Food In Canada

Natural Products Expo West 2020 postponed due to coronavirus

By Food in Canada   

Food In Canada Health & Wellness Specialty Foods


March 3, 2020 – The Natural Products Expo West 2020 trade show scheduled for March 3 to 7 in Anaheim, Calif., has been postponed until a later date due to concerns over the coronavirus, or COVID-19.

New Hope Network which runs the show indicated the decision was made after hearing from the communities it serves.

“Over the last 48 hours, we have worked with the community to try and serve those who want the show by delivering a great experience, and support those who want it, but not now, by working on credits and alternatives,” the company said in a statement.

“It is now clear, despite continued advice from local government and health authorities that the City of Anaheim remains open, that the majority of our community want the show, but they do not want it now.”

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The company said it will announce a new date for the show by mid-April.

“It is our intention to work with all our exhibitors and attendees on future credits and support, with particular focus on the many entrepreneurs and small businesses who are the heartbeat of this community, for whom we are going to stand up a rebate fund of $5 million targeted at their specific needs,” the company stated.

“It is our intention to deliver a Natural Products Expo West event before the summer to serve the community, either in Anaheim or a suitable alternative location.”

New Hope said it is already working on how to deliver a much-enhanced Expo East in September in Philadelphia.

“As with all our events, it was the intention here at Expo West in Anaheim to follow official guidance from local authorities and to listen to the voices of the community we serve and support in order to maximize the health of the industry,” Fred Linder, group president of New Hope, said in a statement. “Today, it is clear the majority of those voices are saying they want Expo West but not this week. And so we are being guided by that majority in postponing the show.

“We will be working closely with all our customers and partners across the industry to identify a new date for the show later in the year, and providing the service and support to deliver the connections and experience everyone expects from Expo West and the New Hope Network.”

The company stated that the show was in-flight, with production under way, when the views of the community started to diverge.

Some of the show’s partners strongly advocated continuing with the show as planned while some partners wanted the show, but not now, and some just wanted a straightforward cancellation.

The organizers were informed that some members of the buying community would not be participating in the show. They estimated that the show would see a 40-to-60-per-cent drop in attendance from previous years.


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