ST. LOUIS - EASA has not announced plans to cancel or postpone its convention, set for June 14-16 in Nashville, but released this statement on Friday.
Read the full statement on EASA's website.
Concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are top of mind for everyone, and EASA is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide periodic updates to our plans. In the meantime, we want to update you about the steps EASA is taking to ensure a safe and healthy environment for member company employees and guests who plan to join us at our upcoming seminars and the convention this June.
Currently, no federal restrictions are in place to prevent meetings and travel with the exception of the short-term ban on travel from Europe to the U.S. and vice versa. We are continuing preparations for the upcoming seminars and the EASA 2020 Convention & Solutions Expo.
There are no plans to postpone or cancel any EASA events due to COVID-19.
That said, specifically regarding the convention, we want you to feel comfortable in moving forward with your registration. We’ve extended the “best rate” deadline to May 1 and encourage you to register by then and preferably sooner. We want to assure you that your fee will be refunded in full if it turns out that EASA does need to cancel by order of health authorities or others.
Measures to Ensure Health of Our Attendees
We are in frequent contact with our event venues, and they have assured us that housekeeping and food services are taking special precautions to maintain a sanitary environment. They have put in place enhanced protocols, including greater frequency of disinfecting high touch point areas like elevator buttons and doorknobs and extra overnight cleaning teams. They’re also increasing the number of hand sanitizing stations in high traffic areas and meeting spaces. They are, of course, continuing to follow procedures for the deep cleaning and disinfection of guestrooms and meeting spaces.
Gaylord Opryland personnel will serve all meals (with gloved hands) instead of asking members and guests to serve themselves. They are paying close attention to the origin of guests and are utilizing precautionary measures where necessary. They are training front desk, housekeeping, and other employees to know what to look for and what steps to take if a guest exhibits signs of illness. Additionally, Gaylord Opryland has Vanderbilt Clinic on site with nurse practitioners.