Major venture capital conference in Raleigh is postponed

DURHAM – The Council for Entrepreneurial Development is postponing its big venture conference in Raleigh due to concerns about the coronavirus.

The Venture Connect Summit was set for March 17-19. The annual conference is one of the largest about startups and investing in the southeast.

“After much consideration and upon release of new developments from the CDC in regards to coronavirus (COVID-19), [the] CED and
its executive committee has decided to postpone Venture Connect Summit 2020 to a later date which is to be determined,” the CED said Thursday night.

The postponement is the latest in a series of tech events affected by the coronavirus, including events planned by Red Hat, SAS and IBM.

Also late Thursday organizers of a Raleigh and Wake County delegation planning to attend the South by Southwest conference said they would not make the trip.

“The health and safety of our attendees is our primary concern. The CDC has made recommendations which include, providing masks, an isolation space for the sick, and limited in-person contact.

“It has also come to our attention that many organizations are placing travel bans for their employees,” the entreprenurial group added. “CED feels that this is the best decision for everyone.”