Following the cancellation of several events in the USA, Europe, and Asia dues to coronavirus fears, please allow us to present to you the following:
- The Montreal audiofest remains on schedule for its March 27th to 29th run, 18 days from now. Rest assured that Canada is neither in the throes of a panic over the coronavirus, nor has the virus infiltrated Canada's borders to the extent it has in other countries. In fact, Quebec has only four reported cases of the virus, none fatal, making it one of the safest places to travel to.
- There is a difference between perception and reality. The reality is that some major events in the USA are being cancelled not entirely for safety reasons, but because insurance companies are now refusing to cover them.
- The Montreal event is not international by nature. It does not cater to a market from Europe or Asia. 93% of the event's attendees are from Canada.
- During the event, Hotel Bonaventure staff will regularly clean and disinfect door handles, escalator rails, bathrooms, and other public areas. Hand sanitizers will be available throughout the show floors. There will also be a trained professional on the premises to test people's body temperature for signs of a fever. All adequate measures will be in place to ensure your health, despite Health Canada's assurance that transmission of the coronavirus is low.
- As of March 9, 2020: "The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for Canada. Public health risk is continually reassessed as new information becomes available".
- Our Montreal Tourism Association works closely with all hotels and convention centers to keep us informed of any new developments. Public events are still happening and on schedule, our schools are open, and our airports are monitoring passengers from specific countries upon their arrivals.
- Our event will only be cancelled if our government decides the situation in Quebec has worsened to the point of being declared an "Act of God" and, as a result, cancels all public events. This seems extremely unlikely. In the event it happens, we promise to reimburse everyone. We will not, however, reimburse for cancellations of any other nature, since exhibitors' rooms are reserved and paid for and the hotel will not refund us outside of "Act of God" cancellations by the government.
- Attendees are registering every day for the show. We still expect a strong turn out.
We ask that you please still join us. Our industry needs to promote itself, and the Montreal audiofest offers a safe environment in which to do it. If things continue the way they have, it may be the last consumer audio show in North America for a while.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
Our finest regards
Sarah & Michel
Sarah Tremblay
514-267-6231
