Originally scheduled for May, the annual National Hardware Show (NHS) has met the same fate as many other exhibitions this year. Organizers had postponed the spring trade show until September, but those plans were recently changed again after the recent widespread spike in COVID-19 cases nationwide.
The NHS has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on members of the global hardware and home improvement community over the past several months. In an effort to keep the safety of everyone involved with the NHS a top concern, the show organizers have made the decision to cancel the 2020 event. Instead of an in-person experience, NHS plans to host a virtual trade show designed to provide education and support plus address the direct and essential needs of the hardware industry later in the year.
“The hardware industry has been greatly impacted by the global pandemic and hundreds of our international exhibitors have been forced to cancel their plans to participate in NHS due to market conditions and continued travel restrictions,” explains Randy Field, Group Vice President of Reed Exhibitions. “At the NHS, we pride ourselves on being the leading industry gathering place and while we recognize and appreciate how important the show is to the community, we believe it is the right decision to transition it to a virtual experience for 2020. Following the May postponement, we prioritized making NHS Connects the place for the hardware and home improvement community to come together to source information. It will soon be where connections, direct appointment setting, and virtual product showcases will debut. We will also be adding a virtual trade show component to this digital platform that enables networking, and we look forward to utilizing that platform to allow business to continue. We seek to encourage attendees, exhibitors, and all of the NHS community to explore the platform and utilize it until we meet again in person in 2021.”
Rich Russo, Industry Vice President for NHS, adds, “Our entire team is dedicated to supporting all of our customers and partners. We are passionate about providing new options such as NHS Connects and look forward to continuing business virtually and creating innovative experiences for when we can hold an in-person event in 2021. We are re-imagining the entire physical trade show, so look forward to new initiatives, new pavilions and neighborhoods, and a complete transformation of NHS for 2021.”
For details on the 2020 National Hardware Show Virtual Event, visit www.nationalhardwareshow.com
