March 30, 2020 – Mount Laurel, NJ – The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) announced today that the 42nd Annual Meeting originally scheduled for May 27-29, 2020, in Boston, MA, will be canceled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of all SSP meeting participants are of the utmost importance, and the decision was based upon advice from local and national health officials, as well as whether or not SSP could provide the high-quality content our members and attendees expect, even during this unprecedented time.
“We realize that many people will be disappointed—among them the 2020 Annual Meeting Program Committee, led by Cason Lynley, Yael Fitzpatrick, and Lori Carlin, the one-hundred-plus speakers and session organizers, and staff that have been working tirelessly since July 2019 to bring you the best Annual Meeting ever,” said Anglea Cochran, SSP President. “The Board wishes to thank all of them for their incredible work and leadership during this difficult situation. We also want to thank our sponsors and exhibitors for their support and commitment despite the challenges this presents for them as well.”
The success of the Annual Meeting is deeply rooted in personal connections and networking opportunities that simply cannot be recreated online. While many organizations have opted to present their Annual Meetings virtually, SSP has decided not to offer the meeting in a virtual format. As many scholarly communication professionals make the transition to working from home while dealing with the added responsibilities of full-time care and education of their children, as well as other loved-ones, SSP feels it is unrealistic to ask our community to sit in front of their computer screen for hours at a time when more pressing matters prevail.
“SSP’s leadership acknowledges the work invested by the committee members, organizers, speakers, and staff in developing the content for the meeting,” said Melanie Dolechek, SSP Executive Director. “We recognize canceling the meeting impacts the educational needs of our community. There is a deep desire to ensure that the content is disseminated to our members and colleagues in the industry in some alternative way.”
SSP’s committees, staff, and leadership will be collaborating over the next few weeks to develop a plan for ensuring that our members still have access to the professional development and educational resources they need to excel. Look for more information on new SSP educational opportunities throughout the remainder of 2020.
Cochran added, “It is the invaluable support and enthusiasm of our members that have grown our Annual Meeting to the “must-attend” event that it is, and we’re already looking forward to an amazing event in May 2021 at Gaylord National Resort, National Harbor, MD.”
Information about refunds has been sent directly to registered attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors. If you have further questions, please contact SSP Member Services, info@sspnet.org, otherwise, more information will be posted on our website and on social media in the days and weeks ahead.
About the Society for Scholarly Publishing The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), founded in 1978, is a nonprofit organization formed to promote and advance communication among all sectors of the scholarly publication community through networking, information dissemination, and facilitation of new developments in the field. SSP members represent all aspects of scholarly publishing—including publishers, printers, e-products developers, technical service providers, librarians, and editors. SSP members come from a wide range of large and small commercial and nonprofit organizations. They meet at SSP’s annual meetings, educational seminars, and regional events to hear the latest trends from respected colleagues and to discuss common and mutual (and sometimes divergent) goals and viewpoints.
Contact Melanie Dolechek, Executive Director | info@sspnet.org | 303-422-3914
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