April 22, 2020
Dear Colleagues of the Ontario Presenting and Touring Sector,
After much deliberation, the Ontario Presents board of directors has decided to cancel Ontario Contact 2020, originally scheduled for September 10-12 in London, Ontario.
The reason for the cancellation is the certainty that we will not be able to convene a conference during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis.
The board wishes to assure the sector that it did not make this decision lightly. However, it was clear that in light of the unprecedented situation in which we find ourselves, Ontario Contact could not possibly proceed as planned. Ontario Presents board and staff have been carefully monitoring the progress of the pandemic both at home and abroad, and believe it to be unlikely that we will be able to gather for a large, cross-region conference in early September.
This impact of the crisis is creating huge ripple effects on our sector. With the enormous levels of financial instability, the uncertainty of when venues will be able to open their doors, the need to focus on recovery, and the large number of events being moved into the fall, we have determined to focus our efforts on alternate ways of bringing artists, agents, presenters and audiences together.
Plans are proceeding for a conference in the fall of 2021, to be held in Orillia, Ontario.
Sincerely,
Warren Garrett Cheryl Ewing
Executive Director Ontario Contact Manager