The Milken Institute Global Conference has been postponed until July 7 – July 10 due to growing concerns over the coronavirus, it was announced Saturday.
The 23rd annual gathering was set to take place May 2 – May 6 in Beverly Hills. The venue for the event — which brings together international leaders in the business, government, science, philanthropy and academia sectors — will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Even though attendee registration and commitments from major speakers were outpacing previous years, we felt it was important to make this decision now to help our key constituents plan accordingly,” Michael Klowden, Milken Institute CEO, said in a statement. “Through our centers in the United States and abroad, and together with partners in the public and private sectors, we will continue our efforts to advance understanding and catalyze solutions to major economic and health challenges, including the current crisis. We look forward to convening a productive and timely Global Conference in July.”
The spread of coronavirus has imposed big changes on major entertainment, tech and cultural industry players, altering workplace policies and severely impacting what was originally going to be a busy slate of premieres, conventions and events in spring 2020.
On Friday, the 2020 South by Southwest cultural festival was canceled just a week before the festival was to begin. On Saturday, AFI postponed its upcoming ceremony honoring Julie Andrew with its Life Achievement award.
On March 6, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health announced that two new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the state, but noted there are no known public exposure locations. There have been at least 11 reported deaths due to the virus.