–19 as the rescheduled dates for the meeting in Portland, OR. The team is working with the City of Portland, Oregon Convention Center, and MLA ’20 meeting hotels to finalize details and renegotiate contracts.
- You do not need to cancel existing hotel reservations. The official hotel provider for MLA ’20, onPeak, will be cancelling your reservation for the originally scheduled May event. You will receive further information and a new link to rebook. No other action will be needed on your part.
- We recognize that rescheduling MLA ’20 may not be optimal for all attendees. Our staff team will be in contact with all exhibitors, sponsors, instructors, speakers, and presenters with next steps as we transition to an August meeting. Staff will also update the MLANET MLA ’20 pages with revised details.
- For those who have already registered, your meeting registrations will automatically transition to the August meeting, with a new early bird registration date of July 15, 2020. Should you still need to cancel your registration, there will be no cancellation fees ahead of the new early bird date. We will provide more information on the process shortly on MLANET.
- The official MLA Annual Business Meeting and transition of MLA officers will take place virtually on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Please watch MLANET and MLAConnect for the schedule and connection details.
- We are still planning an enhanced e-Conference option for MLA ’20 and are subsequently delaying the availability of the e-Conference registration until closer to the meeting. We apologize for any confusion that may have resulted from prematurely posting an adjusted price for the e-Conference on March 3.
We recognize the hard work that so many of you have put into preparing your papers, posters, and presentations and appreciate the many comments we have received about the importance of face-to-face networking and learning that accompanies every MLA annual meeting. We are pleased at the prospect of our members bringing those experiences and sessions to our rescheduled meeting in August.
We hope to see you in Portland!
Sincerely,
Julia M. Esparza, AHIP, MLA President
Janna C. Lawrence, AHIP, Chair, 2020 National Program Committee
Melissa De Santis, AHIP, Cochair, 2020 National Program Committee
Kevin Baliozian, CAE, MLA Executive Director
