COVID Update: 2021 New York International Auto Show cancelled

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2021 New York International Auto Show that was scheduled to open for the public on August 20 at the Jacob K Javits Convention Centre has been cancelled. Why? Well, the credit for blunder goes to the Covid Delta variant that has a dominant strain in the US.

In the year 2020 also the auto show got postponed due to COVID-19. And now due to the high number of Covid related cases, NY state and local officials have announced measures to curb its spread.

Mark Scheinberg, NY Auto Shoe President said, “As custodians of the 121-year-old New York Auto Show, we are committed to providing a safe environment for everyone including attendees, exhibitors, and the thousands of men and women who put the show together. Over the past few weeks, and especially within the last few days, circumstances have changed making it more difficult to create an event at the high standard that we and our clients expect.”

The disappointment of not being able to pull the show is clearly reflected in Scheinberg statement wherein he said, “At the onset of planning for the August show, we were increasingly excited at the prospect of hosting the event as the number of vaccinations in New York continued to climb and mask-wearing reduced the spread in the city. All signs were positive, and the show was coming together stronger than ever, but today is a different story.”

He further added, “The Covid pandemic has challenged our City, the country and the entire world, but just like the automobile industry, we know that the New York Auto Show will rebound and be bigger and better than before."

The Javits Centre, venue for 2022 NYIAS also released a statement post the cancellation reading, "In this environment, hosting any large-scale event is a challenge, but there continues to be a great demand for in-person meetings and events throughout the country. Our first major event since the pandemic, NY NOW, is scheduled to open on Sunday, and we are working closely with event organizers to host a series of upcoming events in the fall."

If everything (COVID related cases) remains under control, the NYIAS will make a comeback in April 2022.

Also Read: COVID Update: Toyota suspends production at three plants