InterTabac 2020 Canceled

InterTabac 2020 has been canceled.

The international tobacco trade show has been scheduled to take place Sept. 18-20, 2020 in Dortmund, Germany. Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe, which owns the trade show as well as venue where the event has taken place, has contacted some exhibitors to inform of its decision.

InterTabac is the largest tobacco trade show in the world spanning the full tobacco products spectrum. That includes cigarettes, e-cigarettes/vaping products, machine-made and premium cigars, pipes, shisa, smokeless and other tobacco-related products. There’s also a connected InterSupply show that focuses on the manufacturing equipment needed for tobacco production. Visitors are able to attend both events which take place throughout the Westfalenhallen facility.

In 2019, 13,800 people attended the event which had over 500 exhibitors from 47 countries according to InterTabac.

Last week, a Dortmund-based marketing firm contacted exhibitors about whether they were planning on attending and other questions. An email sent to Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe about whether that survey was being done on the company’s behalf has not been returned. However, an email sent this week from Westfalenhallen indicated that the majority of respondents to the survey had indicated they did not want the event to happen due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even though there have been signs of relaxation in Germany in recent weeks regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, and local authorities have again made it possible to hold trade fairs under certain conditions, we as organisers continue to pay particular attention to our responsibility to protect the health of everyone involved,” said Loos. “We have a special responsibility for the several hundred exhibitors and thousands of visitors from 47 different countries we welcome to Dortmund each year”

In an email sent to exhibitors obtained by halfwheel, the company said it was hoping to keep the exhibitors in the same locations for the 2021 event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 16-18, 2021.

Earlier this month, the company publicly stated that it intended on going forward with the event. Sabine Loos, managing director of Westfalenhallen, said the company was hoping to announce health and safety procedures in the coming months. In a previous interview, Loos said that the company hoped to provide clearer guidance before summer.

InterTabac becomes the third cigar trade show canceled due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic following cancellations of the in-person TAA Meeting & Convention and the 2020 PCA Convention & Trade Show.

Update — InterTabac has now publicly commented on the cancellation.