14 March 2020 - PLEASE READ - ANNOUNCEMENT ucisa 20 Leadership Conference
Dear colleagues,
We are writing to advise you that the ucisa20 leadership conference scheduled for the 18th to 20th of March will be postponed.
You will all have received our email yesterday advising that, in light of the official guidance that it is safe to both run and attend events of this nature, ucisa20 would still go ahead. Much of the rationale behind that decision rested on the fact that, at that time, the management teams at our main venues and hotels were unwilling to consider alternative arrangements unless the government banned such events. To cancel the event, our only unilateral option, would have incurred 100% of the cost with no benefit to members, either Institutional or corporate, and resulting in a significant impact on ucisa finances.
I think many of us were anticipating a different outcome from the Cobra meeting. You will also appreciate that the position is changing rapidly and the expectation is that the government will introduce further restrictions in the coming days.
As we set out yesterday, ucisa fully appreciates the pressure that our HE/FE colleagues are under at present. In particular, we understand that all senior IT personnel are needed, perhaps more than ever, within their institutions in the coming week and beyond, as they implement the digital solutions that are at the heart of every institution’s response plans. We therefore spent most of yesterday in further talks with our host venues and are pleased to advise that we have reached an agreement that now allows us to postpone ucisa20 .
We are extremely grateful to the many sponsors and exhibitors that we were able to speak to yesterday for the support and understanding they demonstrated and Deborah will be arranging to speak to all exhibitors and sponsors over the next few days. We are pleased to have reached a compromise that protects all our members’ interests during this extraordinary period. The postponed event will now take place on 4th - 6th January 2021 and all delegate fees, bookings, sponsorships and exhibition bookings will be carried forward to this new date. We will also be making alternative arrangements for the AGM so that it can take place at a time when our institutional members can participate fully.
We thank all our delegates, exhibitors and sponsors in anticipation of your support for the postponed event which we all intend to make an event to remember.
With Best Wishes
Deborah Green Drew Cook
CEO ucisa Chair ucisa
