UPDATED MARCH 13, 2020

The health and safety of each and every member of our milling community and our staff is of the utmost importance to us. After closely monitoring the risk and impact of COVID-19 on a daily basis, and speaking at length with members of our community, IAOM has decided to cancel the Annual Conference & Expo, which had been scheduled for April 6-10, 2020, at the Oregon Convention Center and Hyatt Regency Portland hotel.

The recent developments regarding COVID-19, including, but not limited to, the declaration by the WHO of COVID-19 as a pandemic, various company-imposed travel restrictions on employees, and the Oregon Governor’s ban on gatherings with more than 250 people, made it impossible to effectively execute an April event. Driven by our responsibility to produce a great event and best serve the interests of the milling community, we made the decision to cancel the event in 2020.

We are in uncharted waters and appreciate your support and understanding as we work through the details of canceling this event. It will be only the second time in our history that an IAOM conference won’t be held – the other time was in 1945 during World War II concerns for group travel and mass meetings. We will process full refunds for all registrations. Exhibitors will receive a separate email outlining the options for their refunds. Please allow four weeks for refunds to be processed.

Please remember to cancel any hotel reservations you may have made.

We are definitely disappointed to not be able to bring this conference to the milling community, but we know that the health and safety of everyone involved is too important to put at risk.

We will be holding the IMEF Auction via the Handbid app through April 9 – look for additional information about that important fundraising event for the International Milling Education Foundation. Download the Handbid app through your App Store, or participate online at: https://events.handbid.com/auctions/11th-annual-imef-auction.

The IAOM board of directors will meet virtually on April 6. In addition to their regular business, they will vote on the proposed bylaw amendments. Please share any of your concerns about the amendments with an officer or your district director prior to April 6. We’ll work with the IAOM Committee Chairs on scheduling virtual committee meetings so they can continue their important work.

We look forward to greeting you in Little Rock, Arkansas on April 13, 2021 for the opening of our 125th Anniversary Conference & Expo.

Please stay safe, use good hand hygiene and make plans to attend your district’s or region’s meetings this summer and fall!

Where can I read more about coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Here are some resources we find helpful:

World Health Organization

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention