Dear PPA Members,
I want to take a moment to inform you that the Perennial Plant Association Board of Directors has voted to not hold a National Symposium in 2020. This was a unanimous decision and one we all feel confident is the right decision for the health and safety of our PPA Family.
Given both the severity and the uncertainty of the Coronavirus pandemic, we cannot expect you to travel to Lancaster and then spend several days in close proximity with hundreds of our perennial plant friends in small meeting rooms and on buses. Our priorities are simple – our PPA Family comes first and we know this is the right and necessary decision to protect our PPA Family.
We are committed to holding a National Symposium in Lancaster, PA. Our hope is to simply postpone the event until 2021, but we are still working with vendors to confirm new dates. Once new dates are available, we will share those with all of you. We’re excited to make plans to join you in Lancaster in the future! I know we’ll all be excited to see our friends and colleagues in person in 2021!
What does this mean for those of you already signed up for 2020?
Attendees – your registration fee will be refunded this week. Refunds typically post to your account within a week of our processing them in the office. If you haven’t received your refund by May 1, please contact us at info@perennialplant.org Exhibitors & Sponsors – you have already received an email from our Events Manager, Tia Nusbaum. Once we have updated dates confirmed, we will be in contact with you again to either roll your commitment over to the new date or to discuss other options if you are unable to participate in 2021. Hotel Guests – Please contact the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square directly to cancel your hotel reservations. You can do so through your confirmation email or by calling the hotel at 717-239-1600.
Finally I would like to thank the Local Site Committee for their hard work in planning a wonderful National Symposium in Lancaster and for their understanding and flexibility in having to delay this event. I would also like to thank the Board of Directors for their thoughtful consideration of all our options and for always having the health, safety, and well-being of our PPA members and supporters at the forefront of the decision.
And, of course, I’d like to thank all of you – our PPA members – for your continued support of the Association. I know this is a challenging spring for all of you and your continued passion for this industry that we all love is inspiring. Spring is not cancelled and you are all doing a great job of bringing spring to all of us in this new, socially distanced way!
If you have any questions, please let me know! Otherwise, look for future announcements regarding new dates for Lancaster, PA and new options to connect with PPA friends and colleagues virtually this year!
Be safe!
Emily Chung
Executive Director
