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Law360 (March 11, 2020, 10:50 PM EDT) -- The National Association of Broadcasters' annual conference joined the growing list of prominent events to bite the dust amid public health concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus, though the group did say Wednesday that it was "considering a number of potential alternatives."
But for now, the annual NAB Show, which was slated to take place in Las Vegas this April, won't go on, the group announced.
NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith said in an open letter Wednesday that the group is still figuring out where to go from here, but that "health and safety concerns" over COVID-19 made it unwise to move forward with the event as scheduled.
"We are still weighing the best potential path forward, and we ask you for your patience as we do so," Smith wrote. "We are committed to exploring all possible alternatives so that we can provide a productive setting where the industry can engage with the latest technology, hear from industry thought leaders and make the game-changing connections that drive our industry forward."
Las Vegas has played host to the NAB Show for almost three decades, but the event dates back nearly a century, according to the NAB.
The announcement comes on the same day the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Also on Wednesday, local officials from Chicago to Savannah, Georgia, revealed they will be cancelling St. Patrick's Day celebrations to prevent the spread of the virus.
As of Wednesday, official diagnoses topped 1,000 in the United States, but experts have said it's likely the number of undiagnosed cases is much higher, as tests to detect the virus remain in short supply.
--Editing by Daniel King.
For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.
