PLMA cancels January trade show

The Private Label Manufacturers Association has canceled its annual Private Label Trade Show scheduled for Jan. 30- Feb.1, 2022, in Chicago due to the continued debilitating effects of COVID-19 on business travel. It is the second cancellation of the show, which was originally to be held last month. 

“This action was taken for a number of reasons, all related to the impact of COVID-19 on the safe movement of exhibitors and visitors who annually attend our Chicago show,” said PLMA president Peggy Davies. 

Davies noted that New York-based PLMA has plans for three major trade shows for retailers and store brand manufacturers during 2022: PLMA Global, a new online event set for March 28-31; the annual World of Private Label show in Amsterdam, May 31-June 1; and the traditional fall Chicago show, November 13-15. 

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, however, the in-person Chicago show is not possible for Jan. 30-Feb.1, she explained.  

“Because of the surge in cases nationwide, we are seeing an extension into 2022 of corporate travel limitations, if not new outright bans,” Davies said. “With the onset of colder weather and more indoor gatherings, an uptick in cases in the U.S. was predicted by most experts, but its extent has been greater than anticipated.” 

Related:Former PLMA president Brian Sharoff inducted into Private Label Hall of Fame

In addition, the outbreak of the Omicron variant has exacerbated the COVID-19 situation overseas, resulting in the imposition of tougher restrictions on all international travel. This makes passage to Chicago by all trade show participants highly problematic, Davies noted. 

In September, PLMA announced plans to reschedule the annual event from November to the January dates. At the time, the date change reflected the resurgence of COVID-19 in many areas of the country from the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus. 

COVID has wreaked with havoc with PLMA’s annual marquee event since August 2020, when the association canceled the annual trade show planned for that November and shifted to a new virtual event — PLMA Live! Presents Private Label Week — that was held Feb. 1 to 5 this year. In May, PLMA unveiled plans to return to its traditional in-person annual show in mid-November, which was postponed once and is now canceled.