COVID-19 Already Affecting 2021 Events

Late summer and early fall are filling up fast with industry events thanks to the lingering impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Several trade shows have pushed their dates from early 2021 into the latter half of the third quarter. COVID-19 remains the culprit and even after a tumulous 2020, the early indicators for 2021 on the event front don’t appear promising.

The European Forum For Reciprocating Compressors (EFRC) Board moved its conference for the third time in early November. Originally, the EFRC Conference was set for Sept. 2-3 in Warsaw, Poland. It moved to March 2021 and then to its current date – Aug. 24-26.

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) has gone through a similar arc with its event. At first, show organizers push its 2020 show from May to the third quarter of 2020. Later, the board of directors canceled it and focused on its 2021 event, set for May 3-6 in Houston, Texas. In mid-November, the board decided to move it to Aug. 16-19.

The Global Energy Show, held annually during the second week of June in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is also postponed due to concerns over COVID-19. The event will now occur from Sept. 21-23 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

“Our commitment to delivering exceptional events that support economic growth and recovery will be reinforced by the highest standards of safety next year at the Global Energy Show,” said Nick Samain, vice president of dmg::events. “Moving the event to the fall is an additional prudent step as we begin to see the return of in-person live experiences.”

The GPA Midstream Association pushed its GPA Midstream Convention from April to September, with its 2021 event set to occur from Sept. 26-29 in San Antonio, Texas. The association, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2021, hopes the later date next year will ensure the show can occur in person. The association canceled the 2020 event. All future GPA Midstream Conventions will take place in September in San Antonio through 2026.

The International Gas Union’s (IGU’s) Council, responsible for the World Gas Conference, pushed its event – scheduled initially from June 21-25 in Daegu, South Korea – into 2022. The decision also came with additional changes to the trajectory of future World Gas Conferences, which will occur in 2025, 2028 and so forth. The World Gas Conference for 2022 is set from May 23-27.

With the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the industry, COMPRESSORTECH² will provide updated coverage across its website. If you have news to share, please contact editor DJ Slater at [email protected]. 

Additional COVID-19 stories can be found here.