One of the most highly attended New York summer markets, NY NOW®, will not be held after all this year. Things seemed hopeful when the show organizers moved the show (which is co-located with the National Stationery Show) from its usual August position to October in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now those plans have been scrapped due to continuing concerns. NY Now Fall Edition had been scheduled for October 18-20, 2020, at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.
According to a statement released by NY NOW, “Recent developments have made it impossible to bring buyers and brands together safely and successfully. This is due to the ongoing progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., including the latest government data, measures, and guidelines on the phased reopening plans in the U.S.; the number of confirmed cases worldwide and domestically; current quarantines, containment areas, stay-at-home orders, and restrictions on congregating and large gatherings imposed by states and other government and public health authorities; travel restrictions into the New York City area; and the various company-imposed travel restrictions on employees affecting attendees and participating companies.”
Adds Tim Hart, Senior VP for NY NOW, “We are naturally disappointed not to have the opportunity to bring our community together face-to-face in New York City. However, we remain committed to finding ways to connect our brands, designers, makers and retailers with NY NOW’s hallmark spirit of discovery. Our attention will now turn to NY NOW Winter 2021 and our digital offerings. Since March, we have been pleased to provide practical and relevant content to our community through our webinar and podcast program and have seen some fantastic engagement. In a spirit of innovation and discovery, we will continue to develop ways to provide meaningful digital connections and will update you as our plans develop.”
Visit the NY NOW website to keep up to date on NY NOW digital offerings and the upcoming Winter 2021 market www.nynow.com
