What is SFWA doing about the Nebula conference in response to COVID-19?

At the moment, SFWA is planning to hold the conference with adjustments to reduce the risks of spreading the virus. The SFWA Board and the Nebula Conference events team are talking about this evolving situation daily including the possibility that things may shift enough that we need to cancel the in-person event. We will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments.

The Nebulas are 80 days away and every day brings us a better understanding of what’s happening with COVID-19.

Our challenge is that the hotel will not allow us to cancel the event without paying penalties unless it is “illegal or impossible” to host it. Similarly, they will not offer us any refunds. This limits our choices. With that said, the board’s priority in decision-making still remains with the health and safety of our attendees and by extension their families.

Our team has been discussing a variety of what-if scenarios and how to make the conference as safe as possible. We want to take time to do this right and think that we have the time to do that. We know that you need to make plans as well. We are not going to do any price-hikes between now and the conference to reduce the pressure on you to make a decision. 

Look for an email from SFWA by mid-April with the details of the revised Nebula Conference. Thank you for your patience while we replan.

The Board of Directors
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America