The former President of ITS America is warning that it might take time for large-scale meetings such at the ITS World Congress to attract visitors on the scale it has previously.

Scott Belcher, who’s now an independent consultant, told an ITS (UK) webinar that ten-thousand people meetings will be “challenged” as people worry about social distancing and rely more on digital solutions.

ITS-related events such as Intertraffic, the ITS Asia-Pacific Annual Meeting and Traffex – Seeing is Believing have already been postponed or cancelled, and comments by the Mayor of Los Angeles about restricting large gatherings have put this October’s World Congress at the city’s Convention Center (pictured) in doubt.

Maarja Rannama of ITS Estonia commented that she couldn’t see herself at a large event anytime soon while ITS-Arab’s Mo Serroukh said things “won’t go back to normal”.

However Belcher added that in talking to his clients, there is a “huge pent up demand” for people to actually see each other so once lockdown is eased people will be travelling to talk in person.