LAS VEGAS — SuperZoo 2020 has been canceled and rescheduled to Aug. 17-19, 2021 after weighing public health and safety concerns surrounding COVID-19. 

Last week, the World Pet Association (WPA) announced a variety of health and safety measures and procedures to give SuperZoo attendees peace of mind, but ultimately decided "that moving forward with SuperZoo 2020 in a format that abides by health and safety regulations will compromise too many components for us to deliver the experience — personal and professional — that makes this show the biggest and the best," said Vic Mason, interim president of WPA, in a statement. 

WPA will continue to work with exhibitors and attendees to work out logistics and other details affected by its decision to postpone the 2020 event.

SuperZoo 2021 will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.   

"Throughout this process the MGM Resort/Mandalay Bay team has been dedicated to offering every possible solution in order to host a fun, safe and healthy event for our attendees," Mason said. "We are excited to return next year and continue our long-standing relationship."

Stay up to date on pet industry event cancellations and adjustments with our Pet Industry Event Tracker.

 

Read the initial version of this article below.

 

World Pet Association (WPA) will implement increased health and safety measures to maintain September 2020 dates for its annual pet industry trade show, SuperZoo.

Overall, the trade show will be taking precautions to accommodate social distancing and increased sanitation recommendations advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Currently, a list of standards and adjustments includes:

  • Contact-free registration
  • Controlled attendee access to maintain social distancing
  • Mandatory use of gloves in the New Product Showcase area
  • Providing masks and touch-free hand sanitizer stations for all attendees and exhibitors
  • Socially distanced grooming contests and education seminars
  • Additional meeting tables in rest areas
  • An additional conference hall to maximize space for registration and avoid long lines in hallways
  • Expanded show hours
  • “Grab-and-Go” concessions

WPA stated it will continue to update these guidelines to provide a safe and secure experience.

Starting May 29, Nevada began Phase 2 of its plan to reopen the state’s public venues, which is set to expire on June 30 and includes strong recommendations to continue wearing face masks in public, stay at home if possible, practice social distancing, and limit public gatherings to 50 people or less, among other guidelines.

The office of Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak released a statement saying the state will monitor public health trends for two to three weeks and will enter Phase 3 on or before June 30 if trends “continue to remain positive.”

“Our cumulative test positivity rate – which is the number of people testing positive against the total number of tests – has declined to 6.5 percent,” Sisolak said in a press conference on May 26. “We have been in a downward trend for 31 days – a full month.”

The state began Phase 1 on May 9.

As part of Phase 2, all bars, restaurants, retail establishments, gyms and other service-oriented businesses were allowed to open with some restrictions. Gaming venues are expected to reopen on June 4, and clubs, adult entertainment venues and brothels are to remain closed during this phase.

If all fares well, state officials expect a full reopening of businesses throughout Nevada, with minimal restrictions and continued public health precautions, by September.

As of June 1, the convention is still scheduled to take place at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino in Las Vegas from Sept. 1 to 3. Educational sessions will also be held Aug. 31.

World Pet Association will continue to work with Mandalay Bay to share updates about its 2020 trade show at https://www.superzoo.org/health-and-safety/.

Stay up to date on pet industry event cancellations and adjustments with our Pet Industry Event Tracker.