News started to filter out late on Saturday 29 February that the March Meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) had been cancelled due to “rapidly escalating health concerns” over coronavirus COVID-19. But this news came too late for many delegates who were already on their way to Denver, including many flying in from overseas. In this short video, physicists who had made the trip – including students and industry scientists – speak about the impact of the cancellation on them. Physicists are an enterprising bunch, so despite the frustration, some delegates have turned a bad situation into an opportunity, including Itamar Sivan, chief executive of Quantum Machines.