Less than a month after saying “thousands of exhibitors and attendees are registered and planning to attend the 2020 SEMA Show,” organizers have confirmed the event is cancelled.
In an announcement, SEMA said that due to the coronavirus and “concerns that event facilities and services will be unavailable,” the show will not take place in 2020.
While the organization had been planning to hold an in-person event this November, they said “mounting uncertainty” has made that “inadvisable.” As a result, the event has been cancelled and refunds will be issued for exhibitor booth deposits and attendee registration fees.
Also Read: CES Transitions To Digital-Only Event For 2021
However, the SEMA Show might not be entirely dead. Organizers noted a recent survey showed interest in a “possible virtual trade show with related live elements.” Due to this, SEMA will explore possible alternatives to an in-person event.
As we reported last month, fellow Las Vegas trade show, CES will transition to a digital-only event in 2021. Organizers there are promising an “immersive experience, where attendees will have a front row seat to discover and see the latest technology.”
By the sound of things, SEMA might try something similar. However, the clock is ticking as the show was slated to kick off on November 3rd.
Since July 16th, when SEMA said the show was still on, Nevada has reported an additional 22,360 cases of COVID-19. That’s a massive jump as the state now has 52,828 confirmed cases and 890 fatalities.
