Dear SQA Colleagues:
The 37th SQA Annual Meeting and Quality College will be held as a virtual event in April 2021. While we all hoped to return for an in-person meeting next year in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, it is clear that this will not be an option given the current number of daily new coronavirus cases, the unlikelihood of widespread vaccination by April 2021, and the travel restrictions for many within our community. Most importantly, the Board came to this decision with the health and safety of our colleagues and community in mind.
This news is disappointing for all of us, as we were all looking forward to the opportunity to network, learn, and collaborate in person following the cancelation of this year’s Annual Meeting. However, the success of the September Virtual Meeting and Quality College has shown us that we can provide the same high quality, interactive, and engaging content in a virtual environment. We will take the lessons learned from our September event and build on it for 2021. Exact dates and times for the full offerings of the Annual Meeting and Quality College courses will be confirmed in due course and shared as more details become available.
The Program Committee is already hard at work discussing plans for the 2021 meeting content and ways to ensure virtual interaction and collaboration. Abstract submission will be opening soon and will call for oral presentations, roundtable and panel discussions, as well as poster presentations (which will feature a short video along with a poster PDF). We will offer virtual exhibit hall with increased opportunity for live discussion. The Program Committee is exploring a combination of live and pre-recorded content to reach a broad audience across time zones as well as options for virtual networking. Though we will not be together in person, you can rest assured that the Virtual 37th SQA Annual Meeting and Quality College will provide the same quality experience as all of our meetings. Please stay tuned for more announcements and information and start making plans to join us virtually in April 2021!