The cancelation of industry conferences continues as the coronavirus spreads across the globe.
This now includes the 2020 NBWA Legislative Conference, which had been set for March 29-April 1 in Washington D.C.
“Developments over the past several days, including exposure and self-quarantine of members of Congress, meeting cancellations and travel restrictions, flight reductions and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other health agencies, have made hosting this year’s conference a significant challenge,” the organization writes on a note on the conference website. “For these reasons, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our Legislative Conference.”
“We are grateful to so many of you who made plans to attend this year’s Legislative Conference,” the organization continues. “The NBWA team always looks forward to hosting our members in the nation’s capital. And, with so many important issues facing the industry, we did not make this decision lightly.”
NBWA reminds attendees that if they or someone from their operation made an appointment to visit a member of Congress or their staff, contact that office and cancel the visit. Attendees can contact NBWA Federal Affairs Assistant Elizabeth Baker at ebaker@nbwa.org with any questions regarding congressional appointments.
NBWA will provide a full refund of registration fees for all attendees. People will receive an email confirming the refund in the coming days. Contact NBWA Membership and Meetings Coordinator Jenna Sugg at jsugg@nbwa.org with any questions regarding registration refunds. It may take up to 10 business days to receive refunds in the form of the original payment.
If you booked a hotel room at the Hyatt Regency Washington, call 800-233-1234 to cancel reservations, no later than March 20. NBWA will monitor reservation cancellations to ensure that all NBWA members cancel without penalty.
For other questions, or assistance with travel changes, contact the Membership and Meetings department at 800-300-6417. The team is available to help with any questions, the organization says.
“There is truly no substitute to having you here in Washington to share directly with lawmakers how beer distributors support local communities, the economy and public health and safety,” the organization says. “We will work to identify opportunities where we can build and maximize relationships with members of Congress and continue to advance our agenda.”
As the impact of COVID-19 expands, NBWA has created this break room poster for members to download, print and post in warehouses and offices. Additionally, the CDC continues to share helpful tools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at home, work and in other community settings.
“We will continue to communicate with you as we learn more about the threat from COVID-19 and best practices about how to mitigate risk to your business, your employees, your family and yourself.
