School Transportation News canceled its STN EXPO Indianapolis + TSD Conference amid an ongoing spike in COVID-19 infections nationwide and travel restrictions placed on many state agency, school district and vendor employees.
The two conferences were combined and rescheduled for Oct. 8-13, after individually being postponed earlier this year because of the health crisis. “Like many other organizations, we have been monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects throughout the U.S. The health and safety of our attendees and suppliers is paramount,” said Tony Corpin, president of STN Media Group and publisher of the magazine.
The TSD Conference is moving to a virtual event, scheduled for Nov. 9-11. More details on registration and an agenda will be announced in the coming weeks.
He explained that the company took notice of a recent National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) survey of all state directors last month. The findings were that the vast majority of states prohibit all out-of-state travel until further notice. NASDPTS subsequently canceled its annual meeting scheduled for early November.
“This will also affect the ability of many school transportation professionals to participate in any in-person events until health concerns are resolved,” Corpin added. “We believe it would be neither feasible nor wise to ask or expect our attendees and vendors as well as our own staff to travel to Indianapolis in October, especially in light of the recent surge in cases throughout the Sunbelt and now in many Midwestern states.”
Meanwhile, the Student Transportation Association of Indiana annual conference, which was set to officially be held during STN EXPO Indy starting this year, is also canceled.
“STAI is saddened to learn that STN will have to cancel its 2020 conference in Indiana. We understand that this decision was not made lightly and that STN had to take the safety of all attendees into consideration,” STAI’s executive board said in a statement. “We appreciate the opportunities STN has given to STAI and we look forward to a continued partnership in the future. The STAI Board of Directors would also like to say thank you to the conference committee who have worked so hard over the past year planning ‘Indiana Day at STN.’ We look forward to seeing everyone in 2021.”
In addition to a virtual TSD event, STN also presents the inaugural, virtual Bus Technology Summit Sept. 21-24. The event will feature new product releases, presentations, roundtable discussions, networking, and a virtual trade show experience, to help attendees survive COVID-19 and set themselves up for success once the pandemic ends.
An official announcement will also be made by mid-September on the fate of STN EXPO Reno, which was postponed from July to November.
STN looks forward to once again presenting in-person events in 2021. The TSD Conference in Frisco, Texas, is scheduled for March 19-24, with the STN EXPO Indianapolis planned for June 11-16 and STN EXPO Reno July 9-14. Stay tuned for updates on these events as well as others.
