UNFORTUNATELY – WE HAVE TO REDUCE THE SEPAWA® CONGRESS 2020 TO A VIRTUAL EVENT

Dear attendees, for 66 years the SEPAWA® CONGRESS has been a continuous success story. Now a pandemic with its consequences has seized the world and our congress is not spared. The rapid recent developments of Covid-19 infections in Berlin and the consequences that parts of Berlin – such as the district Neukölln, where the ECC ESTREL Convention Center is located – have been declared risk areas and hotspots, have prompted the SEPAWA® Executive Board to reassess the situation.

Although the ECC ESTREL Congress Centre is able to comply with all current hygiene regulations, the health and safety of our members and friends is certainly more important than any congress. Furthermore, we want to avoid that returnees from Berlin might have to go into quarantine. These regulations in Schleswig-Holstein and Rheinland-Pfalz – and possibly in the future other federal states – as well as entry restrictions from countries that have or are risk areas, led to a massive wave of cancellations by our exhibitors in the last few days.

It is to be feared that this situation will worsen in the near future. As a result, a sustainable and successful live congress 2020 in Berlin would no longer be possible, which we very much regret.

The SEPAWA® board has therefore decided, despite considerable economic losses and costs, to hold the 67th SEPAWA® CONGRESS exclusively virtually. Nearly all presentations and exhibitors can be visited on the virtual platform. You will receive further information about this shortly and also on our website you will find information about the online congress.

We ask our members and friends to support this virtual congress with their participation and make it a success within the circumstances. In the past the non-profit SEPAWA® e.V. has contributed significantly to the effective exchange and networking of our members and congress participants and has also financially supported and promoted many projects for further education and training. This remains the goal of our association.

We hope that you will continue to remain loyal to us with your support and look forward to a live reunion in 2021.

Your SEPAWA® Board