Home shows cancelled, meetings postponed

March 20, 2020

Canada’s largest home show, the Toronto Home Show, has been cancelled. The largest home show in North America, in Chicago, had earlier been called off. Both cancellations were due to fears of the new coronavirus.
The Toronto Home Show has been running for 70 years and this is first time it will not been held. The show was scheduled to open March 13 and run to March 22. A statement of organizers said the closure “underscores the importance of the measures being undertaken by Ontario's Medical Officer of Health."
This year's event, which was rebranded as Home Show: The Big One, was scheduled to have more than 800 vendors in Toronto's Enercare Centre. 
The International Housewares Association’s Board of Directors cancelled the Inspired Home Show 2020, which was scheduled to take place March 14-17, at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
The show was expected to draw approximately 60,000 attendees from 130 countries. According to the association, 600 exhibitors had already backed out of the show prior to the cancellation announcement.
Covid-19 has also led to cancellations of home builder association meetings and events across the country.
Perhaps typical is the response of HAVAN, the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association. It  has cancelled all events and gatherings larger than 250 people. HAVAN staff are working from home and all committee meetings are held via videoconferencing, according to spokeswoman Dawn Sondergaard. Some events, such as an April 2 Reno Show in Vancouver, have been postponed.