“such as” or “other similar occurrences beyond the reasonable control of the parties”). The Agreement may be cancelled by either party, without liability, damages, fees, or penalty, and any unused deposits or amounts paid shall be refunded, for any one or more of the above reasons, by written notice to the other party. If your nonprofit has to cancel a fundraising event due to coronavirus (also known as COVID-19), you’re probably wondering, “What do we do now?”But although you’re no doubt deeply disappointed and probably pretty frustrated that your plans have suddenly changed, know that the tough decisions you’re making for the health and safety of your donor community won’t go unnoticed. Some force majeure provisions include an exhaustive list of force majeure events (e.g. They could raise funds vi… The cancellation emails have to be sent to your attendees before an event occurs. 1. This includes all checkout areas, counters, door knobs, railings, and hardgoods. Postpone the physical event until COVID-19 has been contained and no longer poses the threat of a pandemic. How to Cancel an Event with the Least Drama (with Sample Email) Posted on Sep 20, 2019 by Amy Hufford Mar 17, 2020 Event planners are a special type of person — they deal with an almost infinite number of variables that can wreak havoc. Before you start creating your COVID-19 checklist, letter, or proposal, make sure that you have noted your purpose or objective. Example 3: Moving your event online. Many provisions are written narrowly, only to encompass circumstances making performance “illegal or impossible” (with some actually titled “Impossibility” rather than “Force Majeure”). We’ve drafted the following sample force majeure language, which can be edited as needed for your event contracts: The performance of the Agreement by either party shall be subject to force majeure, including but not limited to acts of God, fire, flood, natural disaster, war or threat of war, acts or threats of terrorism, civil disorder, unauthorized strikes, governmental regulation or advisory, recognized health threats as determined by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, or local government authority or health agencies (including but not limited to the health threats of COVID-19, H1N1, or similar infectious diseases), curtailment of transportation facilities, or other similar occurrence beyond the control of the parties, where any of those factors, circumstances, situations, or conditions or similar ones prevent, dissuade, or unreasonably delay at least 25 percent of prospective Event attendees from appearing at the Hotel, or where any of them make it illegal, impossible, inadvisable, or commercially impracticable to hold the Event or to fully perform the terms of the Agreement. Experts warn that even after the current COVID-19 outbreak is contained, there could be future resurgences of the virus. Note that, unless otherwise defined in the contract, acts of God are generally interpreted to include natural disasters but not public health emergencies like COVID-19. We’ve received many questions from our hosts and guests wondering how to move forward with, cancel, or postpone upcoming events. How to communicate a COVID-19 related event cancellation to your attendees. However, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Eventbrite gave your attendees the option to donate their tickets or accept a refund alternative instead. Nonprofit organizations are also well aware that it is difficult to promote an event to prospective attendees, even one scheduled several months out, when it cannot be determined if the event is actually going to be held (i.e. As responsible leaders, we need to continue to take appropriate steps and ensure that every decision we make is one with a focus on the health and safety of our athletes, members, staff and volunteers. Nonprofit organizations should first determine whether the force majeure provision clearly and obviously permits event cancellation at any time without penalty in circumstances of “mass illness,” “health pandemic,” or similar language; many force majeure provisions in event venue contracts do not address these circumstances and are written very narrowly to limit options for cancellation, thereby protecting the venue or vendor. If you had product launches planned as part of an event, shift or increase spend in digital advertising to replace the launch. recommended by the CDC. Because event contracts often require large deposits, nonprofit organizations should determine whether the contract provides for a return of pre-paid fees or payments for services already rendered. For that reason, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel [insert event name]. When Should You Write an Event Cancellation Letter? COVID-19 and Economic Impact Resource Center, Event Contract Cancellation in the Time of COVID-19, Pillsbury’s advisories about insurance implications. Begin the letter by informing that the event has been canceled. Amidst the widespread disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofit organizations must make difficult decisions on whether to cancel meetings, conferences, expos and other events. We are cleaning and disinfecting common areas every hour. In fact, this experience can show your opportunities for growth…and may form the foundation for a very successful event in the future. Keep it formal and be apologetic in the tone of your letter. Force majeure provisions generally include a standard of severity for assessing whether circumstances rise to the level of a force majeure event. when the COVID-19 crisis will have an “end”). We have reduced the hours that we are open to make sure staff does not get worn out. This message is to notify you that I am [canceling/postponing] my wedding on MM/DD/YYYY, due to concerns about coronavirus. HIMSS20 joins a handful of technology conferences that have announced plans to cancel or postpone their events in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, including Google … If you have cancelled an event anywhere in York Region and would like to let the community know, simply fill out the form below. As nonprofit organizations look ahead toward planning future events, we suggest including a force majeure provision that specifically covers COVID-19 and similar developments. Charlotte informed us that: “It seems as though if your venue closes and is unable to host your wedding or if a close relative were forced to self-isolate or passed away (of the virus or something else), then you would be entitled to compensation. “My national association client’s annual conference —1,500 attendees from all over the U.S. — was scheduled for April 2020 in Las Vegas, and like so many of us, had to cancel due to COVID-19,” Kerry Kerr, senior director of global accounts for HelmsBriscoe, wrote to the PCMA Catalyst community. Coronavirus (COVID-19) 7.31.2020 The impact of Coronavirus has been unlike anything our live event industry and the global community have ever experienced. Event cancellation email template for registrants Dear [registrant’s name], We feel that it is our responsibility to help flatten the coronavirus curve and keep you safe. Decisions by nonprofit organization event sponsors on how to address all of these issues are made particularly challenging by the uncertainty regarding how long the virus’s threat will last and the length of government-mandated shelter-in-place orders, bans on mass gatherings, and social-distancing policies and recommendations. Cancelling Large Events due to COVID-19 Follow. For example, concern for community spread may be enough to render an event inadvisable, but not illegal or impossible, while a shelter-in-place order or a ban on travel in effect at the time of an event would support an impossibility argument. In addition to contracts with event venues such as hotels and convention centers, there may be contracts with vendors of event-related services, such as providers of transportation, decoration, drayage, and audio-visual services. This postponement is being made in the interest of public safety. In recent days we have seen the continued spread of COVID-19 around the world and here in Santa Clara County. I understand that my $XXX deposit for your services is nonrefundable. By now, you have likely heard news of school and business closings as well the canceling of social and community events to prevent further spread of the virus. End the letter by saying that you hope people will enjoy the event later whenever it is held. Most event venue contracts provide for the payment of liquidated damages in the event of cancellation, and those payments often escalate as the event dates draw nearer. We will be increasing the number of hand sanitizer stations. Example 1: For when your event is cancelled. Due to COVID-19, dependent on the provider, there is no coverage standard set out. Organizations might choose to wait to cancel until closer to the event dates to determine whether the facts will support the standard required by the contract; though this can risk incurring escalated cancellation penalties if the force majeure clause ultimately does not apply. In order to do this, we have decided to cancel [insert event name]. In fact, this experience can show your opportunities for growth, and may form the foundation for a very successful event in the future. Under these contracts, it helps to show evidence of actual cancellations by prospective attendees due to COVID-19. Before contemplating a reduction please review our FAQ on Unemployment and Lay-Offs (on the COVID-19 website) and our RIF Checklist for members only (search RIF when logged into the CAI webpage), which can apply to lay-off situations as well. 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