CEO DATELINE - Trade shows postponed as Hurricane Irma approaches
CEO DATELINE - Trade shows postponed as Hurricane Irma approaches
- September 7, 2017 |
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Walt Williams
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Hurricane Irma has resulted in three national associations postponing their Florida-based trade shows and several other events either being delayed or shortened.
Irma was a Category 5 hurricane that was rapidly approaching southern Florida as of Thursday morning. The state is a popular destination for many events, with Orlando's Orange County Convention Center the nation's second largest meeting space after Chicago's McCormick Place.
The National Association of Elevator Contractors' annual convention was scheduled to kick off Sunday in Orlando, but the group announced Thursday it was postponing the event due to the scheduled closure of Orlando International Airport on Saturday.
"This is not a confirmation of cancellation yet—we need a few hours to work through it all legally and completely with all of the facilities," NAEC said in a statement on its website. "However, due to the volume of phone calls and emails, we wanted to communicate with you as quickly as possible." http://bit.ly/2eJCLYX
The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo was set to open Monday at the Orange County Convention Center. The organizers announced Thursday the event would not be held next week and they were instead searching for alternative dates in the fall. The American Composites Manufacturers Association and Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering produce the event.
Several other Florida events were postponed or cut short, the Trade Show News Network reported. The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Show, sponsored by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, was pushed back to October. The Miami International Auto Show, produced by the South Florida Automobile Dealers Association, was indefinitely postponed. Emerald Expositions' Surf Expo, which is sponsored by several associations, is currently underway but will end Friday instead of Saturday as originally planned. http://bit.ly/2xdrpr8
Several associations are based in Florida although few have announced their plans to weather the storm. One exception is the American Welding Society, which issued a statement saying its Miami-based offices would be closed Thursday and Friday.
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