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<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/06/mcdonalds-cancels-in-person-convention-for-franchisees-due-to-coronavirus.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mcdonalds-cancels-global-franchisee-convention-amid-coronavirus-fears-2712478" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">According to CNBC</a>, McDonald’s biennial franchisee convention which was set to take place in Orlando, Florida has been cancelled as a result of feedback, global travel restrictions and advice from various world health ministries including the World Health Organization. “I’ve made the difficult but I think right decision to cancel our in-person Worldwide Convention in Orlando in favor of a digital Worldwide Convention,” said recently-appointed CEO Chris Kempczinski in a memo to employees as reported by CNBC. The conference will still take place, but the approximately 15,000 attendees will now have to do so virtually.&nbsp;In addition to this message, McDonald’s urged franchisees to increase the frequency with which “high-touchpoint” surfaces are cleansed and sanitized. Restaurant Business Online reported that operators should encourage even more frequent hand-washing and consider providing alcohol-based hand sanitizers for customers.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/mcdonalds-cancels-its-worldwide-convention-over-coronavirus?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mcdonalds-cancels-global-franchisee-convention-amid-coronavirus-fears-2712478" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Restaurant Business Online</a> also reported that the company’s efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus have been ongoing since January, when McDonald’s formed a global group that meets daily to assess the impact of the virus and perform crisis management. In the U.S. alone, McDonald’s has almost 14,000 restaurants.&nbsp;McDonald’s CFO Kevin Ozan told CNBC that the convention—which was set to take place in April—usually costs McDonald’s between $25 and $30 million. This cancellation comes following other cancellations of large gatherings across the U.S. including <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/06/sxsw-cancelled/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mcdonalds-cancels-global-franchisee-convention-amid-coronavirus-fears-2712478" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SXSW</a>, a week-long, annual music festival and tech conference that takes place in Austin, Texas. Airlines across the U.S. have also been scrambling to suspend and cut the costs of flights. <a href="https://1851franchise.com/coronavirus-could-leave-small-business-owners-scrambling-for-staff-2712454#franbuzz">While the pandemic has been hitting small businesses in affected areas particularly hard</a>, the long-term, global economic impact appears to have yet reached its peak.&nbsp;

McDonald’s Cancels Global Franchisee Convention Amid Coronavirus Fears 

1851 Franchise

The conference that was set to take place in Orlando, Florida will now be hosted virtually. 


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McDonald’s Cancels Global Franchisee Convention Amid Coronavirus Fears

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