It is with incredible sadness that I announce the cancellation of LOST 2020, scheduled to be held May 21 – 24, 2020, due to COVID-19.

The health and safety of our attendees, cast and the general public has always been a top priority. In addition to health and safety considerations, there were several additional factors that went into the decision to cancel:

Hawaii has issued a mandatory 14-day quarantine for visitors in effect until May 20. This means when you arrive in Hawaii, you must stay in your hotel room for 14 days. (Added 3/25)

Honolulu has implemented a ban of events with 50 or more people through April. While not certain, it seems likely this ban could get extended. LOST 2020 has 200+ attendees, which means if the ban were extended, we would not be able to hold our event in places like the Convention Center, Marriott, or Tiki Bar and Grill.

Travel from Europe to the United States is currently restricted without a clear end date for this ban; there are many attendees coming from Europe. Domestic travel restrictions in the US are feasible if the spread of the virus is not contained; if that were to happen, it would affect the majority of our attendees. In addition, the Hawaiian government is asking tourists to not travel to the islands for at least 30 days.

A staff member at Kualoa Ranch, where we planned to spend a full day and show the LOST pilot, has been confirmed to have the virus. All staff are now being tested and the Ranch is closed for a week.

Sacred Hearts Academy, where we planned to show the LOST finale, has canceled all events (including our screening) with the exception of their graduation.

Jo Garfein, moderator of our cast Q&A and Legacy of LOST panels, is no longer able to attend. That means we would not have been able to hold an onsite Cancer Gets Lost charity auction — something that has always been an important part of our past events.

Andrew Divoff had to cancel the beer-pouring event due to uncertainty. He would have already needed to begin making the beer (six kegs’ worth!).

Partial refunds will be issued in the amount of 50% ($207.50 minus Paypal fees which are automatically deducted) in April. The refund is partial due to the fact that several nonrefundable deposits (despite the pandemic) — and in some cases, entire fees — have already been paid to vendors/venues in addition to other expenses. The virus is not covered in cancellation clauses nor with event insurance. From our insurance company: “Liability policies will not cover loss for this virus.”

If your tickets were purchased in the last 180 days, your refund will go back on the card you paid with.

If you purchased your tickets prior to 180 days, I will be in touch with you to determine how to best refund you. Paypal is the easiest option – but you will need to have an account.

Please allow time for these refunds to process. If you have any questions about refunds contact me at kelley@thelostcon.com.



On a personal note, I want to share that this decision has not been easy for me to make. I have been planning this event for six years. It is also the final event. Canceling was never on my radar. I have been looking forward to this in exactly the same way you have. It breaks my heart to cancel and know that we won’t be able to share these experiences together.

Please keep in mind that this situation is a pandemic and completely out of anyone’s control. It’s not business as usual. I waited as long as I could before canceling, and despite the event’s no-refund policy, I am issuing what I can back to you.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at kelley@thelostcon.com.

Wishing you a safe and healthy remainder of 2020. Our thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected by this virus, including LOST actor Daniel Dae Kim who was recently diagnosed and is recovering. Thank you to the brave men and women who are on the front-lines helping to keep us safe.

Mahalo,

Kelley