JEC World postponed to May
Coronavirus concerns cause drastic reassessment of composite's biggest show
On February 25th evening, based on the latest assessment of the situation and after consulting its board and key stakeholders of the composites industry, JEC Group decided to have the 2020 edition of JEC World postponed to May 12th to 14th 2020. The world’s biggest composite’s show, a key event for many companies that are developing and commercializing composite 3D printing technologies, was scheduled to begin on May 3rd. Earlier this week Salone del Mobile, the world’s largest furniture and product design event, scheduled to take place in Milan on April 21-26 was also postponed to June 16-21.
The recent spread of the coronavirus in new countries last week, and especially countries playing an important role in the composite materials industry such as China, South Korea and Italy, forced the JEC World organization team and key stakeholders of the industry to reassess the current situation. Increased travel restrictions from authorities, but also at the corporate level, both from exhibiting and visiting companies, have drastically reduced the potential attendance to the show.
In addition, the latest developments of the coronavirus outbreak have significantly increased the concerns of participating companies about the health of their employees. JEC Group also voiced the same concerns, holding the health and safety of exhibitors, visitors, partners and staff as a number one priority.
“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 JEC Group,” the organizers said in an official statement. “We trust though that given the current situation, which is continuously evolving, everyone involved will understand our common and industry decision.”
As the universally recognized leading trade show for the composites industry, as well as the festival of composites, 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. The current context would not allow the event to live up to the industry’s high expectations, which is why the JEC World team, with the full support of key stakeholders of the industry, has finally taken the decision to postpone the event.
