As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to spread across the globe, there have been over 118,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths attributed to the virus. Of the nearly 1,000 confirmed cases in the United States, thirty have thus far been fatal. In response to the pandemic, many governments and companies have been closing tourist attractions and cancelling events in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. In the cannabis and hemp industries, several large events already have been cancelled or rescheduled, with many more changes expected in the coming weeks.
To help you plan ahead, mg put together the following list of known cannabis event changes. More will be added if/when information becomes available.
The city of Austin, Texas, cancelled South by Southwest (SXSW). Slated March 13 – 22, the annual event included cannabusiness among its special business tracks this year. In its thirty-four-year history, the event has never before been cancelled.
According to The Austin Chronicle, SXSW laid off about one-third of its staff as a result of the cancellation.
Natural Products Expo West, slated March 3 – 7, was postponed with the intention of being rescheduled for mid-April. New dates have not been announced.
The National Cannabis Risk Management Association (NCRMA) postponed NCRMA2020. The event was originally scheduled for March 22 – 24 at the Bally’s hotel and resort in Las Vegas. New dates and venue will be announced at a later date.
Originally scheduled for March 26 – 28 in Denver, Colorado, the Seventh Annual NoCo Hemp Expo will now take place August 6 – 8 in Denver.
The Southern Hemp Expo, originally scheduled for August 14 – 15 in Nashville, Tennessee, has been postponed until further notice.
The annual International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in Berlin has been rescheduled from April 1 – 3 to July 29 – 31.
ICBC Barcelona will take place March 12, as planned.
Both CannaTech Tel Aviv and the PsyTech Summit have been postponed. PsyTech Summit will now take place June 14 – 15 and CannaTech on June 15 – 16.
Originally scheduled March 20 – 22, the NECANN Boston convention, NE Canna Community awards show, and NECANN Competition awards have been postponed. News dates have not yet been announced.
The California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA) postponed its fifth annual policy conference. Originally set for March 18, the event has not yet been rescheduled.
The Stepping High Festival, originally slated March 20 – 21 in Negril, Jamaica, has been suspended until further notice.
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) postponed its Hemp-CBD Supplement Congress originally scheduled for April 14 – 15 in Portland, Oregon. New dates have not been announced.
Ed. Note: This is a developing situation, more information will be added as it becomes available.
Source: https://mgretailer.com/business/cannabis-event-changes-and-cancellations-due-to-coronavirus/
