The National Recycling Coalition, Alexandria, Va., has rescheduled their Annual Congress & Exposition for Jan. 13 to 16 due to the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.
The NRC had decided at the beginning of the week to still hold the show, but after board members met it was decided a postponement would be more appropriate, said Luke Miller, conference and meetings coordinator.
"They [board members] met yesterday and over the week we have droves of cancellations of speakers and we didn’t want our exhibitors to show up and there be no attendees. Something had to be done."
A fair number of exhibitors and speakers had cancelled planes to attend the show, leaving the NRC scrambling. With the new date, Miller said he expects most will still attend, with fewer cancellations than had the show been held during its originally scheduled date.
The indefinite closure of airports such as Washington’s Reagan National Airport, and the general reluctance to fly by the public also contributed to the postponement, Miller said.
The NRC is hoping the postponement will provide more time to boost attendance at the show. "To be honest, we hope this gives us more time to market and draw a bigger crowd," Miller said. "We have called our cancellations back and they said that if it was in January the would come."
Miller said the September timing of the show was still too close to what had happened for people to feel comfortable traveling.
For attendees with hotel reservations, most hotels have agreed to transfer the reservation to the January date without penalty. Depending on the airlines, many carriers are making ticket changes without penalty until Sept. 26. Miller advised those with plane tickets and/or hotel reservations to check with individual hotels and airlines for more information.
The following, from the NRC’s web site, answers some of the questions people may have over the decision to change the dates of the program.
Q: Why has NRC decided to postpone the Annual Congress until January?
A: NRC has high standards for the program we offer members during our Annual Congress & Exposition. This typically includes hundreds of high-quality speakers and exhibitors. Because of both the emotional reactions and logistical problems resulting from the terrorist attacks, a significant number of moderators, speakers, and exhibitors are either unable or unwilling to participate in an event September 30-October 3. We are no longer satisfied that NRC's high standards can be met given the erosion of the program and participation levels over the last several days.
Q: NRC said earlier this week that the Congress would go on as planned. What changed?
A: Within the last several days, the number of cancellations by attendees, speakers, and exhibitors has grown significantly, with no end in sight. Some people are afraid to fly. Some employers are restricting their employees' travel. National delays in freight shipping are preventing some exhibitors from getting their equipment and exhibits to Seattle in time. While we originally believed we could ride through this rough period, over the last few days we have become convinced that the best choice for NRC and the Congress & Exposition participants is to delay the event by a few months.
Q: What options did NRC's board consider?
A: The board considered three options: (1) holding the event as planned (2) canceling the event outright and (3) postponing the event until January. For the reasons described above, holding the event as planned was dismissed. We believe that the Annual Congress & Exposition is a very important event to our members and to our field, so canceling it outright was also dismissed. Moving the event to January was clearly the best choice.
Q: Why January?
After consulting with the various event locations and vendors in Seattle, we determined that January 13-16 was the best date available. All of the major locations and vendors have agreed to this date without penalty to NRC for the change. We also believe that a 3 ½ month delay will allow sufficient time for our nation's transportation and shipping systems to return to a normal schedule and for all of us to come to grips with the tragedy.
Q: Does this change the event locations?
A: No. NRC has confirmed with the convention center and the Sheraton that they will accommodate us from January 13-16, 2001. We are checking with the other hotels to discuss these changes.
Q: How does this affect registrations and exhibitions?
A: NRC will transfer all registrations and exhibitions to the January dates. We will be sending another program update and registration form with an extension of the registration date (exact dates to be decided). We are developing a cancellation policy for those people who have already registered, but who cannot attend in January. That policy will be distributed within the next few days.
Q: How does this affect the Congress program?
A: NRC and its volunteers will be working over the next few weeks to reconfirm all moderators, speakers, tours and other Congress events for the January dates. We will also work to replace any program participants who cannot make the January dates.
Q: What should I do about my hotel and airline reservations?
A: The Sheraton has agreed to shift all reservations associated with the Congress to the January dates without penalty. You should call your hotel right away to change your reservation. The response for airlines has been mixed. Some are changing tickets until the end of this month without penalty; others will require a change fee. The response varies from airline to airline and according to the type of ticket you purchased. You should check with your airline as soon as possible.
Q: What about the board of director's election?
A: According to NRC's bylaws, the election takes place at the annual members meeting, which has been moved to January. Ballots that have already been mailed are still valid and will be held until January. As long at the CPA firm receives your ballot in the mail before January 14, your ballot will be counted. If you attend in January, you may vote in person. (If you mailed a ballot, you may also rescind it and vote in person at the Congress.) The current board will remain in office through January and the slate of candidates will remain unchanged.
Q: How will this affect the Congress scheduled for later in 2002?
The Annual Congress & Exposition scheduled for September 8-11, 2002 in Austin will take place as planned.
Latest from Recycling Today
- AISI, Aluminum Association cite USMCA triangular trading concerns
- Nucor names new president
- DOE rare earths funding is open to recyclers
- Design for Recycling Resolution introduced
- PetStar PET recycling plant expands
- Iron Bull addresses scrap handling needs with custom hoppers
- REgroup, CP Group to build advanced MRF in Nova Scotia
- Oregon county expands options for hard-to-recycling items
