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October 5, 2020
Dear SAH Community,
We hope that you are in good health and doing well, given the circumstances. We write to update you on the planning for our 74th SAH Annual International Conference to be convened April 14-18, 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on travel, gathering and funding has caused much uncertainty and upended planning for our conference.
Last spring, as a result of the pandemic, we shifted to a virtual format instead of meeting in Seattle as planned. The 2020 Virtual Conference was a tremendous success, attracting 1000 attendees from
around the world who participated in a rich program of live paper sessions with discussions. We owe a huge debt of thanks to the SAH staff, leadership and members who worked to stage the virtual conference on short notice and make it such a successful meeting.
In addition, we conducted a series of excellent roundtables in May 2020, vastly expanding the audience for these important and timely discussions.
Our plan has been to hold the 2021 conference in Montreal, Canada, a beautiful city with extraordinary historic architecture, neighborhoods, and landscapes. While we would very much like to meet in
Montreal, travel restrictions and border closures, social distancing requirements, limitations on the size of gatherings, and other factors may make an in-person conference impossible. At this time, we cannot anticipate what the situation will be in April,
but we are monitoring conditions in Montreal continuously. We expect to make a decision as to whether or not to hold the conference in Montreal by early winter. Naturally, we will be in touch with you as events unfold.
We have decided to organize one part of the conference virtually. Drawing on the success of our virtual roundtables in May 2020, SAH will offer roundtables, workshops, meetings, and informational programs
in virtual format to promote accessibility and broaden their audience. These programs will take place in May 2021 and will complement the conference sessions and events. We are currently reviewing many exciting proposal submissions and will announce the program
in early winter.
In whatever form it takes, the 2021 SAH Annual International Conference will remain true to its role as a vital forum for sharing new research, listening to our colleagues, and exchanging ideas. Virtual
platforms can allow us to connect in new ways that broaden our community and enhance our ability to keep engaged.
We look forward to your participation in the next SAH annual conference this coming April.
Sincerely,
Patricia Morton
SAH First Vice President
General Chair, SAH 74th Annual International Conference
Victoria Young
SAH President
Pauline Saliga
SAH Executive Director
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