As an organization founded on the core tenet of safety, the health and well-being of the Association’s members and staff is a top priority. NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, on a daily basis, has been carefully monitoring the evolving landscape surrounding COVID-19 developments in the United States. The NATE Administrative Staff has engaged in extensive planning and devised a game plan to implement elaborate protocols to protect attendees.
However, in recent days, after further review of current COVID-19 trends, safety guidelines set forth by the state of Tennessee, the city of Memphis, and Shelby County (TN) Health Department, the NATE Board of Directors and Administrative Staff have determined that it is in the best interest of all members and industry stakeholders to cancel hosting NATE UNITE 2021 as an in-person conference and trade show in Memphis, Tennessee in February 2021.
“On behalf of the Association, we want to emphasize that despite our disappointment at how NATE UNITE 2021 has been impacted by the global public health concerns caused by COVID-19, we are more excited than ever about the future of NATE as an organization, of our annual conference, and our relationship with you,” NATE said in a statement.
“We value each and every sponsor, exhibitor, speaker, and attendee. It is our passion to make each NATE UNITE a success every year. It is that passion that drives us into the future as we now focus on organizing NATE UNITE 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada in February of 2022,” the Association said.
Sponsor and Exhibitor Options
All NATE UNITE 2021 sponsor (including Women of NATE and Tower Family Foundation Golf Event sponsors) and booth payments will transfer to NATE UNITE 2022, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 21-24, 2022. All exhibitors transferring their booth space and payments to NATE UNITE 2022 will receive priority booth space assignment for NATE UNITE 2022.
If your company prefers to receive a 100% refund on payments already made, rather than transferring your payment to NATE UNITE 2022, please contact NATE Controller Kari Stein or NATE Event Coordinator Shari Wirkus.
If you choose to receive a 100% refund, please contact Kari Stein or Shari Wirkus by December 21, 2020. Any sponsors and exhibitors who do not contact Kari Stein or Shari Wirkus by December 21 will have their payments applied to sponsorship and exhibitor space for NATE UNITE 2022.
Any exhibitors who have already requested or secured services through Freeman will automatically be refunded from Freeman.
Advertisers
Show Guide Advertising – Exhibitors that have secured advertising space in the NATE UNITE 2021 Show Guide will receive a 100% refund. Please allow up to two weeks for processing.
January/February Tower Times/Online Advertising – Companies that have secured advertising space in the January/February Tower Times or online will receive an additional one week to submit advertising materials. Please submit your advertising materials no later than close of business on December 8.
If you have questions regarding advertising, please contact NATE Marketing Coordinator Sara Goddard.
Attendee Registration/Optional Courses Registration
Anyone who has purchased an attendee registration or Optional Course registration as of November 22, 2021 will receive a 100% refund. The refund will automatically be processed by NATE. Please allow up to two weeks for processing.
If you have questions regarding your registration refund, please contact NATE Controller Kari Stein or NATE Resource Manager Nikki Gronau.
Confirmed Speakers
Thank you to all of our NATE UNITE 2021 confirmed speakers. We appreciate the time you devoted submitting proposals and working on preparing your respective educational sessions. The NATE Administrative Staff is considering all opportunities available to enlist speakers in future NATE events, whether it is speaking roles in webinars, smaller in-person events, or at NATE UNITE 2022. NATE Event Coordinator Shari Wirkus will relay more information about speaking opportunities in the next few weeks.
NATE UNITE 2021 Scheduled Meetings
All meetings for the NATE Board of Directors, Tower Family Foundation Board of Directors and Committees, WIN Liaisons and Ambassadors, and all Standing and Ad Hoc Committees will be rescheduled as virtual meetings in February 2021. Additional information will be emailed to respective members when it becomes available.
The annual NATE Member Business Meeting will also be conducted virtually in February 2021. Additional information will be sent to NATE members when it becomes available.
If you have questions regarding committee meetings, please contact the respective NATE Staff Liaison listed below:
- Member Services Committee and SEMC Ad Hoc Committee: Jill Rethke
- Military of NATE Ad Hoc Committee: Sandy Jurgens
- OSHA Relations and Workforce Development Ad Hoc Committee: Kimberly Elliott
- Safety & Education Committee, Women of NATE Ad Hoc Committee, CTS Review Ad
Hoc Committee: Nikki Gronau - Trade Show Committee: Shari Wirkus
- Tower Family Foundation Board of Directors, Advisory Committee and Endowment
Committee, UAS Committee, Compliance Committee, and Climber Connection
Committee: Todd Schlekeway - WIN Liaisons/Ambassadors, Small Cell and DAS Ad Hoc Committee, and Tower
Family Foundation Golf Committee: Scott Krouse
Hotel Reservations
For those who have made hotel reservations, ConferenceDirect will automatically cancel your reservation. No cancellation fees will be assessed. Please allow 48 hours from Monday, November 23 to be notified of your cancellation.
What’s Next?
NATE says to stay tuned for future details involving event-based NATE announcements such as the 5G-Small Cell Deployment Susan Harwood Grant training sessions and Wireless Industry Network Regional Conferences the Association plans on hosting in 2021.
