IMTS 2020 cancelled because of COVID-19

IMTS 2020, which had been scheduled to be held in Chicago in September 2020, has been cancelled because of the pandemic virus Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The state of Illinois has imposed health and safety requirements for holding conventions, including the availability of a vaccine for COVID-19 or an effective treatment protocol. The state has said it has a five-phase plan for reopening its economy. The operation of conventions falls in the fifth and final phase.

IMTS 2020 takes over all of Chicago’s McCormick Place and during the show, the convention facility is jammed with exhibitors and visitors.

“The show has been held uninterrupted for 73 years, but now the global Coronavirus health crisis requires the cancellation of what would have been the 34th edition of IMTS, for the health and safety of our exhibitors, audiences and local business community,” said Peter R. Eelman, Vice President and CXO at AMT (The Association For Manufacturing Technology) , which owns and produces IMTS.

Organisers said in a statement that IMTS will offer two digital programmes, IMTS Network and IMTS Spark, over the next several months to assist exhibitors and the manufacturing community. The IMTS Network will live-stream a wide variety of features and human-interest stories from the manufacturing technology sector. IMTS Spark, a new programme, will be a digital platform that connects IMTS exhibitors and visitors, will launch in the near future.

AMT said the show is committed to returning to McCormick Place as scheduled for its normal rotation in September from 13 to 18 September 2022.