Statement e-Assessment Question Conference 2020 postponed

Statement from Matt Wingfield, Chair of the e-Assessment Association

Following the latest government advice recommending stronger social distancing measures in relation to the on-going situation with the Coronavirus (Covid-19), the Board of the e-Assessment Association has had to re-evaluate the options for the e-Assessment Question Conference and e-Assessment Awards Ceremony on the 22nd and 23rd April.

As a result we cannot see a way of safely running a face to face conference and awards ceremony, and feel that it is thus both necessary and sensible to change our approach to this event, and as a result I can confirm that the physical conference will NOT be taking place on the 22nd/23rd April 2020.

However, we are actively investigating options for delivering a virtual event instead, bringing you the same high-quality speakers, thought provoking presentations, as well as the opportunity to engage with and ask questions to presenters, sponsors and exhibitors throughout the event. We are aiming to share further details about our plans for this, together with details of when and how this will be held, as soon as possible. 

Regrettably, there are fewer options for the Gala Dinner associated with the 2020 e-Assessment Awards on the evening of Wednesday 22nd April, and so we have had to take the decision to cancel this dinner, and we will be in touch with individual ticket holders shortly about this.

That said, we are very keen to press ahead with the 2020 Awards Ceremony itself and are currently finalising plans to hold this virtually. We all need some good news at the moment and we feel that it is only right that we continue with our plans for this awards ceremony and reward all of the work that our finalists have put into their entries. Again, we will share further details on this and how to register for this awards ceremony in the coming days.

Now, more than ever, it would seem vital to share our industry knowledge and experience collectively as one strong voice and source of information, and so we are very keen to ensure that we explore all options for pushing ahead with the conference in a way that we hope will resonate strongly with our core aim of supporting greater use of digital technologies to support and deliver assessments.

I appreciate that those who have already committed to support and/or attend the physical conference will have many questions about our plans, and I really do appreciate your patience as we finalise these. A more detailed update will be shared with everyone next week.

In the meantime, I hope that the impact of the current situation is as minimal as possible for you, your colleagues and your family.

Matt Wingfield

Chair, The e-Assessment Association