Surf Expo announced today that they are canceling the September 2020 in-person event due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in Florida. According to the statement released by Roy Turner, SVP of Emerald and Surf Expo Show Director, the show has now been transitioned into a virtual event taking place Sep. 16-18, 2020.

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Driven by our responsibility to serve your best interests, we regret to announce that we are canceling this year’s Surf Expo, which was scheduled to take place September 10-12, 2020, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Recent developments have made it impossible to bring our community together safely and successfully. This is due to the ongoing progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the latest government data, measures, and guidelines on the phased reopening plans in the U.S.; current restrictions on congregating and large gatherings imposed by states and other government and public health authorities; the inability of Surf Expo’s international community to travel to the show due to travel restrictions and bans; and the various company-imposed travel restrictions on employees affecting attendees and participating companies. The health and safety of our customers, partners, and employees remains of paramount concern to us.

Though we are so disappointed we won’t see you all in person this summer, our team remains committed to offering new ways to keep the industry connected. We have had extensive discussions with many of you and it’s clear that connections need to be made and business still needs to be conducted.

To serve this current need, Surf Expo is proud to announce Surf Expo Connect, a virtual space to connect brands with retailers and media, taking place September 16-18, 2020. Please expect updates on this shortly.

We look forward to uniting our community at our next full-scale, live and in-person show scheduled for January 6-8, 2021. We are working with the venue and planning ahead to ensure we host a productive, safe, and healthy event for our customers.

Surf Expo is the latest in a long list of fashion trade shows and events that have been canceled due to the worldwide pandemic caused by COVID-19.