The 2020 Ace Hardware Spring Convention, originally scheduled to take place March 11–14, 2020 in Chicago, has been cancelled amid growing concerns surrounding coronavirus. Ace said the health and safety of Ace employees, retailers, vendors, and convention guests prompted the decision to cancel the event.
According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 126,000 confirmed global cases of coronavirus. More than 85,000 cases have been confirmed in China, with over 3,000 deaths in the country tied to the disease. Outside of China, more than 15,000 people in 85 countries have contracted the virus.
In the United States, there are more than 1,300 reported cases in at least 21 states.
Coronavirus has had ripple effects across the industry, causing the International Hardware Show in Germany to be postponed from March 2020 to February 2021. In the United States, Weyerhaeuser shut down its headquarters in Seattle as a precaution to its employees, including many who use mass transit to commute to work.
