KNOXVILLE, August 14, 2020—America Outdoors announced today it will cancel its in-person conference & outfitter expo, scheduled to take place at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL, due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In its place, America Outdoors will hold its first fully virtual event. The conference will still take place the week of December 1, 2020. America Outdoors will announce registration, pricing, and agenda details in the coming weeks.
“The AO staff and board of directors have been in discussions this summer about the feasibility of an in-person conference this December. Ultimately, we decided that an indoors event with hundreds of participants would be challenging to execute in a safe and responsible manner,” commented Executive Director Aaron Bannon. “We are excited about the opportunity to bring more of our members to the conference as travel costs will not be a factor this year. We are currently researching virtual platforms to find one that will allow us to hold a successful trade show, run multiple educational sessions, and facilitate meaningful connections. We believe we can still deliver on the expectations our outfitters and exhibitors value.”
America Outdoors will return to the Caribe Royale in winter of 2022. Bannon added, “we would like to thank the staff at Caribe Royale for being great partners. We look forward a fun in-person event in Orlando in two years.”
To stay up to date with 2020 conference plans, please visit americaoutdoors.org/conference-info/.