The 35th Annual World Petrochemical Conference is off.
The three-day event, scheduled to start March 24th at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside was canceled by organizer IHT Markit.
In a statement on their webpage IHT stated: "Our decision was made following recent guidance from health officials and in light of the rapid growth in global cases of COVID-19, as well as increasing travel restrictions and other circumstances."
According to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, another smaller human resource technology conference, MTM Impact Symposium at the JW Marriott on Canal Street was also canceled.
MTM is replacing the event with a online virtual symposium starting March 11--the same day it was to kick off in New Orleans.
Despite the cancellation of these two events New Orleans and Company, the top agency in charge of marketing New Orleans to the world, is not taking this lying down.
N.O.&Co. Vice President of Communications and Public Relations Kristian Sonnier is fighting fear with facts.
"To ensure there aren't wide spread cancellations after [these]," Sonnier says. "We're reminding everyone that all of the health experts are telling us there's no reason to cancel domestic travel or events taking place in the U.S."
Sonnier says N.O.&Co. is reaching out to event planners, hosts, and travel organizations that New Orleans is staying open and reiterating domestic air travel is safe and there are no cases of Coronavirus in Louisiana.
Losing these events, especially one as important as the World Petrochemical Conference, has left the New Orleans Hilton Riverside and JW Marriott scrambling to fill rooms.
"They have a hole to fill, and it's not easy to fill those gaps when groups start canceling," Sonnier says. "So that's why we're working so hard to provide information that allows our visitors educated decisions on travel."
N.O.&Co. is going to great lengths to allay fears about Coronavirus.
The agency is working with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and the New Orleans Department of Health.
Sonnier praises Dr. Jennifer Avegno, Director of the New Orleans Health Department, for her help: "She's offered to talk to groups that are considering cancellations."
"I want to be clear," Sonnier emphasizes. "When we tell our visitors it's safe to visit New Orleans, that's not because New Orleans and Company says so, we're relaying what health experts are telling us."
New Orleans and Company has a page about Coronavirus Preparedness in New Orleans with links to several local, national and international health organizations with the latest on Coronavirus.
Click Here to access that page.
"We did this to make sure people who are considering travel to New Orleans are basing their decisions on facts not fear are there."