Kickstart: More coronavirus cancellations

Hope everyone had a good, restful weekend, because this is shaping up to be another week of postponed events, travel restrictions and surging demand for cleaning supplies and sanitizing wipes and gels.

For a quick catchup of last week’s news about the COVID-19  outbreak for plastics industries: Arburg canceled its technology days, the JEC composites conference has been delayed until May, the Geneva auto show has been canceled, materials companies such as DuPont and Covestro are donating supplies and the Association of Rotational Molders has canceled its planned tour of Italian companies. And there’s plenty more news where that came from. Check out this link for these stories and more from last week’s updates.

And now you can add the World Petrochemical Conference to the list of COVID-19 cancellations.

Organizers announced March 1 that the event, scheduled for March 24-27 in New Orleans, will not take place "in light of developing circumstances."

"Our decision was made following recent guidance from health officials and in light of the rapid growth in global cases of COVID-19, as well as increasing travel restrictions and other circumstances," organizers said. "With delegates from 47 countries due to gather for WPC 2020 later this month, we wanted to provide as much notice as possible."

The next WPC is now set for March 2021 in New Orleans.

And a reminder that if you want to share ways your business has been impacted, you can drop me an email at [email protected].

Amaplast, the organization representing Italy’s rubber and plastics machinery firms, released a statement Feb. 27 noting that none of its members are in regions facing a virus outbreak and are, in fact, at full capacity. But those firms are facing difficulties doing their job because of rumors.

“Increasingly numerous reports are arriving from Italian companies whose technical and/or sales staff have apparently been ‘invited’ by clients from abroad (both in Europe and from further afield) to postpone pre-arranged visits to a future date ‘as yet to be defined,’” the group said.

“In the current situation," Amaplast continued, "it is important not to lapse into misinformed preconceptions that could have a negative effect on the activities of one of the most significant areas of [the] capital machinery industry.”

Amaplast, the organization representing Italy’s rubber and plastics machinery firms, released a statement Feb. 27 noting that none of its members are in regions facing a virus outbreak and are, in fact, at full capacity. But those firms are facing difficulties doing their job because of rumors.

“Increasingly numerous reports are arriving from Italian companies whose technical and/or sales staff have apparently been ‘invited’ by clients from abroad (both in Europe and from further afield) to postpone pre-arranged visits to a future date ‘as yet to be defined,’ the group said.

“In the current situation," Amaplast continued, "it is important not to lapse into misinformed preconceptions that could have a negative effect on the activities of one of the most significant areas of [the] capital machinery industry.”

Even for those companies that aren’t restricting travel, there are fewer places to go.

Messe Düsseldorf, which hosts the K show every three years, announced it has postponed a range of trade shows, including those impacting plastics suppliers: ProWein, wire, Tube, Beauty, Top Hair and Energy Storage Europe. It is working to set alternative dates.

"This decision was not an easy one for all concerned," Düsseldorf Mayor Thomas Geisel, who is also chairman of the supervisory board of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, said in a statement. "But the postponements at the present time are necessary for Messe Düsseldorf and its customers in view of the increasingly dynamic developments.”

At this point, two other major shows, Interpack and Drupa, are scheduled to continue as planned in May and June.