Mixed news from event organisers
As the Coronavirus continues to spread and travel restrictions between China and the rest of the world becoming stricter, exhibition organisers have had difficult decisions to make.
The organisers of APLF, scheduled to take place in Hong Kong from March 31 until April 2, issued a new statement on February 4 saying they are still considering postponing the event until later in the year but have not yet made a definitive decision.
They thanked the leather industry professionals who exhibit at or visit APLF for their patience and said they should be in a position to give further news of their plans by mid-February.
Time was not on the side of the popular North East and North West Material Shows, with the first scheduled to run in Boston on February 5 and 6 and the second in Portland on February 12 and 13. Organiser, American Events, said it had been forced to postpone both events because of the Coronavirus.
Also on February 4, the organisers of Lineapelle, Tanning Tech and Simac issued a statement saying their events will go ahead as planned in Milan from February 19-21.
They said they were following updates on the Coronavirus and would adopt all measures recommended by the Italian and international health authorities to protect exhibitors and visitors.
In the statement, they also said they wanted to express their support for Chinese company representatives who had booked to attend the Milan events, saying: “We are at their disposal to reduce the inconvenience they have to cope with.”
Asked about this, Tanning Tech organiser, Assomac, told World Leather that the authorities in Italy have closed all direct flights to and from China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan for three months because of the virus.
Assomac said it may still be possible for Chinese visitors and exhibitors to attend if they can rearrange their flights and travel through another country, but it said it feared some would abandon their plans to attend.
