CEDIA Expo organisers, Emerald suffered some big blows last week as several exhibitors, including Snap One, Savant, Sonos and Sound United, have decided against attending this year’s show due to concerns around Covid-19 and, in particular, the Delta variant.
The show, which is being held from 1-2 September at the Indiana Convention Centre in Indianapolis, is being held as a national event because of various travel restrictions still in place around the world.
Despite Emerald’s continued efforts to ensure a Covid-secure event, multiple exhibitors have pulled out following the increase in Covid-19 cases.
Savant was first to make the decision to pull out, releasing the following statement: “In order to best protect our employees, our customers and all industry associates from the impact of Covid-19 and the unpredictable Delta variant, Savant will not be exhibiting in person at the 2021 CEDIA Expo. In lieu of our originally planned onsite CEDIA experience, our team is preparing engaging virtual sessions so that we can share exciting product news and deliver informative content to best support your businesses through these challenging times.”
Following this, Snap One also issued a statement to announce it would not take part: “Like many in the industry, Snap One has been eager to attend the upcoming CEDIA Expo to connect with our business and industry partners and show our latest product offerings. However, recent news about the Covid Delta variant and an increase in cases has caused us to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of attending a large, in-person event at this time. Because of this, we will no longer be attending the CEDIA Expo this year. Snap One will not have a booth presence, training, party, keynote, or employees present at the show.”
Sound United has also dropped out of the show: “We have been closely monitoring the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant and the recent spike in cases has caused us to re-evaluate the risks to our employees, dealers, and industry partners in attending major tradeshows and in-person events. Based on this, Sound United has made the difficult decision to no longer attend CEDIA Expo 2021. Sound United will not have a booth presence, training or any employees present at the show.”
The latest big-name brand to pull out of the show is Sonos, who sent a letter to its custom integration dealers saying: “We are writing to let you know that after much deliberation, Sonos will no longer be attending CEDIA Expo 2021, and have cancelled all onsite activities, including our booth presence. Our team is extremely disappointed that we won’t be able to connect with our customers in-person after so much time apart, but our top priority will always be the health and safety of our employees, customers, and partners. Given the recent increase in Covid cases and prevalence of the Delta variant, it became clear that the risks of exhibiting at a large trade show at this time were simply too high.”
Despite the drop outs, Emerald is reassuring exhibitors and visitors alike that it is doing all it can to ensure the show is safe to attend. A complete health and safety guide for the show is available here.