Boston seafood expo called off due to coronavirus threat
A major seafood expo in Boston is getting shelved because of coronavirus concerns, while organizers for other mass events in the city say they’re going on as planned this month despite the threat of the highly contagious disease.
The Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America trade event “will not take place as scheduled in March and is postponed while we look at other options,” event organizers announced Tuesday.
The marquee event, which draws an international crowd of seafood dealers, was scheduled to take place from March 15-17 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in the Seaport.
“This decision has been difficult because of the major importance of this event to the industry,” organizers said in a statement. “We heard from those of you who were concerned about health, safety and travel restrictions, and given the short time before the scheduled event date, and upcoming logistics, we have determined that postponement at this time is unavoidable.”
Last week, expo organizers had encouraged attendees to follow a “no-contact, no-handshake policy.”
“We are committed to finding a solution to deliver an event in North America, this year, to ensure business continuity to the seafood industry,” organizers said on Tuesday.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said Tuesday night the city is “taking every precaution to keep people in Boston healthy and safe. We are confident that through the Boston Public Health Commission’s work with our state and federal partners, Boston is a safe place to host events like this one.”
Event promoters had expected to see an impact from China, which annually represents 5% of the combined visitor and exhibitor attendee base. Despite that, organizers said more than 1,100 companies were still planning on exhibiting this month.
The decision to postpone “creates a significant financial loss for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, our vendors and contractors, hotel and restaurant partners, and thousands of tradeshow and hospitality workers who participate in putting on a show of this magnitude,” MCCA Executive Director David Gibbons said in a statement.
The BCEC and the Hynes Convention Center have extra cleaning crews engaged in a deep cleaning process, a spokesman said.
Organizers for the New England Food Show, planned at the BCEC later this month, are “confident that there is no reason for any impact on the successful production” of the event.
Also, organizers for the New England Cannabis Convention, scheduled at Hynes later this month, said they have no plans to postpone.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3amCgPh
Post a Comment