NOTICE as of Thursday, May 7, 2020
Due to ongoing health concerns related to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), as well as global and organizational travel restrictions and other concerns shared by the M&M community in recent surveys, MSA and MAS have decided to cancel the in-person meeting originally scheduled for August 2-6, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. We anticipate evolving the M&M 2020 Meeting content into a virtual (completely online) meeting in its place. More information will be shared with the M&M community as soon as it becomes available.
MSA/MAS Member volunteers, Association headquarters staff, and the M&M Meeting and Exhibits Management teams are already hard at work addressing the many specifics that would be inherent to this change. Details will be communicated as they become available, including firm virtual meeting dates and times, and more specific content information (if applicable). We appreciate your patience as this is a very large and multifaceted task.
- If you have already registered for the M&M 2020 Meeting: your registration refund via the original payment method will be processed within the next 2 – 4 weeks. There is no need to contact the M&M Registrar regarding this matter unless you do not see that your refund has been processed in that timeframe. Registration fees and information for an online-only meeting (if applicable) will be shared as soon as possible.
- If you made a hotel reservation in Milwaukee via the official M&M housing provider (mmhousing.org): your reservation will be cancelled automatically within the next 24-48 hours and you will receive notification of the cancellation. No fees will be charged regarding your hotel cancellation. No action is required on your part.
- If you booked accommodations through a different website (a hotel website, or a booking site such as expedia.com, hotels.com, kayak.com, or through your own travel agency), you will need to contact your hotel or travel provider and cancel your reservation directly.
- If you are an M&M 2020 Meeting exhibitor: Exhibiting company contacts will be receiving detailed information directly from the Exhibits Manager as soon as possible regarding their available options. We understand that connecting attendees with innovative exhibitors is a critical component of this meeting; please know that member volunteers and the Meeting and Exhibits Management teams are investigating worthwhile alternatives for a virtual conference. More on that very soon.
- If you have already booked air tickets to Milwaukee, we suggest that you contact your airline to investigate the cancellation options available to you.
If you have other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us (web archive link). Again, we thank you for your patience, continued support, and understanding in these unexpected circumstances. We will be in touch with important updates as soon as possible!
Sincerely,
Esther Bullitt, President, Microscopy Society of America
Rhonda Stroud, President, Microanalysis Society
Huolin Xin, M&M 2020 Program Chair