Two major HVAC&R trade events scheduled in March have been cancelled due to concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19).
In Italy, where 322 confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in Northern Italy (according to CNN.com), Reed Exhibitions Italia announced it was postponing Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE 2020) to September 8-11. The event had been scheduled to take place in Rho, Italy, from March 17-20. The new dates put Mostra Convegno about a month before another major European HVAC&R trade event, Chillventa, which will take place October 13-15 in Nuremberg, Germany.
This follows the cancellation of HVAC&R Japan 2020 by the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA), which had been scheduled to take place March 3-6, 2020 at Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan. “This decision was made due to the growing number of cases of the novel coronavirus in Japan and around the world,” said JRAIA in a statement.
The decision to postpone Mostra Convegno resulted from “discussions with a number of customers and partners over the last few days,” said Massimiliano Pierini Managing Director, Reed Exhibitions Italia, in a statement.
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly; our customers, partners and team in Italy have worked incredibly hard on these events and, while it is disappointing to postpone, it’s imperative that we prioritize the health and safety of everyone involved,” added Pierini.
Reed Exhibitions Italia also postponed Biomass Innovation Expo (BIE), which was to have taken place alongside Mostra Convegno, to September 8-11.
