Steel Products

SMU Steel Summit Conference – Protocols, Platform, Webinar About the Conference

Written by John Packard


There are now two weeks to go before the start of the 2021 SMU Steel Market Update Conference, which will begin at 9 a.m. ET at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) on Aug. 23.  I do not have an update on the registrations since Thursday of last week when we had more than 950 executives registered to attend. Of those, approximately 35 are virtual and the balance are in-person. We anticipate close to 1,000 attendees (which includes speakers but not staff) of which 50+ will be virtual and the balance in person.  

The Delta variant of the coronavirus is making things more challenging. However, we believe we can run a safe and enjoyable Steel Summit Conference if everyone follows the mandated protocols (mandated by the CDC, local authorities and the GICC, not SMU or our parent company). SMU will not cancel this year’s event unless the CDC and the State of Georgia mandate the cancellation of in-person events.

questionWe have done a risk analysis and we concur with the directives we have received from the GICC. Masks must be worn inside the convention center unless eating or drinking. We are recommending social distancing and to be aware of your surroundings. There will be sanitation stations throughout the convention center.

However, the best way to mitigate any risk of serious illness is to come to the conference fully vaccinated. You can get a Johnson & Johnson shot on Monday and be considered fully vaccinated when the conference begins.

For those who are uncomfortable traveling to Atlanta, we do have the option to stream the conference at your office or home at no additional charge. If you would like to make a change to your registration, please contact: conferences@crugroup.com

If you do chose to make a change from live to virtual, please remember to cancel your room reservation.

For those who arrive in Atlanta and want to spread your risk, you can also use the conference platform to stream the presentations from the comfort of your hotel room, restaurant, or any other location that has internet service.

The conference platform, which is now open to all registered attendees, contains the listing of all registered executives with their names, title, and company name. You can email them directly from the platform should you want to make an appointment or introduce yourself. During the conference, you will be able to stream the live presentation, check the program, speakers, and speaker PowerPoint presentations. You can make notes on the platform that you can then email to yourself. You can also view presentations you may have missed for up to two weeks after the conclusion of the event (allow 12 to 24 hours after the live event before the on-demand video will be available).

There will be live support people on the conference platform from 8 a.m. until noon ET all of this week.

Steel SummitWe will have a free webinar about the conference agenda, protocols and how to use the platform on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 11 a.m. ET. You can register for this free webinar by clicking here.

Note: Protocols are subject to change and are determined by CDC, State of Georgia, and the Georgia International Convention Center. In the week leading up to the conference, we will send out specific emails to all attendees with the protocols that will be in place during the event.

For more information about the conference agenda, click here.

For information about costs and how to register, click here.

If you have any questions, please send them to: conferences@crugroup.com

By John Packard, John@SteelMarketUpdate.com

 

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