SHANGHAI, 4 February 2020: Organisers of IT&CM China 2020 and CTW China 2020 have shifted the event to 3 to 5 August in response to the on-going crisis caused by the novel coronavirus.
Originally, scheduled for 24 to 26 March in Shanghai, the trade show and conference attract around 3,000 event business professionals from sectors including DMCs, PCOs, corporate travel and associations.
Owners of the annual show, TTG and China-based CITS MICE, said they were making the decision in the interests of well-being and safety for all delegates and stakeholders. Hosting the event 3 to 5 August is also subject to how recovery progresses from here on.
Deferring mass gatherings, including exhibitions and conferences like IT&CM China and CTW China complies with advisories by health and government authorities such as WHO to prevent the spread of the virus.
The statement read: “As the status of the outbreak is constantly evolving, the postponement of the event is deemed to be the most appropriate step at this point when travel risk to and within China is heightened, and health and safety are immediate concerns on the top of everyone’s minds.”
It is not clear if the organisers will offer refunds for delegates and exhibitors who might have logistic issues with the new show dates. Still, it is often a common practice to provide a variety of options such as refund or a credit that can be used to pay for other events owned by the event organiser when a crisis forces a change of dates or venue.
Meanwhile, Messe Berlin or its local partners in Shanghai China have not announced any date changes for ITB China that continues to be scheduled as planned for 13 to 15 May.
