Update on 2020 OFN Events
Donna Fabiani
OFN is actively monitoring developments around COVID-19 (the coronavirus) as we plan our 2020 events. In response to the evolving situation, we have decided to postpone the three Regional Meetings we had planned for March through May (Jackson, MS; Oakland, CA; and Austin, TX) until further notice.
For the time being, we are proceeding with plans for our 2020 Small Business Finance Forum, scheduled for June 9-10. This is currently planned as an in-person event in Chicago; however, we are considering options for transforming it into a virtual gathering and will keep you informed as our thinking evolves. Whether it is an in-person or virtual gathering, we will ensure that the Forum curriculum reflects the new world we all find ourselves in. We thank everyone who submitted the many thoughtful session proposals on topics important to our industry, and we will certainly look for ways to use them at the appropriate time.
In addition, the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile hotel has generously extended our room block rate cutoff to May 22. If you would like to reserve a room, be sure to book by May 22 to receive our special group rate. Please know that you can cancel your reservation without penalty up to three days before your reserved arrival date.
At this time, we are also planning to move forward as scheduled with our 2020 OFN Conference (November 9-12 at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live), as well as our four remaining 2020 Regional Meetings (Portland, OR; New York, NY; Brattleboro, VT; and Omaha, NE) scheduled for June through September.
The health and safety of our event participants and staff is our top priority. We are working with our event planners and event venues to ensure that health and safety precautions are in place and we will provide additional guidance as necessary. As this dynamic situation evolves, we will continue to provide updates. If anything changes regarding an event, we will communicate directly with event registrants via email.