The 2019 Novel Coronavirus is turning out to be a showstopper in the most literal sense. Widespread trade show postponements are affecting all industries worldwide, and the natural products industry has certainly not been excluded from postponements due to the concerns over public health and safety, travel restrictions, and more.
 
As the situation worsens in both the United States and abroad, more states of emergency are being declared at regional levels, and leading epidemiologists now projecting that 20-60% of adults worldwide could become infected. The extent to which protective measures will be taken may be unprecedented, mandatory or otherwise, such as school closures, mass gathering cancellations, working from home, self-quarantining.
 
Here’s a rundown on the status of several major industry events, as determined by press time. This story will be updated online with additional information.
 
Natural Products Expo West, which was slated to bring over 80,000 participants from over 100 countries to Anaheim, California from March 3-7, was postponed less than 24 hours before the show began. Some weeks later, New Hope Network decided to cancel the event, and instead focus on pooling resources for Natural Products Expo East, which, as of now, is slated for Sept. 23-26 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. 
 
NYIFT Suppliers Day, originally slated to take place at the Meadowlands Expo Center on March 25, has been postponed to Tuesday, Sept. 22, in light of the pandemic. The event includes technical seminars and a career fair for those in the ingredient suppliers’ industry. If you have registered to exhibit and can participate on Sept. 22, arrangements will stay the same foor the new date. Otherwise, contact IFT at nyiftoffice@optonline.net by Friday, April 17.  

The Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit, originally scheduled for May 27 at the historic Mayflower Hotel near the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C., has been postponed. The five host trade associations organizing the event are currently in negotiation with the summit hotel to confirm a new date in fall or winter, and additional details on the new date and status of current registrants will be made available shortly. 

SupplySide East, a trade show centered around exhibitions conducted by natural product ingredient suppliers, has been postponed to June 23-24, and will still be taking place at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, pending unforeseen circumstances. The situation, however, is still fluid, and plans will be monitored and amended accordingly over the coming weeks, according to the organizers.

The Ingredients Show, an annual event that draws in an average of over 30,000 people specializing in the UK’s food industry, was postponed from its March 30-April1 date, and will be held over a full year later from April 12-14, 2021 at the same venue, the Birminham NEC in Marston Green, England.  

Vitafoods Europe, a trade show in Geneva, Switzerland, has postponed its annual trade show which nets an average of 24,000 exhibitors from across the globe at Palexpo. The show, originally slated for mid-May, is now scheduled for Sept. 1-3 in light of the public health crisis. All existing registrations and commitments will remain in place. More information is provided on Vitafoods Europe’s Q&A page.
 
The International Pharmaceutical Expo (INTERPHEX) will be postponed due to the COVID-19 virus as well. Originally slated for April 28-30 at the Javits Center in New York City, the event will be taking place at the same times and venue on July 15-17, pending further developments. 
 
The Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals (ICSB) has also been postponed. The 20^th annual conference in Oxford Mississippi was originally scheduled for March 30- April 2, but has been moved to Aug. 16-20 in response to COVID-19. Prospective attendees will have the option of having their registration refunded, or allowing it to be used for the August meeting. Abstract submissions can also be retracted or used in August. Email icsb@olemiss.edu for any inquiries regarding these matters.
 
AHPA Hemp-CBD Supplement Congress has been postponed, and the organization had not yet determined a new date by press time. The event, which was originally slated to take place at the Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon, is an all-day long event providing companies with education on current issues, regulatory obligations, and opportunities within the hemp and CBD market.
 
World Tea Conference and Expo, originally set to take place from June 8-11 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, is still set to take place at its original time and date by press time, and registration was open at the time of this publication. While the event organizers do not foresee any impacts at present, they will be taking a number of safety measures at the event. There will be a medical team on-site to deal with any situations that may arise, hand disinfectors will be provide at all entrances of the conference, and the organizers will increase the frequency of which facilities are disinfected.
 
Hi & Fi Asia-China 2020 organizers expect the show to go on in Beijing, according to their latest communcations. The event, which brings in over 1,800 and 74,000 visitors at the NECC in Shanghai, specializing in ingredients, nutraceuticals, packaging, and processing, is scheduled for June 22-24. “As China’s leading B2B trade show for health and food ingredients, we are following the news and updates on a daily basis and will of course act as per the government’s guidelines,” the organizers said. “At the moment we expect no changes to our events[…]we will of course continue to track the virus and the recommendations from local government authorities, as well as the WHO, and will implement any instructions that they issue.”
 
IFT20 Event and Food Expo is still on for McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois from July 13-15 this year, according to the event page. Over 1,000 exhibiting companies are normally expected at the event, which centers around food safety and quality, technology, equipment, processing, and packaging suppliers. In IFT’s COVID-19 update, the company said it will monitor the situation, and maintain conversations with local agencies and major gathering areas in Chicago to develop health and safety plans.
 
NBJ Summit, slated for July 27-30 at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California, is still on, according to the most recent information provided by Informa. The event brings in thousands of exhibitors and attendees from the nutrition industry.
 
Health Ingredients Korea, which takes place at COEX in Seoul, is still slated to take place from Aug. 26-28 according to the most recent updates from organizers. The event, which brings in an average of over 6,000 attendees from over 60 countries, specializes in functional foods, wellness, natural ingredients, and other nutraceutical markets.
 
Vitafoods Asia 2020 is still expected to take place at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Singapore from Sept. 23-24, as of press time. “For now, customers can be reassured that while we are monitoring the situation as an international business and staying up to date on official sources of updates and guidance from the government and authorities, Vitafoods Asia will take place on Sept. 23-24, 2020.”
 
Most events in the fall, for which registration has not yet opened, all appear to be unaffected at this time. These include Natural Products Expo East, slated for the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Sept. 23-26, SupplySide West, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Oct. 27-30, Healthcare Packaging Expo, from Nov. 8-11 at McCormick Place in Chicago, and Health Ingredients and Food Ingredients Europe, from Dec. 1-3 at Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH in Frankfurt, Germany.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.