The IPAF Summit & IAPAs 2020 event, scheduled to be held in London, UK, on April 23, 2020, has been postponed and will now be held on October 8, owing to ongoing concerns and contingency planning in response to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak.
Event organizers the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and KHL have announced they have jointly taken the decision to postpone the showcase event as a precaution against the backdrop of uncertainty around the spread of COVID-19. It will be held at the original venue, the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in Kensington, London
The decision has also been made in light of some delegates having booked to attend from countries or regions where travel restrictions are now in place, or to accommodate individuals whose employers have imposed a corporate international travel ban.
Peter Douglas, CEO & MD of IPAF, says: “IPAF’s team continues to follow government and World Health Organization guidance and act accordingly. It’s very possible that the UK Government might decide to impose further measures to slow the spread of the disease and to allow health services and business to cope with a possible pandemic.
“While it hasn’t yet been confirmed that events and meetings such as the IPAF Summit & IAPAs should be canceled or postponed, we felt it is the only responsible choice to make this decision now to allow would-be attendees to make necessary arrangements, to plan ahead, to rebook travel or accommodation and to minimize overall disruption.
“Owing to the fluid nature of the virus and worldwide efforts to control, slow and treat the outbreak, we felt October 8 is the most suitable new date. We hope that as many of the original planned attendees as possible will be able to join us on this revised date.
“We trust that all event attendees understand why IPAF and KHL have come to this decision; we do hope that those who have already booked to attend will appreciate the clarity and maximum advanced notice that this event has been moved to a new date.
“Anyone who was booked to join us for the event will have their reservations honored on the alternative date as confirmed; a full refund will be made to anyone unable to attend the rescheduled event or who wishes to cancel attendance at this time. Anyone who has booked hotel accommodation at the venue is advised to contact the Millennium Gloucester directly to ensure that their reservation is reconfirmed.
“The annual IPAF Summit & IAPAs is a highlight of the worldwide powered access events calendar, we sincerely hope that those planning to attend an event that was already close to capacity will be able to rearrange their plans in order to join us for this popular event as it returns to the UK for the first time since 2017.”
There may inevitably be some amendments to the speaker program and/or powered access site visits, and these will be communicated once confirmed. For information visit www.iapa-summit.info or for more about IPAF events worldwide, please check www.ipaf.org/events; please see www.ipaf.org/contact to find details of your nearest office or representative.
