For Ag Shows, 2021 Shaping Up to be a ‘Winter of Discontent’
November 2, 2020 As the calendar has turned to November, many people are eagerly looking forward to the year coming to an end. Let’s face it, 2020 has become a virtual way of life for many Americans as COVID-19 worries have closed offices, public gathering places, and in-person trade shows/conferences. I’m certain a lot of folks were hoping that the calendar changeover to 2021 would alleviate this situation a bit.
But it doesn’t look like that will be the case – at least not through the early months of the new year.
A few weeks back, both of the January shows I typically attend – the Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic in Madison, WI, and the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association Annual Meeting in Peoria, IL – decided that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic would prevent these events from taking place in person. Instead, both will transition to a virtual format, hoping for better days come 2022.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the format of the Classic and how it will be presented to attendees, we are as committed as ever to delivering an exceptional event,” said Wisconsin Agri-Business Association Director Tom Bressner, in a press release announcing the change.
With two January events off the 2021 calendar, many of my colleges were wondering about the two largest winter in-person events left – February’s National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY, and March’s Commodity Classic in San Antonio, TX. For the industry, the latter did answer the question regarding an in-person event taking place next year.
It was “no.” On October 30, the organizers of the Commodity Classic announced the 2021 in-person show would not happen. Instead, the show will attempt a virtual event during the first week of March.
Loading ...“This is about doing the right thing for our farmers, exhibitors, stakeholders, and the broader community in terms of health and safety — which is our top priority,” said Anthony Bush, an Ohio corn farmer and Co-Chair of the 2021 Commodity Classic representing the National Corn Growers Association. “After careful deliberation among our farmer-leaders and industry partners, the COVID-19 restrictions would prevent us from delivering the type of high-quality experience Commodity Classic attendees and exhibitors have come to expect and enjoy for the past 25 years.”
At press time, the 2021 National Farm Machinery Show was still planning to hold an in-person event come mid-February, according to its organizers. However, there was one ominous Internet link that implied there was some question of this in some potential exhibitors’ minds. “Due to the amount of cancellations in exhibitions, we invite you to visit the official website to confirm the new dates,” said the post.
As I write this column, it has been almost nine months since I last attended an in-person trade event. And based upon these announcements regarding the early 2021 shows, it seems as if in-person shows will continue to be scarce at least until the middle of next year.
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