The Covid-19 health crisis has had a profound effect on the world. To stop the spread of Covid-19, many countries are putting their citizens under stay at home orders, restricting travel, and banning larger gatherings. Therefore, many international events were canceled or postponed to later this year. While in-person conferences have many benefits, the wellbeing of participants and health measures to stop the virus spread come first.

This safety-first approach is also true for SMPTE, for which the health and safety of its members is and will always be of utmost importance. For this reason, SMPTE decided to hold its next series of Technology Committee Plenaries or Standards meetings as a virtual event instead of coming together in-person. We love our quarterly gatherings, but we do think that avoiding personal contact and holding a virtual event will allow SMPTE to do its part in preventing the spread of Covid-19.