ATLANTA – It’s no secret that several trade shows and conferences have been canceled and/or gone virtual this year due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The company that puts on Construction Super Conference (Emerald) has had to adjust, as has every other conference organizer in the U.S. and throughout the world.

When the pandemic first took hold in mid March, it seemed far-fetched that the in-person CSC, scheduled for Dec. 7-9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, could be in jeopardy. And as of this writing on Aug. 20, the in-person show is indeed still on. Will it stay that way? The team at Emerald has not yet made that final decision.

For now, we are taking stock of the remarkable knowledge pool that fuels CSC, and it is this group of people who make the annual conference a must-attend for so many stakeholders in the construction-based legal community.

Some have questioned the relevance of in-person trade shows/conferences in 2020, but viewing relevance through the lens of 2020 yields a fundamentally distorted point of view. The fact is that when you ask the question, the vast majority of potential attendees continue to use a certain phrase—pent-up demand comes to mind.

We in the conference profession are unquestionably “people-driven.” Attorneys are also a talkative and affable group. We are incurably optimistic, and it’s our goal to leverage the experience of Emerald with the knowledge of our participants to further this field.

What will CSC look like this particular year? That’s still being decided, but rest assured that we are still here. And like much of America, we are hopeful that a new normal can be prosperous, enlightening, and successful. Stay tuned for more information via Third Thursday.

Kevin Gaffney, CEM, is vice president and group show director, Construction SuperConference.