The ripple effect of the COVID-19 virus has been far reaching over the past few weeks, and amongst the hardest hit are public events and large gatherings. In response to the evolving situation and circumstances, The National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU) has made the decision to cancel its 2020 Annual Conference due to be held in Austin, Tex. on April 19-22.

In a statement to its membership, NACCU Executive Director, Dawn Thomas, stated the following:

"NACCU was forced to cancel the annual conference scheduled for April 19-22, 2020 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. This year’s conference will not be rescheduled.

While we had options to postpone this conference to early June, the uncertainty surrounding large-scale events is likely to continue into the summer. In addition, travel bans make it nearly impossible to determine whether a viable number of presenters and attendees are able to attend an event during the summer."

Hinting at educational opportunities that may arise in lieu of the in-person conference, she added:

"We want to thank our volunteer leaders who have worked diligently for more than a year to create an outstanding conference program. With such an abundance of timely sessions, we are working on ways to repurpose content in virtual and other formats. Please stay tuned for more information."

NACCU reiterated that its number one priority is providing educational and exhibit opportunities in a safe environment.

"While we are all having to make decisions as a result of this fast-moving threat, NACCU stands with its members, volunteer leaders, industry partners and other stakeholders," added Thomas. "For those of us who are distanced from colleagues and friends in the industry, please stay in touch with each other and offer support through this challenging situation."

The team here at CR80News is disappointed to miss the opportunity to meet with our readership in person, as the NACCU Annual Conference provides the best environment for collaboration and learning within the campus card industry. We do, however, understand the difficult circumstances at hand and applaud NACCU and its leaders for looking after the safety and health of its membership.