Winter Storm Stella Prompts Trade Shows Up and Down East Coast to Cancel, Close Early

March 14, 2017

With Winter Storm Stella bearing down on the East Coast and the brunt of it striking today, trade shows up and down the East Coast from Atlantic City to New York City canceled or closed early.

On Monday, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency with parts of the state, as well as seven other ones, predicting blizzard conditions and more than 18 inches of snow.

"In preparation for blizzard-like conditions, I will be activating the State Emergency Operations Center and have directed state agencies to continue proactively preparing communities and roadways for this major storm," Governor Cuomo said before the storm moved in.

He added, "We remain in constant contact with local officials in every region, as New York prepares to aggressively clear roads, provide personnel and storm equipment as needed, and offer immediate assistance to communities across the state. I strongly urge everyone to limit unnecessary travel on Tuesday, and if you must drive, please plan ahead, be careful and stay safe."

Schneider Publishing’s Meetings Quest event, scheduled this week in Atlantic City, decided to postpone its event until June 28-29.

“No meeting planner ever wants to postpone an event,” said Timothy Schneider, president and CEO of Schneider Publishing, which publishes Association News and organizes Meetings Quest.

He added, “But thanks to our great partners at Meet AC and the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa, we have been able to reschedule Meetings Quest within a few hours of deciding to postpone it. We look forward to offering our attendees the chance to experience what makes Atlantic City such an outstanding destination for meetings and conventions. Chief among those things are a world-class convention bureau and venues that truly understand the meetings industry.”

Even though the storm was downgraded in New York City to be 4-8 inches, several shows at Javits Center were impacted by the storm; JA New York, International Esthetics Cosmetics Spa Show, International Beauty Show, and MJSA Expo closed on March 13, instead of the scheduled March 14.

Event producers for Inside 3-D Printing have changed their show days to March 15-16. Show days for New York Build Expo will remain the same, also March 15-16.

The Shape America Convention and Expo, on tap March 14-18 at the John B. Hynes Convention Center in downtown Boston, was going on as scheduled, according to the show’s web site.

“At this time, there is no change in the schedule of events; however, we understand that there is uncertainty about travel during this difficult time. Member safety is SHAPE America’s top priority. Each individual must decide for themselves whether conditions are safe for travel,” the site read.

There were no scheduled events at the Connecticut Convention Center and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, both of which are in the path of the storm.

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