February 25, 2020	"Irreverent, but never irrelevant"
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Futures Industry Association Cancels Prestigious Boca International Conference Due an Abundance of Caution Because of Global Coronavirus Outbreak

The Futures Industry Association has cancelled its International Conference in Boca Raton, Florida scheduled to start next week out of “an abundance of caution.” The FIA board reportedly voted unanimously to cancel the event due to the risk of spreading the coronavirus, which has spread to 65 different countries around the world and seen over 88,000 people infected with the virus.

The Boca Raton conference is the most important conference of the year for the Futures Industry Association, as it brings derivatives, capital and environmental markets leaders from around the world to the popular Boca Raton Resort and Club.

The conference was to run from March 10-12, 2020. This would have been the 45th year of the Boca Conference, which the FIA bills as its “most powerful and prestigious event.” Registration fees will be refunded.

The CFTC has also reportedly cancelled its CFTC International Regulators Meeting in Boca Raton as a result of the FIA Boca conference cancellation, according to a CFTC source.

More than 740 people were registered for the event, according to an attendee list distributed by the FIA a couple of weeks ago.

This year’s event was to feature a keynote address by Kara Swisher, Editor-at-Large, Recode & Host, Recode Decode Podcast. There was also a one-on-one discussion planned by the former journalist and Chief Experience Officer, Intercontinental Exchange & Executive Vice Chairman

NYSE Group Betty Liu with Ken Griffin, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Citadel.

On Friday, FIA announced they were following the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and asking people who have traveled through or come in contact with someone who has traveled through Mainland China, South Korea, Japan, Iran or Italy.

Additionally, people who have been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis should not attend. FIA also said they would have lots of hand sanitizer available and was handing out N95 face masks at the registration desk. They also banned hugging and handshakes from the conference.

John Lothian News was planning on bringing six people to the conference and conducting its annual Industry Leader video series. In recent days, banks and media companies have banned employees from traveling, including JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, CNN and the Wall Street Journal.

In Chicago, the International Houseware Trade Show was cancelled due to the virus, with over 60,000 people expected for the show.

The next major conference the FIA has planned is in June in London where they hold International Derivatives EXPO, or IDX. There are also smaller events in Paris and Washington, DC and Sydney, Australia in the coming months on the FIA events calendar.

FIA statement on Boca 2020 cancellation

Washington, DC—It is with great disappointment that FIA has decided to cancel its 45th Annual Boca International Futures Industry Conference on March 10-12 due to concerns for the health and wellbeing of our conference attendees surrounding the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. ​After discussions with FIA’s board of directors this morning, as well as with key stakeholders in the industry, it has become clear that cancellation is the right thing to do to protect the health of our members and participants.

The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control continue to escalate the threat levels surrounding the Coronavirus, with experts predicting that cases will grow materially in the U.S. leading up to next week’s meeting. In addition, many of FIA’s members have implemented non-essential travel restrictions that make it difficult for panelists, speakers and participants to attend the conference, including key stakeholders within investment banks, asset management firms, exchanges, clearinghouses and regulators.

We did not make this decision lightly. For four decades, Boca has served as the place where our industry comes together to share ideas, broker deals, foster relationships and reacquaint with friends. We cannot fully express our disappointment.

We can now focus on ensuring our markets remain open to manage the volatility surrounding these events--and importantly, on the health of the people critical to keeping these markets working. We appreciate the understanding and support of our members and look forward to Boca 2021 on March 16-18.