Amid coronavirus concerns, Alltech rethinks its giant annual conference in Lexington
Nicholasville-based global animal nutrition company Alltech announced Monday that it will not hold its traditional massive conference in Lexington in May due to concerns about the global COVID-19 outbreak.
Instead, the company will host the annual event virtually, livestreaming the “Alltech ONE Virtual Experience.”
“Our first priority remains the health and safety of attendees, our colleagues and the communities in which we live and work,” Alltech President and CEO Mark Lyons said in the announcement. “With that in mind, we have decided to host this year’s international conference on a virtual platform, allowing registrants from around the world to engage in industry-leading content in a way that is accessible for everyone.”
The conference, which has been held for 35 years, was scheduled to be held May 17-19 in Lexington at the convention center. More than 3,500 attendees from 70 countries were expected to travel to the Bluegrass area for panels on the global food supply chain, including agribusiness, aquaculture, beef, dairy, pigs, poultry and the future of food.
Now, Alltech said, keynote presentations will be livestreamed and on-demand video content will be available beginning May 18, along with presentations from previous years.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Tourism Industry Association and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, said that the coronavirus outbreak could have “potential far-reaching repercussions . . . including the threat of serious economic implications. At the center of those implications are jobs and what a significant interruption of commerce can mean for workers, their families and our communities. The tourism industry alone supports over 94,000 Kentucky jobs.”
In a news release, the groups thanked Gov. Andy Beshear and public health officials, who have encouraged Kentuckians to go about their daily lives and emphasized that the risk to most people remains low.
“We are encouraging businesses to exercise caution and assist employees who may show symptoms of illness,” the chamber and the tourism industry group said. “All employers should be ready to implement strategies to protect their workforce from the coronavirus, while ensuring continuity of operations.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 3:55 PM.
