The following is text of a news release from the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA):
(SEVERNA PARK, Md.) — The National Marine Electronics Association has made the decision to hold the previously scheduled 2020 NMEA Conference and Expo as a virtual online training event, due to health considerations and future uncertainty around travel and large gathering restrictions due to COVID-19. This event will be held Sept. 22-24.
"Safety of our members and getting their businesses back on track is our number one priority as we look into the summer and fall," said Mark Reedenauer, NMEA's president and executive director. "Many of our members have suffered financial loses during the pandemic, and we do not want to burden them with a decision of attending a conference in person."
The NMEA's next traditional national conference is slated for Sept. 20-24, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif., and the NMEA fully intends to hold it as a live, face-to-face event as it has for the past 25 years.
NMEA will shift the format of the 2020 NMEA Conference to a virtual training and education event for manufacturers, member dealers, installers, and the entire marine electronics trade. The NMEA is researching options that may enable the traditional product awards and expo to shift into a virtual event during that week. By mid-July, a full conference lineup, schedule, and offerings will be listed on the NMEA website, www.nmea.org.
For more information, contact Mark Reedenauer at (410) 975-9425 or mreedenauer@nmea.org.
