The 2020 Milwaukee Blockchain Conference scheduled for Friday at Northwestern Mutual is being moved to the fall amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19, the disease resulting from the novel coronavirus that's now a pandemic, according to a message sent to attendees by Marquette University’s Blockchain Lab, the organizer of the event.
Northwestern Mutual hosted the second Milwaukee Blockchain Conference at its headquarters in 2018. The event drew more than 300 attendees. This year’s event was expected to draw more than 500 people and was slated to feature panel discussions, keynotes and pitches by university teams from the Midwest.
The Marquette Blockchain Lab issued an email to attendees late Wednesday evening.
“In light of new developments, and after careful consideration of risk and university and corporate travel policies, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to postpone our conference,” the statement read.
Tickets are being automatically transferred for attendance to the rescheduled event and sponsors will gain rights to digital content and advertising, the lab stated. Paying participants can request refunds through their Eventbrite registrations. The lab did not disclose a new date for the conference.
“Not taken lightly, our decision is based on professional recommendations from health experts, consultation with our diverse stakeholders, and in consideration of the impact of the virus on more than 50 national speakers. We have elected to play a role in helping to mitigate the risk of further exposure,” the statement continued.
While no coronavirus cases have been reported in Milwaukee County, there are six confirmed cases in Wisconsin, specifically in Dane, Pierce, Waukesha and Fond du Lac counties.
Marquette launched its blockchain lab in 2017. In November 2017, Marquette hosted an inaugural conference on blockchain to test the waters and gauge the level of curiosity about the technology, with more than 300 attendees.
