Normally we go to this show, as well as the Arnold Classic, but this year, they put it on the same week. I have chosen to go to the Arnold Classic, while others are going to this show in the nutrition industry. However, the COVID-19 virus is wrecking havoc on it, with a projected 40% or more drop in attendance, which more explains why FIBO decided to postpone their expo next month. Keep in mind, that is expo with 4,000+ booths is the second largest in Anaheim usually of the year.
From Expo West
As the organizer of Expo West, we have received many calls from within this community on the impact of travel restrictions and other control measures introduced in certain countries and locations following the spread of COVID-19. We are reaching out to all our exhibitors, partners, attendees and suppliers to provide an update and further clarity about this year’s show.
Many of our partners due to attend Expo West have urged us to continue with the show. Many have suggested we postpone it. The polarity of responses leaves us in a difficult position, as we do not want to upset or let down anyone in our community.
Our primary concern is and will always be the safety of our guests and colleagues. We are monitoring the situation and following the guidelines set-forth by our federal and local government and health agencies and are in close on-going contact with local Anaheim authorities.
Based on all this information, including looking at other venues in the Anaheim area, our intention is to continue to serve and support the industry by moving ahead with Expo West 2020. To ensure the health and safety of everyone at Expo West, we are taking very specific control measures around the show and on-site facilities including:
• Asking those traveling from countries with a CDC Level 3 travel restriction to not make the trip.
• Adding washing stations outside and hand sanitizing stations in the convention center in addition to the existing ones provided by the building; plus adding hand sanitizing stations in the Marriott and Hilton Hotels.
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• Overseeing that all food safety and sampling guidelines are adhered to, in cooperation with the Orange County health agency personnel who will be on-site.
• Implementing the cleaning of all high-traffic areas multiple times daily in addition to the standard overnight cleaning.
The motivation behind this decision to continue on with the show is to serve and support the community we are part of and that Expo West helped to build over the last 40 years. We weighed the supportive advice from authorities and our community while balancing the financial impact to all involved.
New Hope Network is looking to provide the most up-to-date information on who will be participating in Expo West next week. We have officially received notice that some exhibiting companies will not be participating.
Through information we have obtained and conversations we’ve had, we estimate that we will see a 40-60% drop in attendance from previous years. Despite the decreased attendance, we believe there will still be a robust level of activity throughout the Expo West campus, and we are hearing from exhibiting companies still planning to attend that they are looking forward to connecting with their peers and doing business while in Anaheim.
