IAAPA Expo will return to the Orange County Convention Center in November after a one-year break in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the organization announced Monday.
The conference, held by Orlando-based International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, will be held Nov. 15-18 with the jumbo trade show Nov. 16-19.
“Members have been looking to us to help them push the industry forward so guests around the world can safely return to the fun we are known for,” said Hal McEvoy, IAAPA president and CEO. “The best way we can do this is by bringing the industry together for our global Expos.”
IAAPA Expo Asia, set for Shanghai in August, and IAAPA Expo Europe, set for Barcelona in September, are also on the 2021 calendar, the group said.
“As we plan all three shows, the health and safety of our exhibitors, attendees and team remain at the forefront of all that we do,” McEvoy said. The group has posted its health and safety guidelines online and said it will update according to location, timing and requirements of local public and health authorities.
IAAPA’s website currently states that Expo-goers in Orlando will be required to wear face coverings and maintain physical distancing of 6 feet, including for “the trade show floor, registration area, lobby areas, education sessions, special events and meeting rooms.” A posted “no contact policy says “to help reduce the potential spread of germs … please no handshaking, hugging, or touching others.”
The Orlando event will feature 75 education sessions, networking events and a fundraiser for Kissimmee’s Give Kids the World Village. Members include the owners and operators of theme and amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, science centers, museums, resorts as well as manufacturers and suppliers.
In 2019, the IAAPA Expo attracted 42,000 attendees from more than 100 countries. The vendor space took up 585,000 square feet, including some suppliers’ booths located in the parking-lot spillover of the convention center.
For more information, go to IAAPA.org.
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