Trade Show Cancels On Anaheim, Goes To Florida Due To Lack Of Guidelines
April 5, 2021
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced last week it was moving its convention from Anaheim to Florida because of lack of guidelines outlining under what conditions trade shows and conventions can be held in California.
APTA cited, “the unpredictability of planning such a large event when it is unclear when these restrictions will ease.”
From the press release last week: “APTA’s TRANSform Conference & EXPO 2021, scheduled to take place at the Anaheim Convention Center August 31 – September 3, 2021, will now take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, November 7-10, 2021. The decision to relocate was necessary due to current California restrictions on large gatherings and the unpredictability of planning such a large event when it is unclear when these restrictions will ease. Orlando has hosted, and continues to host this year, large conventions and tradeshows, and has demonstrated that its convention center and hotels are equipped with the necessary protocols and staffing to serve large groups.”
“Every other state has issued guidelines for trade shows and conventions but California. We are losing business every day to Arizona, Texas, Florida and other states that are all hosting large events safely. It’s very frustrating that we have no guidelines, but other large indoor spaces like malls and retailers are open for business and operating safely with approved modifications.”
“We can’t even confirm we’ll be able to hold events later this year or in 2022. Every month that goes by is billions in lost revenue and jobs. Governor Newsom needs to take action now to reopen this sector and get our hundreds of thousands of employees back to work.”