BANFF and TORONTO — While all April and May industry events we’re aware of have been cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19 concerns, the Banff World Media Festival and the Canadian Telecom Summit continue to monitor the situation and hope to go ahead with their June conferences.
On its COVID-19 update page, the Banff Festival says:
“We are keeping a close watch on the global situation and will be following the guidelines set out by the World Health Organization, as well as local and national health agencies. Concern for the health and safety of our clients and staff is paramount. So is our mandate to provide meaningful opportunities for our community to congregate and network and ultimately drive business. As of now, we are forging ahead in anticipation that containment of the virus will happen sooner than later, and look forward to welcoming delegates and sponsors to our 2020 festival. In the event that we are forced to cancel this year’s event, registered delegates will have the option to transfer their pass to next year, or receive a full refund.”
The Banff World Media Festival is scheduled to take place June 14-17 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta.
Regarding the Canadian Telecom Summit, in an email sent Wednesday afternoon to Cartt.ca, Richard Jirka, vice-president of Macgregor Communications, which runs CTS, wrote that the conference is still set to run from June 15-17 as planned. Should the COVID-19 situation continue to escalate, CTS organizers have contingency plans in place, Jirka said.
With both events scheduled almost two months away, hopes are the concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19 will have subsided to the point the conferences can still take place in mid-June.
