Covid cancels the big US print events

The major US print trade show Printing United Expo, due to take place in Florida next month, and HP Indigo users event Dscoop, which was to run in San Diego next month, have been cancelled, as Covid continues to cause sickness in vaccine hesitant states.

They are the latest big prints event to be called off this year, following PacPrint, which was pushed back to next June, and drupa, which was rescheduled to April from last year, then cancelled altogether.

Organisers of Printing United Expo said that growing uncertainties and a spike in cases resulting from the Covid-19 Delta variant and its “depressing effect on registration and exhibitor participation”, created a set of conditions that “do not give us a reasonable chance to deliver an even marginally successful tradeshow event of a certain magnitude where the showcasing of equipment is the primary driver.”

The show will not be rescheduled or sent online, the organisers are now looking to the 2022 event, which will be held in Las Vegas next October.

HP and Dscoop have jointly cancelled the Dscoop Edge San Diego event, which had been scheduled for Oct 24-27 in San Diego. “The health and safety of our global employees remains our top priority,” comments Haim Levit, VP and General Manager of HP Indigo. “We wish we could all meet face-to-face in the way we had hoped for at Edge San Diego, but given the current situation with Covid variants globally, we err on the side of caution and unfortunately meeting face-to-face will have to wait a little longer. Our team will continue working closely with our customers as together we drive growth and open new markets, applications and possibilities.” 

Aussie printers were banned from going to the events anyway, thanks to the ongoing international travel block. The only remaining major print show left this year from the wrecked global calendar is the thrice postponed wide-format Fespa, slated for Amsterdam next month, but again Aussies are banned.

Covid continues to impact local events as well; all remaining PICAs bar the SA event have been rescheduled to October - SA will take place on 16 September - with the National Print Awards, originally scheduled to take place during PacPrint, now happening at the Victoria PICA event, and being live streamed to the other PICAs.