(Washington, D.C.) — With the announcement that Gov. Ralph Northam had issued a “stay-at-home” order for the Commonwealth of Virginia through June 10, 2020, the American Battlefield Trust has accordingly postponed its 2020 Annual Conference. The event had originally been scheduled to occur June 3–7, in Chantilly; other public events and tours through May 15 had previously been postponed until later dates.
Instead, the organization is planning to expand an already scheduled October event into a “Fall Conference” and hold the Chantilly event next year. When conveying the news to Conference registrants, Trust director of events Melissa Sadler sought to focus on the positive. “First and foremost,” she wrote, “We’ve decided to move the Chantilly conference to 2021 — tours, historians and all, lock, stock, and barrel. We’re already working with the hotel to find a mutually agreeable date.”
The second element of the Trust’s rescheduling plan is to transform the annual Grand Review weekend — a small gathering typically reserved for major donors — into a large-scale public event for which anyone can register. That event will take place October 22 – 25, 2020, in Richmond, Va.
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For Sadler, the reasoning behind such a shift is simple: “Two years is far too long to wait and see our Conference family.”
Those who had already registered for the Chantilly event can request a full refund or apply their registration fee toward either the Richmond or future Chantilly event. Alternately, they may choose to direct that fee as a donation toward the Trust’s operating expenses during these uncertain times.
The latest details on rescheduling of postponed events and the status of future gatherings will be posted online at www.battlefields.org/events.
The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 52,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.