An update from the United-States

With the lack of a national coordinated response, Governors of all 50 States in the US have been compelled to establish COVID-19 policies for their respective states and citizens. Presently there are no restrictions on travel between States, although three of them: Connecticut, New Jersey and New York have placed 14 day quarantines on people arriving from a number of hot spots in the country.

What this means for the largest exhibition market in the world:

Most convention and exhibition centers in the US are publicly owned – some by the state, and others by cities. The country’s largest venue, Chicago, IL-based McCormick Place’s Governor decreed it stay closed until Phase 5, when a COVID-19 vaccine or cure are found. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (another venue over 100,000m2) is in the midst of a tug-of-war between the city and the state – one wants it to open, the other to stay closed, leaving organizers confused at best.

States are in different phases of opening. Below is a snippet where some of them are vis-à-vis trade shows and events.

Nevada is in Phase 2 of reopening which includes 50% capacity for restaurants and bars (including inside dining), gyms and hair/nail salons are open, most of the Las Vegas Strip casinos and resorts are open or opening shortly, and gatherings of up to 50 people are permitted. There is also a mandate for everyone to wear masks when unable to be physically distant. Since some of the largest exhibitions in the US are held in Las Vegas, organizers remain hopeful about holding events during the 4^th quarter of 2020.

Florida and Texas reopened much more quickly but are now scaling back due to surges in COVID-19. For the first time since the pandemic began, their governors are calling for everyone to wear masks when unable to be physically distant.

Both States are still committed to holding events and few large events are scheduled for the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL in July including a Junior National volleyball tournament and the Together Again Expo (for the exhibition industry). Another notable event still on the books is the Republican Party Convention slated to be held in Jacksonville , FL for late August. The Dallas Market Center (a permanent facility) just held two concurrent successful market weeks and SISO’s Summer Conference is still a go in Dallas, TX also in August.

Overall, in different parts of the US, there is hope that some 4^th quarter exhibitions will take place, although they will probably be smaller.

About the Author: Stephanie Selesnick

Stephanie Selesnick, President of Las Vegas-based International Trade Information, Inc. works with exhibition organizers to internationalize their shows, one expo at a time. They recently introduced the International Exhibitor Representation Program are the long time North American representatives for SNIEC, the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in China. A second-generation former show organizer, Stephanie blogs for UFI, the Global Association for the Exhibition Industry and Exhibition World, and enjoys sharing knowledge online and in person. She is a founding member of the Exhibitions Think Tank, Women in Exhibitions Network North America, serves on the faculty of UFI’s Exhibition Management School and is a Virtual Events Institute Subject Matter Expert.

2 Comments

Francis Friedman July 3, 2020 at 4:23 pm - Reply

Historically we have been advised that older people and people with underlying conditions are the highest COVID risk population. Recently however we have seen that age range come down into the 30’s as cities have opened bars and restaurants and patrons have stopped masking and social distancing. This trend points the way for us to seriously consider masking and social distancing policies and enforcement as we look to reopen our events.
Jim Kelley July 9, 2020 at 3:18 pm - Reply

Thank you Steph !!!

An update from the United-States