The devastation caused by Hurricane Ida has led to the cancellation of the in-person portion of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 2021 Annual Conference and Exposition, which was set to start next week in New Orleans, the organization announced Wednesday.
"The City of New Orleans, and the State of Louisiana, have been declared federal disaster areas and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared that a public health emergency exists in Louisiana," the IACP stated on its website. "These realities, coupled with the fact that the New Orleans Police Department is wholly focused on protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of New Orleans, made holding a conference the size and magnitude of IACP 2021 impracticable."
The in-person component of the IACP 2021 Annual Conference and Exposition was to run from Sept.
The IACP 2021 virtual meeting will continue, but those events will now be on Eastern Daylight Time. Exhibitor staff already registered to the full conference will be able to access that platform, and it will include a 9/11 memorial ceremony, speaking sessions and more than 100 on-demand workshops.
Confirmation emails linking to the online platform will be sent no later than Sept. 10, the organization stated. Those not receiving an email can contact the conference at [email protected].
We recognize that this news is disappointing. Like all of you, we were looking forward to convening in person, networking, and learning together.
Exhibitors and attendees with questions about the event's cancellation and refund policies can go to the organization's website for more information. They also can contact exhibits manager Gaye Dullaghan or meetings support manager David Lippe with questions via email.
"We recognize that this news is disappointing," the organization stated. "Like all of you, we were looking forward to convening in person, networking, and learning together."
IACP 2022 is scheduled to run from Oct. 15-18 in Dallas.
