Expo West, World’s Largest Natural Products Show Postponed Due To Coronavirus

A number of events around the world have been cancelled or postponed since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, and the latest to fall victim is Expo West 2020, the world’s largest natural products show. According to the organisers New Hope, the show will be postponed until further notice, with a new date and possibly a new location announced by mid-April this year. 

As a part of measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak, a number of sporting events, conferences, and public gatherings to be attended by large numbers of people have been cancelled, postponed or scaled back. As of press time, there are nearly 93,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across 80 countries and territories globally and the death toll stands at 3,168.

The latest to take the hit is Expo West 2020, the world’s largest annual natural products show. Organisers of the show New Hope Network have just announced that after receiving guidance from local health authority advice and the views of the natural community, the Expo West show this year will be officially postponed to a later date this year. 

Fred Linder, the group president of New Hope Network, said: “Today, it is clear that the majority of the voices [of the natural community] are saying they want Expo West but not this week. And so we are being guided by that majority in postponing the show.”

The show was due to take place in the Anaheim Convention Center in California, United States this year from the 3rd to 7th March. New Hope will be revealing the rescheduled date and a possible alternative location by mid-April this year. 

Expo West is attended by industry experts, suppliers, retailers, media and the latest brands and companies looking to shape the future of healthy natural and organic products. Every year, exhibitors showcase their newest innovations to keep up with shifting consumer demand, providing insight into the latest trends to take over the natural products industry. 

In his statement, Linder added that New Hope will continue to work closely with customers and partners to provide the support, connections and experience that Expo West is known for. The group will be setting up a rebate fund of US$5 million for the exhibitors and attendees of the show due to the deferment. 

A few other high-profile events have been annulled or scaled back this week. Google’s biggest developer event of the year, Google I/O, which was due to take place in May this year has just been scrapped in an announcement made by parent company Alphabet. 

While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has sought to downplay fears of the summer Olympic games planned for Tokyo this year being delayed by insisting it will go ahead as scheduled, a follow-up press conference from the Japanese health authorities hinted that plans could still change depending on how the coronavirus situation develops.

Read our earlier coverage of Covid-19 and tips on prevention here.

Lead image courtesy of Sosland Publishing Company.