- From carpets to furniture, from beauty to jeans, some of the world’s biggest trade shows were either cancelled or rescheduled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The coronavirus outbreak has caused the cancellation or postponement of more than 24 exhibitions and conferences worldwide, hammering the $2.5 trillion trade show industry. The cancellation of trade events is having damaging ripple effects across the hotel, airline, entertainment, marketing, restaurant and other industries.
More and more organizers are pulling events over fears of spreading the potentially deadly disease, with many thousands of attendees having to alter travel plans. Some events were cancelled with the policies of their States some others were done because of the fear of lack of attendees.
From the event list of Istanbul Magazine Group, we were notified the cancellation or rescheduling of major fairs such as CIFF, Interzum Guangzhou, and Domotex Asia China Floor fairs from China; InterCharm from Bologna, Italy; China Homelife in Turkey, etc. Domotex Asia has been postponed to 31 August – 2 September 2020; Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna to 11-14 June 2020 with the good hope that the virus problem will be over.
We hear many rumors about the cancellation or rescheduling possibilities of many other shows. These rumors will be certain as time goes by.
The fashion industry has also been affected by coronavirus as the Kingpins denim trade fair in Hong Kong has been called off.
The event’s organizers said the show, scheduled for mid-May, would not go ahead because: “We are very concerned about the situation in China and understand that many of our exhibitors and attendees are dealing with extreme difficulties and uncertainty due to efforts to contain the spread of the virus.”
The coronavirus outbreak isn’t scaring off all event planners, however. Singapore Airshow, which takes place every two years, attracts hundreds of global aerospace firms as they exhibit their latest products and hope to strike multi-million-dollar deals. The fair was held on its regular dates, 15-20 February 2020. Still, the number of exhibitors pulling out of the show has topped 70, including some of the biggest names in the aerospace industry, including US giant Lockheed Martin and Canada’s Bombardier.
“I’ve never seen it so quiet,” said Jon Grevatt, Asia-Pacific defense industry analyst for military guide Jane’s.
But the Food&HotelAsia-Hotel Restaurant and Cafe expo, referred to as FHA-HoReCa, in Singapore has been moved from March to July. The event was postponed because of the outbreak.
China, in particular, is an important hub for trade events, and the exhibition industry is an “economic engine” for the country. With more than 76 thousand cases of the virus and over 2,300 deaths, however, event organizers say postponing or canceling conferences is absolutely necessary. Some convention centers have even been converted into temporary hospitals.
Rescheduling events can pose serious financial issues for organizers. They may not be able to book the same venue for their preferred date and can lose money they’ve spent on the event space and other services like catering and conference management.
Exhibitors and attendees also face challenges when events are canceled or when they choose not to attend, such as losing stand deposits or cancelling the travel arrangements.