The International Fastener Expo cancelled the 2020 trade show in Las Vegas, show manager Morgan Wilson announced.
“Recent developments have made it impossible to bring our community together safely and successfully,” the announcement stated.

“This is due to the ongoing progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the latest government data, measures, and guidelines on phased reopening plans in the U.S.; the number of confirmed cases worldwide and domestically; current quarantines, containment areas, stay at home orders, and restrictions on congregating and large gatherings imposed by states and other government and public health authorities; the inability of IFE’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 next scheduled IFE is September 21-23, 2021, at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

This is the first time since IFE was founded in 1981 as the National Industrial Fastener Show & Conference in Columbus, OH, that the trade show has been cancelled.

Hotel reservations booked through the official booking service, EventSphere will be canceled automatically with no charge, confirmed by email.  Hotel reservations outside of the official block will need to be canceled on their own.

“Though we won’t get to see you in person this year, our team is committed to finding new ways to keep the industry connected and we are in the process of launching an IFE online experience,” IFE announced.

“Our goal is to provide a platform where you can virtually meet customers you have been missing all year, have access to a proven match-making program, and learn from industry leaders and about current trends.”

Updates will be announced.

Wilson said the IFE team is working on logistics and policies due to the cancellation – such as registration fees.  Web: FastenerShows.com

IFE had surveyed show participants about postponing from late September to mid November, then announced it would keep the original dates.

The closing announcement came after the largest exhibitor, Brighton-Best International, canceled its 12 booths and the second largest, Lindfast Solutions Group, which had 10 booths in 2019, decided not to participate this year.

The decision is “purely as a safety precaution for our employees,” Lindfast announced.

Multiple other exhibitors had cancelled.  INxSQL Software (6 booths in 2019) dropped out, with president Bob Reynolds telling GlobalFastenerNews.com: “In the end, lives matter here – not keeping the show going at all costs.”

“The reasons are obvious” for another double-booth exhibitor, Ken Forging, to pull back the exhibiting in 2020, marketing manager Joann Whetsell said.

The 2019 IFE had 650 exhibiting companies.

Mandalay Bay had reopened July 1.