OAK BROOK, ILL. (Sept. 17, 4 p.m. EDT) — The Association of Rotational Molders has postponed its annual meeting and show, which had been scheduled for Sept. 23-26 in Minneapolis.
ARM made the decision in light of travel problems following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Association leaders are not sure when the 26th Annual Fall meeting and Rotoplas Show will be rescheduled, said President-elect Jim Leitz.
“Now we're scrambling and trying to find out when the meeting can be rescheduled,” he said. “It probably won't be in the next month or two.”
It was not a matter of people not wanting to attend, but a lack of reliable flight schedules for the transport of exhibit displays and presenters, Leitz said. Organizers felt the show's quality would have been severely truncated.
In an e-mail sent out on Sept. 17, ARM said registrants will receive a full credit toward the next meeting, seminars, spouse/ guest program, tour and optional meals and supplier reception. Exhibitors will also receive a full credit for booth fees, but ARM noted that if a full refund is preferred, exhibitors should notify the association in writing.
The Oak Brook-based association initially planned to go on with the show, Leitz said.
“Maybe the reason we're different — we're truly an international organization,” he said. “Quite a few of our presenters and a good part of the program included people from overseas and quite a few of the exhibitors were from overseas.”
Back on Sept. 12, Leitz and the board had decided the best approach was “business as usual,” deciding one day after the tragic events to keep the show on.
“You don't want to give in to terrorism,” said Leitz, who had a close friend aboard one of the jetliners that hit the World Trade Center. “But people have a lot of commitments and they have to be sure they're going to be back by a certain date. They can't take a chance of being delayed.”
The support from those abroad was awesome, he said.
“People were willing to come, they were willing to go to great lengths to get here, but when they couldn't get equipment here also,” he said. “It was reassuring to know that so many people were interested in supporting us. They just couldn't do it.”
Leitz admitted that those who would have attended may breathe easier as well.
“I think there's a sigh of relief from people who were going to attend,” he said. “And their spouses.”