HILTON HEAD, S.C. – The rescheduled Clemson University 2020 Global Tire Industry Conference has been canceled.
The annual gathering in Hilton Head, originally scheduled for April 28-30 and postponed until Sept. 1-3 due to pandemic concerns, has been scrapped "after careful consultation with our conference partners regarding the health and safety of our conference staff, speakers, and attendees," Nan Johnston, director for the Clemson Center for Corporate Learning, told participants in a mailing.
The organizers will contact participants regarding "full refunds depending on your payment status," the letter states.
"We did consider having an online virtual option, but felt that the unique quality of the conference lies in the face to face meetings and networking."
Plans are to hold the 2021 version of the conference in April. Conference organizers are holding off on scheduling specific dates for next year's gathering. They will see what happens with COVID-19 later this year before finalizing those details.
Held annually since 1985, the Clemson Tire Conference is a "comprehensive interdisciplinary conference designed to address developments throughout the field of tire design, research and manufacturing in all allied industries, whether directly or indirectly involved in tire making."
The conference is organized and presented by Clemson University's Center for Corporate Learning.