Fear about the spread of the COVID-19 virus prompted planners to pull the plug on an annual 600-person recognition event set for April at the Chattanooga Convention Center, the center’s executive director Mike Shuford said.
“They’ve elected not to have it this year,” Shuford said of the Dallas-based group. But, he added, travel and meeting cancellations haven’t hit Chattanooga nearly as hard as they’ve hit larger markets as COVID-19 spreads.
“The major cities are taking a beating,” he said. “Venues in Vegas, Chicago, the ones that have 5,000 hotel rooms.”
Throughout this week, somewhere between 800 and 900 farriers have gathered at the Convention Center for the American Farriers’ Association 49th Annual Convention. And, at least so far, other groups are sticking to their plans – though they also are keeping an eye on the door, Shuford said.
“For right now, we’re getting a ton of questions about our cancellation policy,” he said. “It’s obvious that it’s on everybody’s mind.”