March 16, 2020 — 11:00 a.m. EDT

USITT Exhibitors,
 
I wanted to share an update with you all today on the USITT 2020 Service Providers cancellation and refund policies as USITT, and our attorneys, continue to work with these providers to ensure the best outcome for you.

Should you have any additional questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at any time. 

Please stay tuned for more updates and news as it becomes available. In the meantime, please stay safe and stay well. 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support. I look forward to seeing you next year in Columbus, if not before! 

Sincerely,
Cody B. Hann
 
Booth Funds  
USITT will automatically roll over any funds you have spent towards your 2020 booth space to your 2021 presence at our show in Columbus, OH – March 10-13, 2021. If you are not planning on attending the 2021 show, please contact me to make other arrangements. Deadline to make other arrangements is April 1, 2020. 
USITT is working to process requested refunds as quickly as possible.
 
Sponsorship and Advertising Funds 
USITT is making arrangements to have a portion of our 2020 Conference material presented virtually online in the coming weeks and months. With this will come sponsorship and advertising opportunities and additional ways to engage with the USITT membership. We will be in touch soon with our sponsors and advertisers on these options.
 
Additional Conference Registration Refunds
You will receive an email from Convention Data Services or UISTT this week if you purchased additional badges for your booth staff or company employees to attend the conference outside of what is included with your booth and are able. This email will have instructions on how you can roll over these registrations to 2021, get a full refund on these for 2020, or even donate these registration funds to USITT.  

Shepard Exposition Services Refund Policy 
Any funds spent with Shepard Exposition Services on decorator orders will be refunded in the coming days and weeks. If you have already sent freight to the Advanced Warehouse, there will be a percentage of this which is non-refundable. Shepard Exposition Services will be reaching out to these exhibitors individually to see how best to get materials back. 

Connections Housing Refund Policy
If you made your reservations through Connections Housing, USITT’s official housing provider, those reservations will be cancelled. You may receive additional emails from Connections Housing on behalf of USITT. If you made your reservations yourself through other methods, it is your responsibility to cancel these reservations. 
 
USITT 2021 Stage Expo Rebook 
Please look out for more information in the coming weeks on our 2021 virtual rebook process. We will continue using the same method for the order in which we process these rebooks as in past years, however this will be done virtually this year instead of in person. More information on our 2021 Annual Conference and Stage Expo can be found here. 
 
Levy Catering Refund Policy 
All orders have been cancelled and if payments have been made, these will be refunded in the coming days and weeks. 
 
Staging Solutions Refund Policy
Upon consultation with our attorneys, they have advised the following which was sent to Staging Solutions on Friday (3/13).
 
Given the declaration of a national emergency with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, Section 14 (Force Majeure) of Staging Solutions’ Terms and Conditions is applicable.  Moreover, it has become impossible for USITT’s exhibitors to perform their Agreements with Staging Solutions, since this emergency forced USITT to cancel its 2020 Annual Conference & Stage Expo. Therefore, the actions by our exhibitors are not “cancellations” subject to Section 8 of Staging Solutions’ Terms and Conditions, but rather terminations based on performance being prevented by Force Majeure and impossibility. As a result, cancellations fees are not applicable and all exhibitors should receive full refunds of prepaid amounts.
 
Smart City Refund Policy
Upon consultation with our attorneys, they have advised the following.
 
There is no Force Majeure provision in the Smart City Terms and Conditions. A contract party cannot make a “common law” claim of Force Majeure, it is either in the contract or it is not. We are not Texas lawyers and we cannot advise your exhibitors how to proceed. However, they appear to have two choices: (1) pay the 10% Cancellation Fee provided for in the Smart City Terms and Conditions or (2) claim impossibility of performance under Texas common law because USITT cancelled the event due to the COVID-19 crisis.
 
CDS Lead Retrieval Refund Policy
USITT is working with Convention Data Services and will continue to share information as it develops.

March 11, 2020 — 9:55 p.m. EDT

The USITT Board of Directors, in an unanimous vote, has cancelled the 2020 Annual Conference & Stage Expo scheduled for April 1-4 in Houston.

USITT will update Conference attendees and exhibitors tomorrow (Mar. 12) with details.