CEDIA Expo 2020 Canceled; Virtual Experience to Be Held
CEDIA 2020 was forced to cancel after the Governor of Colorado declared the convention center would remain a medical care facility for nonemergency COVID-19 cases until the end of the year.
The CEDIA Expo 2020 has become a victim of the coronavirus pandemic. A virtual expo will take place in September. Photo credit: 2019 PWP Studio Corporate Event Photographers
DENVER — CEDIA Expo 2020, scheduled for September 8-12, 2020, in Denver, Colo., is the latest trade show to succumb to the impact of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The show has officially been canceled, with a CEDIA Expo Virtual Experience being planned in its place.
The cancellation decision was made by Emerald, owners of the trade show, following a declaration on May 27 from the Governor Jared Polis of Colorado to keep the Colorado Convention Center as a medical care facility for nonemergency cases related to the COVID-19 through December 31, 2020.
Other mitigating factors in the decision to cancel CEDIA Expo include the latest federal measures, including guidelines on the phased reopening of the U.S. economy; the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of COVID-19 as a pandemic; the number of confirmed cases worldwide and domestically; current quarantines, containment areas, stay at home orders, and restrictions on congregating and large gatherings imposed by states and other government and public health authorities; and the various company-imposed travel restrictions on employees affecting attendees and participating companies.
“With every event we produce, our goal is the same: deliver our customers the most effective opportunities to conduct business and enhance the vitality of this industry through innovation, networking, and education — in a safe and healthy environment,” says Brian Pagel, executive vice president of Emerald. “CEDIA Expo 2020 was positioned to be the launch pad this year to re-energize the channel for the future. However, due to recent developments beyond our control, we made the difficult decision to officially cancel CEDIA Expo 2020.”
Virtual Experience Planned
Emerald, which also owns Security Sales & Integration, plans to move forward with a CEDIA Expo Virtual Experience in conjunction with the CEDIA association that will launch in September. The virtual experience will offer session panels surrounding hot topics, keynotes, product discovery, networking and an interactive expo hall.
“The Colorado Convention Center and Visit Denver have been gracious hosts to CEDIA Expo and have always embraced our community. We wish them the best as they continue to service the local Denver and Colorado state population during this difficult time,” adds Pagel. “While we are deeply disappointed that we will not be coming together in person this September, we are committed to keeping you connected and are already hard at work developing a virtual experience for our connected tech community. As always, we appreciate your ongoing loyalty to CEDIA Expo and thank you in advance for your understanding.”
The next in-person CEDIA Expo will take place September 1-3, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana – home to the CEDIA Association. CEDIA Expo joins a long list of events cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
This article first appeared on SSI sister publication CEPro.com.
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About the Author
Jason Knott
Jason Knott is Chief Content Officer for Emerald Expositions Connected Brands. Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990, serving as editor and publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He joined CE Pro in 2000 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of that brand. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He has been a member of the CEDIA Business Working Group since 2010. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California. Have a suggestion or a topic you want to read more about? Email Jason at jason.knott@emeraldexpo.com
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