According to a report from John Gibbons, AKA the Pet Business Professor, more than 70 Chinese exhibitors have cancelled their booths at Global Pet Expo due to the travel restrictions relating to coronavirus.
Since we first shared a statement on the issue from Global Pet Expo Officials, the show has updated its website with the following:
“With less than 14 days until Global Pet Expo, we are gearing up for another amazing event! Currently, we have more than 1,000 companies from 28 countries around the world planning to exhibit. Buyer registration is strong and we’re expecting over 7,000 buyers from 80 countries. Two weeks from today, Global Pet Expo opens its doors and we can’t wait to welcome you to our world.
As we eagerly prepare for the Show, we are confident that Global Pet Expo will deliver a successful business experience for all participants. However, we want to take a moment to address how the Coronavirus (COVID-19) will impact some of our exhibitors. We have been in contact with exhibitors from China. The vast majority have notified us that they will not be exhibiting and will not have outside representation available to take their place at this year’s Show. Moreover, any foreign nationals that have visited China within the last 14 days are barred from entering the United States. Therefore, these attendees will not be able to participate in this year’s Global Pet Expo.
The health and safety of all Show participants are paramount. The Global Pet Expo management team is working closely with the Orange County Convention Center and surrounding hotels to stay apprised of developing precautionary measures to further reduce potential health risks at the Show. Additionally, we will continue to follow the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, and will provide emerging information accordingly.
Over the next two weeks leading up to the Show, we will continue to keep you updated as new information becomes available. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!”
We’ll keep an eye on the situation, and you can also look for updates on the Global Pet Expo website.