Pack Expo, which had been planned for Nov. 8-11 in Chicago's McCormick Place, is the latest trade show to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, the Herndon, Va.-based trade group that owns the show, announced the news Aug. 5.
"The PMMI board determined that due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the current state and local regulations, it was not possible to have a safe and productive event for attendees and exhibitors," the group announced.
Instead, the group will launch a live, web-based event, Pack Expo Connects2020, that will take place Nov. 9-13. It will include live chats, live equipment demos and engaging educational opportunities.
This marks the first time in the 60-year history of Pack Expo that it has been canceled. Before COVID-19 travel restrictions, PMMI had expected 45,000 attendees from more than 125 countries to attend the show, which had been scheduled to feature 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space.