Conference Cancellation
March 18, 2020
Dear friends,
First and foremost, we hope you are staying safe and well during these challenging times.
As you are likely aware, the province of Ontario has issued a state of emergency in its latest response to slow the spread of COVID-19.
During this time, we recognize that all of us, now more than ever, have a responsibility to take precautions in order to protect our communities and most vulnerable. As educators, our members are already making difficult decisions at their institutions to safeguard staff and students. Whether that means working ’round the clock to apply for third-party approval from the ministry so they can transition their students to online classes or making the painful decision to close their campus doors. Our members’ actions have defined us during a time of crisis. We, as your association, must do the same.
It is with a heavy heart that we are cancelling the 2020 CCO Conference. Although we are saddened to take this measure, we are committed to following the advice of medical professionals and wish to take every precaution to ensure your well-being and that of our members, their staff and students.
We want to assure you that this decision comes at no cost to you. All delegates, sponsors and exhibitors will receive a full refund of their registration fees. And, any raffle prizes that have been donated will be returned. Refunds can take approximately 7 days to go through once issued through our event platform, so we ask for your patience at this time.
For those of you who have reserved rooms at the JW Marriott Hotel under our room rate, you may have already noticed an email stating your reservation has been cancelled and a refund issued.
Some of you may also be wondering what this means for the CCO Awards. While this is still a fluid situation, we plan to convene with our judges in the coming days. We have every intention of celebrating the accomplishments of our sector, its students and the dedicated instructors who work tirelessly to change lives for the better. While we regret we cannot hold a ceremony deserving of these individuals, we will explore every avenue available to us to express our gratitude for their work in improving our sector and communities. We ask all of you to support us in this effort. We will be leaving our awards page up for all of you to participate. If you would like to nominate to the CCO Awards, please visit www.ccoconference.com. The deadline to nominate is April 15.
We understand many of our members are likely to have questions following this announcement. These are complex times; actions are being taken much faster than we’re all used to and the information floods in at all hours like a torrent, leaving us precious time to process the news. For many of you, these are stressful times, and we will do everything we can to assuage your concerns and continue to keep you informed.
Please direct any questions to:
Dyson Wells
Marketing & Communications Officer
519-752-2124 Ext. 115
dysonwells@careercollegesontario.ca
On behalf of the Career Colleges Ontario team, thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Christopher Conway
Chief Executive Officer
Adrian Sharma
Board Chair