The PRINTING United Expo 2021 has been cancelled, five weeks before it was due to take place (6-8 October) in Florida, US.
The event’s organiser PRINTING United Alliance says the key contributing factor is the lasting effects of Covid-19.
The show is an annual congregation of the global print community, with many of the major digital textile print original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) attending the event each year.
However, a surge in US cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant has heavily impacted exhibitor and visitor registrations for the 2021 edition of the show. Florida alone has almost 1,000,000 active cases of the virus.
Ford Bowers, CEO, PRINTING United Alliance, says: “We conferred with dozens of exhibitors from all segments and sizes, regularly monitored attendee sentiment and the weight of opinion supported the difficult decision to cancel this year’s show.”
Furthermore, all 27 European Union (EU) member states have advised on bans for US travellers entering the EU. This means many industry professionals from some of the largest textile OEMs in Europe would be unable to travel home from the event.
Mark Subers, president, PRINTING United, adds: “In an instance such as this, we set aside our own financial considerations when we cannot be sure that the return on investment for the exhibitors and the attendee experience is exceptional.”
THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE OF TRADE SHOWS
The PRINTING United Expo joins a long list of events in the industry that have either been cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic.
International trade shows and events in the textile market offer the industry a collective hub for the latest innovation and developments. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, and the subsequent halting of international travel, the industry has continued to explore ways to create a suitable stopgap for cancelled physical events.
Virtual trade shows, including Innovate by WTiN, have become increasingly popular in the last 18 months. Businesses still have products to launch and R&D to communicate to the international textile network.
Some events such as ITMA Asia + CITME have even facilitated a hybrid format, mixing virtual and physical experiences to suit exhibitors and visitors. Companies who weren’t able to make it to China for the event still had a physical space and could host virtual product demonstrations, webinars and sales calls from their headquarters.
While there is no end in sight for the Covid-19 pandemic, many industry experts believe the trade show calendar will continue with its virtual and hybrid formats for the foreseeable future.
Organisers of PRINTED United Expo have already begun promoting the next event, which will take place in Las Vegas, US, in October 2022. The organisers say they are exploring a hybrid format.
Subers says: “In 2022, we will continue to execute nothing short of an exemplary event experience for all involved.”
More information on the PRINTING United Expo series event can be found here: www.printingunited.com
