SSP 42nd Annual Meeting
Rethink, Reimagine, & Revolutionize the Future of Scholarly Communication
May 27-29, 2020
Westin Waterfront
Boston, MA USA
CANCELLATION NOTICE
It is with heavy hearts that the SSP Board of Directors made the difficult decision to cancel the SSP 42nd Annual Meeting due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of all SSP meeting participants are of the utmost importance, and the decision was based upon advice from local and national health officials, as well as whether or not SSP could provide the high-quality content our members and attendees expect, even during this unprecedented time.
We realize that many of you are disappointed—among them the 2020 Annual Meeting Program Committee, led by Cason Lynley, Yael Fitzpatrick, and Lori Carlin, the one-hundred-plus speakers and session organizers, and staff that have been working tirelessly since July 2019 to bring you the best Annual Meeting ever. The Board wishes to thank everyone for their incredible work and leadership during this difficult situation. We also want to thank our sponsors and exhibitors for their support and commitment despite the challenges this presents for them as well.
The success of the Annual Meeting is deeply rooted in personal connections and networking opportunities that simply cannot be recreated online. While many organizations have opted to present their Annual Meetings virtually, SSP has decided not to try and recreate the meeting as we know it in a virtual format. As many scholarly communication professionals make the transition to working from home while dealing with the added responsibilities of full-time care and education of their children, as well as other loved-ones, SSP feels it is unrealistic to ask our community to sit in front of their computer screen for hours at a time when more pressing matters prevail.
SSP’s leadership acknowledges the work invested by the committee members, organizers, speakers, and staff in developing the content for the meeting. Canceling the meeting also impacts many of you and your educational needs. There is a deep desire to ensure that the quality content is disseminated to our members and colleagues in the industry in some alternative way over the coming months.
SSP’s committees, staff, and Board will be collaborating over the next few weeks to develop a plan for ensuring that our members still have access to the professional development and educational resources you need to excel. Look for more information on new SSP educational opportunities throughout the remainder of 2020.
If you have registered for the meeting, you are eligible for a full refund. However, I ask you or your organization to consider donating your refund to the SSP Fellowship Fund instead (tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law). The Fellowship Fund is undergoing a transition and will soon become the Generations Fund, an endowment providing sustainable, long-term support for SSP’s Fellowship and Mentorship programs. The Generations Fund will ensure the next generation of scholarly communications professionals have the tools they need to succeed. Your generosity today will become part of the soon to be announced campaign goal of $500,000 by 2022.
The Board is committed to this vision and has voted for SSP to seed the fund with $100,000 in support. Donating all or part of your refund will help us get closer to raising the remaining $400,000 to fully fund the endowment. Registered attendees will receive official communication from SSP in the coming weeks with your option to receive or donate your refund. In the meantime, you can learn more about the Generations Fund here.
Registrants can indicate their refund preferences on this web page (requires log in). Information for exhibitors and sponsors will be forthcoming.
If you have further questions, please contact SSP Member Services, [email protected], otherwise, more information will be posted on this page and on social media in the days and weeks ahead. If you have made flight or lodging arrangements, please take steps to cancel your reservations.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and unwavering commitment to SSP. It is the invaluable support and enthusiasm of our members that have grown our Annual Meeting to the “must-attend” event that it is and we’re already looking forward to an amazing event in May 2021 at Gaylord National Resort, National Harbor, MD.
Sincerely,
Angela Cochran
2020-2021 SSP President