Covid-19 decimates 2020 trade show calendar

WORLD Since we published our March/April editions, the world as we knew it has changed beyond recognition. Skies, roads and railway tracks are practically silenced as travel grinds to a halt, while bustling cities have turned to ghost towns. Early indicators that this would be a year like no other for our industry came in the form of trade show postponements and cancellations. Once these started, it was only a matter of time before others followed suit.

Caroline Moss presents a timeline of event cancellations, with new dates in brackets where available.

With our teams having attended NAMM and ISE, the first news to affect us at Pro AVL Asia was that the Guangzhou shows – Prolight + Sound and GET, due to take place in February – were both postponed indefinitely. The same fate soon befell InfoComm China in Beijing, which at this point is hoping to go ahead from 28–30 September.

In late February, things took a bleak turn for Frankfurt Prolight + Sound as major exhibitors started pulling out and the reality of the situation beyond China began to dawn. Despite announcing a postponed date just one month later, Messe Frankfurt has now cancelled the 2020 edition and it returns next year (13–16 April 2021).

Blank Canvas’ Richard Lawn managed to attend what’s turned out to be – so far – the only Asian industry gathering this year, attending a much-reduced ABU in Kuala Lumpur in early March.

KOBA 2019 is officially declared open at the entrance of the COEX halls

NAB cancelled its April 2020 show and returns next year (11–14 April 2021), meanwhile hoping to enhance the NAB Show New York in October. KOBA and Palm Expo India, scheduled for mid- and late May respectively, held on valiantly until mid-April when both announced they would cancel until 2021 (Palm India 27–29 May 2021; KOBA dates TBC). Meanwhile, the pandemic took a scythe through the remainder of Q2 and into Q3, including AES Vienna, Broadcast Asia (29 September – 1 October 2020), InfoComm (16–18 June 2021), Pro AVL Indonesia (5–7 August 2021) and Integrate (24–26 August 2021).

Further down the line, and keeping options for 2020 open at this point, are BIRTV (19–22 August), InfoComm India (2–4 September), PLASA (6–8 September), IBC (11–15 September), Broadcast India (8–10 October), AES/NAB New York (21–23 October), LDI (23–25 October), Prolight + Sound Shanghai (28–30 October) and InterBEE (18–20 November). Tokyo, reeling from the postponement of the Olympic Games, may be in a position to host the final 2020 show by then; only time will tell.

The fact our annual calendar features such a plethora of international trade shows underlines the hugely sociable and global nature of the AV industry. Resourceful companies are finding virtual ways to showcase products and conduct seminars. But the industry will always need a forum for connections old and new, innovative collaborations, trading partnerships and creativity. We hope to see you at one of them in the not too distant future. Meanwhile, we send our very best to trade show organisers everywhere, all of whom are providing online resources, advice and support to their members in these unprecedented times.