The Corona virus is playing havoc with international conferences planned for next month in Victoria and the Green Triangle. The conferences involved are the DANA – GINGKO Field Trip in the Green Triangle (Victoria & South Australia) March 15-17; and the Asia Pacific Forest Investment, Pulp Wood Chip & Biomass Trade Conference in Melbourne on March 18-19. Source: Timberbiz
“Every day now it seems that more and more countries have infected, and infectious virus patients and some countries are now headed towards or are at the same lock-down state as Wuhan province in China,” an email from the organisers stated.
“We have anticipated that our Chinese speakers will probably not be able to travel down to Australia (but still hope they can).
“We already have planning in place and confirmation through our AV supplier – an expert in this field – that we will have live video links for these speakers to deliver their presentations to the conference in ‘real time’.
“If more countries enter ‘lockdown’ (and they are already starting to), then it is now very easy for us to do the same for other overseas speakers who may be travel-restricted,” the organisers say.
“These speakers will be live, and able to be there to present and to be available for Q&A sessions immediately after their presentations.
“We will continue to list all confirmed speakers, as they will effectively be there even if they can’t travel.”
The organisers say the conferences may be unique in a positive way
“With major international conferences and exhibitions and sports events being cancelled in the Northern Hemisphere, our Melbourne event may end up being perhaps the only international meeting held anywhere in the world on wood trade topics, at least in March and April, and maybe even into May or beyond.”
For further information regarding the DANA field trip or conference program contact Dennis Neilson [email protected] or for assistance with registration and admin enquiries please contact Julie Bell [email protected]
