Organizers of the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) announced Friday that they are canceling in-person activities for the annual event in 2021 because of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s the second major trade show to cancel in-person gatherings for 2021 because of COVID-19.
“After weighing the many considerations that go into an event of the size and scope of the Great American Trucking Show, Randall-Reilly has made the difficult decision to not produce the in-person show in 2021,” said Emily Larson, director of trucking sales for Randall-Reilly, in a statement on Friday.
Randall-Reilly owns trucking publications including Overdrive and Commercial Carrier Journal. Larson said conditions concerning the coronavirus pandemic remain “too uncertain to move forward” with in-person activities.
“For more than 20 years, Randall-Reilly and our exhibitors and sponsors have invested significant resources to produce GATS,” Larson said in the release. “Planning begins at least 12 months in advance. Yet as we head into the fourth quarter of 2020, we are no more certain about the potential to hold a successful, large-scale in-person event than we were when we canceled the 2020 show.”
Instead, organizers plan to host a virtual event in 2021 that includes four events: Small Fleet Champ Award; Partners in Business; Pride & Polish; and Trucker Talent Search.
In-person events forced to pivot amid pandemic
Major conferences and trade shows have been forced to cancel in-person events and pivot to virtual events because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Recently, IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO) announced it was switching to a virtual event for its annual CERAWeek conference in March 2021.
“In light of continuing uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 Pandemic, and on the advice from experts, we are planning a virtual CERAWeek — convening CEOs, thought leaders and policy officials from around the world,” said Jamey Rosenfield of IHT Markit, the event’s co-chairman.
The virtual event will focus on Daniel Yergin’s book, “The New Map: Energy, Climate and Charting the Future.” Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit, is a Pulitzer Prize winner for the book, “The Epic Quest For Oil, Money & Power.”
FreightWaves’ John Kingston contributed to this report.
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L. Chuck Snow
Virtual shows are a far cry from attending the real venues but just like everything else I think that we are going to have to get used to them, Corporations are saving millions by not having to set up booths and have their sales and management executives fly all over the country to attend venues. Unfortunately I thing that even after we eventually have this pandemic under control we are not going to see the return of many of these venues any time soon. I firmly believe that that there is nothing like a handshake with a supplier or breaking bread with customers who seem to be much more receptive to doing deals when you get them out after a day of attending a trade show. Unfortunately we are going to have a long wait for those days to return. So until then learn to make the best of their digital replacement.
Joe Hammond
Virtual events have been a complete disaster – no cares about them. I signed in to over 20 virtual events in May & June all were dull and boring.
Not sure who advised GATS to cancel, but that show is permanently dead.