Amid growing concern surrounding the spread of coronavirus, the American Chemical Society announced Monday the decision to cancel its annual meeting, which was scheduled to take place March 22 to 26 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
This story was first reported in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
It is the second large-scale convention to pull out of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau's 2020 lineup in the last 24 hours. The meeting was anticipated to draw 15,000 attendees to the city and generate about 23,000 hotel room nights — bringing in millions of dollars in economic impact. For the event's peak night, 5,000 hotel room nights were estimated, PBJ.com reported.
"We are now in a rapidly changing environment," Kavin Schieferdecker, senior vice president of the CVB’s convention division, wrote in an email to members on Monday afternoon.
Sunday night, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology also decided to scrap its annual meeting, which was slated for March 13 to 16 at the convention center. It had an estimated attendance of 6,500 people. Both canceled events were classified as "citywides" by the CVB, meaning a convention or event that generates at least 2,000 occupied hotel rooms on its peak night.
The Philadelphia Business Journal continues to track the impact COVID-19 concerns are having on the hospitality business and what the CVB is saying about it.
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