SVS 2020 and COVID-19

Many of you have written to us with questions about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on SVS 2020. This is a very good and important question. We are actively working on a final decision about this matter right now.

Here are some factors we are considering.

• As of today, the CDC and other federal and state authorities in the USA and the State of Illinois have neither mandated nor recommended cancellation of conferences. However, that might change over the next couple of weeks.
• To date, academic conferences of equivalent or larger size have opted in both directions, some cancelling and some not. These decisions seem to be primarily based upon whether or not the conference is close to the site of a major outbreak of COVID-19.

In light of the changing facts on the ground, we have not made a final decision on the question of cancellation yet. We will decide no later than 3/20, and communicate immediately about it.

We will certainly comply with any government recommendations or the direction of Vineyard USA on this matter. We will also seek the best wisdom from our peer organizations, as well as legal counsel, as we are making our decision.

Finally, SVS will fully refund conference registration fees if we cancel, as well as the conference registration fees of anyone who chooses not to attend due to COVID-19, if we continue with SVS 2020.

Please pray for us as we sort through this complex matter.

For all further details about the conference, visit our conference page.