Assisting Members is ABI’s Focus

May 8, 2020 | Hometown health Cindy Dietz, ABI Chair, Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids,

The global pandemic known as COVID-19 has changed the world in which we all live and conduct business. It has led to a major change at ABI as well.

Last month, the ABI Executive Committee and Board of Directors made the unprecedented decision to cancel the 2020 ABI Taking Care of Business Conference. That event, which would have been ABI’s 117th annual meeting, was scheduled to be held in my adopted hometown of Cedar Rapids in June. Everyone here in eastern Iowa was excited to host hundreds of Iowa’s best business leaders for three days of terrific programming, networking and fun. But, that is not to be.

The decision to cancel the conference was not made lightly and, in fact, several options were explored. The committee looked at postponing the conference until much later in the year or hosting a virtual event. In the end, the option with the least uncertainty and the least negative impact on ABI members and the association itself was to cancel the event.

Now is not the time to be taking members away from their businesses. Now is the time for ABI to focus on providing assistance to members in any way possible.

I am so very disappointed I won’t have the opportunity to welcome you to Cedar Rapids. But if there is light at the end of this tunnel, it’s that I am sure to see many of you in Iowa City/ Coralville for ABI’s 2021 conference! In the meantime, and perhaps now more than ever, thank you for your support of ABI.