ABO Expands Online Events and Collaborations in Wake of COVID-19

Planning is underway to bring elements of the 2020 Algae Biomass Summit online

Speakers at the Algae Biomass SummitAll of us at the Algae Biomass Organization hope that you are safe and healthy as the world confronts an unprecedented crisis that has upended lives and made it necessary to adjust almost every aspect of business. 

At ABO we are busy ensuring the safety of our operations, but also keeping an eye on how we can continue to support the algae industry. To move forward on our mission, we are already implementing online options for many of our events and workshops.

On March 19, our Algae Technical Standards Focus Group Discussion was moved to an online collaboration, and we were pleased to see strong attendance and participation. The following week, our annual board meeting was also held virtually, instead of in Washington, DC as originally planned.

ABO’s flagship event, the Algae Biomass Summit, is scheduled to take place this September 8-11 at the University of California, San Diego. As this crisis evolves our top priority is the health and safety of our algae community and Summit attendees. We are currently examining options that would allow us to make much of the event’s programming available online for those unable to travel this fall. 

We are also examining how some of these online options could even enhance the Summit’s role as a venue for networking, sharing innovations, and learning about the latest developments in our fast-moving industry. Speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and other attendees will all find new and exciting ways to engage with the world’s largest gathering of algae professionals.

As the global situation evolves, we will keep you updated on any changes that will be required to make the 2020 Summit a success.

In the meantime, the Summit’s planning committee is moving forward with building our 2020 program. The abstracts submitted so far suggest we will have the most diverse agenda yet.

Interested in presenting your own scientific, commercial or other algae industry milestones at the Summit? You can still submit an abstract for consideration as a speaker or poster presenter.

ABO wishes you all the best in these trying times. Stay safe, and keep in mind that we will emerge from this crisis. Let’s keep our momentum going.