“Enormous disappointment”: IMEX Frankfurt cancelled over coronavirus fears

“Enormous disappointment”: IMEX Frankfurt cancelled over coronavirus fears

IMEX Group has announced the cancellation of its event in Frankfurt this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a joint statement by the group’s chairman and CEO, Ray Bloom and Carina Bauer, said the decision to cancel IMEX Frankfurt 2020, which was due to take place in May, was not one they took lightly.

“There are two overriding concerns that have caused us to make this decision at this time,” the statement said.

“First is the uncertainty caused by the fact that the German health minister has recently called for the ban on events with over 1,000 people, which some German states have already endorsed, including the state of Hesse where Frankfurt is located.

“This announcement makes the probability of factors outside our control forcing us to cancel the show at the last minute much higher.

“Second, our primary concern is always the responsibility we feel towards our exhibitors and partners, who fund the show – not only by purchasing stand space, but also in the considerable additional investment they make in everything from the build of stunning stands to the hosting of buyer events.

“In an ideal world, we would wait and see. But we are in the real world and we cannot, in all good conscience, ask our exhibitors to continue to invest money against which they may not get a return.

“We know that this will come as an enormous disappointment, not only to the exhibitors, buyers and industry professionals who were due to attend the show, but also to the global business events community.”

IMEX will host its next event in Frankfurt in May 2021, while IMEX America is scheduled to take place in September this year.

Image source: IMEX/Facebook

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