The world is awash in coronavirus news. Google News is showing 894 million news articles for the term “coronavirus”, a word most of us had never heard of until this year. Even “COVID-19” has 255 million news articles. It is, without doubt, the most well covered new virus in history.
Here at LendIt we are starting to get questions from attendees, speakers and sponsors about our marquis event, LendIt Fintech USA 2020, happening in New York City on May 13-14, just over 10 weeks today. So, we wanted to provide an update for you.
The Show Will Go On
The LendIt Fintech team is committed to producing a great show as we have done every year since 2013. We know that for many companies in our industry, LendIt is their Superbowl, the place where they make the most connections, generate the most impactful leads, and learn the most important new trends in fintech. In short, the industry depends on us, and we will not let the industry down.
We have added a section to our FAQ page that spells out the precautions we are taking. And we have emailed all registered attendees, sponsors and speakers. Rest assured there will be hand sanitizer everywhere, common areas will be vigorously cleaned and we will have additional medical staff on site.
We are in regular touch with the Javits Center and the City of New York, who are constantly monitoring the situation. They are working hard to make sure all of the upcoming conferences, of which there are many, will be safe and productive for all attendees. If circumstances change we will certainly update everyone.
My Personal View
I have been saying privately for weeks that the death rate for COVID-19 has been dramatically overstated. Here is a recent article from the Cato Institute that affirms my opinion.
While I don’t want to minimize the dangers of the virus, the vast majority of people who contract COVID-19 experience mild symptoms. We may never know the actual mortality rate for this flu, nor does our crystal ball reveal the path of expansion and contraction it will take, but we can be confident that life will return to normal at some point.
Now, it could well be a new normal with increased awareness of cleanliness and health safety. But we don’t want to live or work without face to face contact with people. I obviously have a vested interest in people maintaining their normal life but it is also something I believe should happen. I am writing this article on a plane to New York City and I am more acutely aware of doing the simple things to protect myself than ever before. And that is probably a good thing.
As I said, the show will go on. My colleagues at LendIt are committed to providing a safe, hygienic environment in which you may develop your company in this dynamic and ever-changing industry.
Peter Renton is the chairman and co-founder of LendIt Fintech, the world’s first and largest digital media and events company focused on fintech. Peter has been writing about fintech since 2010 and he is the author and creator of the Fintech One-on-One Podcast, the first and longest-running fintech interview series. Peter has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The New York Times, CNBC, CNN, Fortune, NPR, Fox Business News, the Financial Times, and dozens of other publications.