Last night, the JEC Group decided to postpone the 2020 edition of JEC World to May 12-14, 2020. The event was originally scheduled to be held March 3-5, 2020. The event will still be held at the Paris Nord Villepinte convention center in France.
The decision to push back the leading international composites show was based on the latest assessment of the coronavirus situation and after consulting its board and key stakeholders of the composites industry.
The coronavirus recently spread to new countries, including those that play an important role in the composite materials industry such as China, South Korea and Italy.
Expo attendance was expected to take a hit from increased travel restrictions from authorities and at a corporate level, both from exhibiting and visiting companies.
According to a statement from the JEC Group, the coronavirus significantly increased concerns of participating companies about the health of their employees. The JEC Group had the same concerns, stressing the importance of the health and safety of their exhibitors, visitors, partners and staff.
"We are aware that this decision will require industry professionals, exhibitors, partners, engineers, researchers and buyers to re-schedule their attendance, which will have a significant impact on their organizations, as it will for the JEC Group. We trust though that given the current situation, which is continuously evolving, everyone involved will understand our common and industry decision," the JEC Group said in a statement.
JEC World brings together the whole industry value chain, as well as professionals from application sectors, experts from the scientific and academic world, associations and media from more than 112 countries.
According to the JEC team, the current situation would not allow the composite industry to get the event it deserves, which is why they decided to postpone the event.
The first case of coronavirus in Latin America has been confirmed. The virus continues to spread globally.
According to the AP, some 81,000 people have been sickened by the virus.
According to the Center for Disease control, cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been confirmed in:
- China
- Hong Kong
- Macau
- Taiwan
- Afghanistan
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Egypt
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Nepal
- Oman
- Philippines
- Russia
- Sri Lanka
- Singapore
- Spain
- Sweden
- Thailand
- The Republic of Korea
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Vietnam