03:25
The AMT Board of Directors and AMT staff have been closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 has had on the IMTS community. We sincerely hope that you, your family and your business remain healthy and safe.
As you may know, we have spent the past several weeks trying to get clarity from Illinois Governor, J. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, regarding the exact requirements for trade shows to take place in Chicago. In early May, Governor Pritzker introduced a five-phased plan to re-open Illinois businesses. As it reads, the plan specifically states that conventions are included in phase 5 of the plan. The conditions that must be met for the implementation of phase 5 feature either the availability of a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus or a highly effective treatment protocol, neither of which are expected to occur in the coming months.
In light of these difficult and challenging circumstances, IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show, scheduled for September 14-19, 2020 had to be cancelled. While this saddens us, the health and safety of our exhibitors and audience remains our top priority.
We do, however, realize and understand that even though there is no physical event in 2020, it is our responsibility to provide the IMTS exhibitors and audience with connections, networking opportunities and technical knowledge. We do not take this responsibility lightly and, to that end, we will launch two programs that will accomplish these goals.
- IMTS Network: We will host the IMTS Network, live-streaming a wide variety of features and human stories from the Manufacturing Technology sector. More information about the IMTS Network will be provided very soon.
- NEW – IMTS Spark: IMTS Spark, a comprehensive digital platform that connects IMTS exhibitors and visitors, provides educational and networking opportunities and offers first rate experiences, will launch in the near future.
At this time, the final terms of cancellation are being determined as the AMT Board of Directors is finalizing the stipulations. As soon as they are complete, we will reach out to discuss our 2020 contract.
On behalf of the AMT Board of Directors, the IMTS Show Committee, the AMT Staff and specifically my team, we would like to thank you for your patience, loyalty and partnership through these unprecedented and challenging times. We truly appreciate you.
Best Regards,
Peter R Eelman
Vice President & CXO
