As amusement industry events around the globe are being postponed due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, Amusement Expo International recently sent out an email informing would-be attendees that the show will go on as planned, March 9-11 in New Orleans.
In part, they wrote: “The health, safety and welfare of all the AEI attendees are our most paramount concerns. … As of this morning, the Louisiana Department of Health reports there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of Louisiana. We have been monitoring updates/advisories provided by both the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and Hilton New Orleans Riverside, where our 2020 event will be hosted, are actively monitoring the flu season and 2019-nCov. Both facilities are already practicing flu season protocol in addition to monitoring any changes with 2019-nCov.”
Organizers also noted the virus hasn’t appeared to have scared off any attendees, reporting Education Day registration tracking identical to the 2019 event in Las Vegas. Buyer registration, they say, has also continued and not slowed down, and there were a record number of booths sold – making this year’s Amusement Expo the largest ever.
“This year’s expo is bigger and bolder than ever with new exhibitors, new products and new experiences. We want to ensure all our attendees have the best experience possible and feel at ease at what promises to be a great event in New Orleans.”
IAAPA Expo Asia, to be held June 8-11 in Macao, China, is also still a-go, as of now. That association has noted it’s also continuing to monitor the situation. “We are targeting to make a decision regarding the status of IAAPA Expo Asia in mid-March,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, some other events worldwide have been postponed. Italy’s Amusement and Gaming Show has been rescheduled for April 21-23, as RePlay recently reported.
DEAL 2020 (the Dubai Entertainment Amusement & Leisure Exhibition) has also been postponed, and is now set for June 15-17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. According to show organizers, “We have taken this decision in the wake of the current global COVID-19 situation where people from many countries are unable to travel abroad.”