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.

We are now less than six months away from LendIt Fintech USA 2020 to be held at the Javits Center in New York City on May 13-14 next year. We are just starting to fill out our speaker roster so if you would like to be considered as a speaker now is the time to act. I recorded the short video below with my fellow co-founder, Bo Brustkern, CEO of LendIt Fintech, to give you an idea of what we are looking for when it comes to a speaking role.

To be part of LendIt Fintech’s exclusive speaker faculty please send us your most provocative and innovative ideas. This should (obviously) not be a sales pitch for your company, it should be an original idea that will help drive the industry forward. As I said in the video to have the best chance of being included as a speaker next year you should submit your idea by December 31st. I look forward to reading your submissions.