Coronavirus is spreading fear around the world and closing trade shows in its wake.
The latest to join the list is camera and imaging trade show CP+ 2020.
As DPReview reports, the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has announced that the planned CP+ 2020 Camera and Photo Imaging Show isn't going to happen this year.
The reason is, of course, coronavirus, and CIPA makes that very clear in its statement:
"Given there is no effective treatment or containment measures to deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we have chosen to cancel CP+ 2020 because we put top priority on the health and safety of visitors and exhibitors."
The trade show was expected to start on Feb.
27 in Yokohama, Japan and run for four days.
Last year, it attracted nearly 70,000 visitors and exhibitors from 120 countries, making this year's show quite a risky proposition that ultimately proved too much of a risk for the organizers.
With the show now canceled, exhibitors planning to announce new products there will have to rethink and most likely switch to an online-only campaign instead.
CIPA gave no information regarding potentially re-scheduling the show, so we have to assume CP+ 2021 will be the next one to go ahead as long as coronavirus is a distant memory by February next year.
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CIPA isn't alone in having to make a difficult and most likely expensive decision to cancel a trade show.
Earlier this week, GSMA pulled the plug on Mobile World Congress (MWC), which was set to be held in Barcelona between Feb.
24-27.
It was expected to attract over 100,000 visitors from around the world.