AXPONA’s Leadership Team: “We Announce, Today, the Official Cancellation of AXPONA 2020”

(April 30, 2020) AXPONA’s governing staff has been a steady and determined group throughout the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The show, originally slated to open doors April 17 – 19, attempted to launch as planned until postponing until early August. Now, with several months to go, Founder and CEO of JD Events (Joel A. Davis), has officially pulled the plug.

AXPONA 2020 will not happen.

“It is with heartfelt disappointment but concern for the health and safety of all AXPONA participants that we announce today the official cancellation of AXPONA 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. We thank everyone who had committed to making the 2020 event into what would have been the largest and most attended AXPONA in history,” said Davis in a statement released earlier today.

According to Davis, AXPONA doesn’t feel “100% confident” in its ability to provide a safe environment for audio fans, exhibitors, and press. At this time, industry exhibitors will not be provided refunds for the 2020 event. According to JD Events, its "entire business has been wiped out by the COVID-19 tsunami." The company says it decided to cancel now as a courtesy to all invested parties, and is currently working on financing options to allow exhibitors to partially roll 2020 deposits into 2021. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund by June 1, 2020 (refund requests must be made in writing to jenaeth@jdevents.com), or receive a free companion ticket for applying the ticket price to 2021.



This cancellation raises obvious concerns about the potential loss of other industry shows later this year (including CEDIA 2020, which is set for September 8-12 in Denver, Colorado). The SARS CoV-2 virus and resulting COVID-19 illness situation has remained wildly fluid, making it nearly impossible to predict if other industry events can be held in a safe and responsible fashion.

 

[NBPK402]

I think they are making a good decision...hopefully others will do the same and wait until there are no more cases worldwide. I was reading some info the other day that a lot of people got sick at the CES this year and they thought it was the flu...now they think it was Corona. I see that Joe n Tell on the YouTube channel is trying to set up with manufacturers to have the shows be online. He wants to do this to save money for the Companies as it is very expensive to ship equipment, salesmen, hotels, etc. I think it might be a good idea...it is supposed to start in 60 days. I also saw an advert from a manufacturer that was talking about online video exhibitions. Sure seems like a less expensive way to display your equipment...we will see if this is the future.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I had to cancel my trip to CES this year due to health issues, but I wouldn't be surprised if the virus made its rounds. I seem to always get sick after that show (2019 I ended up coming down with the flu on my last day in Vegas...was a long two weeks after that!). It's just a mix pot of germs.

I do think the live shows must return... especially a trade show like CEDIA. CES also. This is the only way for professionals to get hands-on experience with productions and interact with PR and sales in a meaningful way. I do think 2020 and early 2021 will be mostly shot. And for me, I don't see a circumstance where I travel to any large events until a SARS CoV2 vaccine is available (or the virus is essentially minimized).

JD Events is obviously in bad shape due to its cancellation of AXPONA. Hopefully they'll survive and return for another round in a mch healthier and safer 2021.

 

[Matthew J Poes]

I had to cancel my trip to CES this year due to health issues, but I wouldn't be surprised if the virus made its rounds. I seem to always get sick after that show (2019 I ended up coming down with the flu on my last day in Vegas...was a long two weeks after that!). It's just a mix pot of germs.

I do think the live shows must return... especially a trade show like CEDIA. CES also. This is the only way for professionals to get hands-on experience with productions and interact with PR and sales in a meaningful way. I do think 2020 and early 2021 will be mostly shot. And for me, I don't see a circumstance where I travel to any large events until a SARS CoV2 vaccine is available (or the virus is essentially minimized).

JD Events is obviously in bad shape due to its cancellation of AXPONA. Hopefully they'll survive and return for another round in a mch healthier and safer 2021.

While I think JD made the right decision, I think their choice to not give money back to vendors was a big mistake. I understand they probably can't afford to, but I won't be surprised if any vendors simply won't go to AXPONA ever again after this.

And Todd, I too won't be traveling for these events any time soon. I was planning to go to CEDIA, even had talked to their PR guy about a talk on the effects of COVID-19 on the CE industry, but at this point that is obviously not happening. Even if everything was still on I couldn't and wouldn't go.