PAINT INDIA 2020 has been postponed, organizers announced.

“In the normal scheme of things, this is when all of us would be in the midst of frenzied preparations (as we are too), and our default communication to you would be a Welcome Letter with imperative Show instructions and general updates,” wrote Dilip Raghavan, on behalf of Team PAINT INDIA 2020.

“However, we find ourselves in the midst of extraordinary circumstances on account of the coronavirus situation, which has escalated from a Chinese phenomenon one month ago, to a Southeast Asian malaise 10 days ago, and now into a global concern in the last few days,” Raghavan continued. “While we have been adapting to this changing situation on both the business and health front, and are adequately geared to deliver a quality event to the industry, the unraveling of events and the industry’s concerns on account of the same in the last couple of days means we cannot have a status quo on the same. The recent spread of the virus to multiple countries across continents, travel advisories, quarantine measures, visa restrictions, and the general outlook towards traveling to large congregations has changed the situation dramatically. With the scenario changing on a daily basis, the next 10 days leading up to the Show could potentially throw up fresh challenges and concerns.

“PAINT INDIA has grown into an event of global magnitude and relevance over the years based on its consistent and immense delivery of value to exhibitors and visitors alike, and our cognizance and empathy to the industry’s feedback and aspirations,” Raghavan added. “The element of people’s interaction and enhanced business networking with existing and new customers is the cornerstone of any successful event. Any compromise on the ability of our show to deliver this value would detract from the high expectations that the industry has of it, and is non-negotiable for us. Furthermore, we would not want to be indifferent to even the most remote possibility of a health risk to our industry colleagues who would be present at our Show. As responsible organizers of a world-class event, it is simply not in line to trivialize this issue, especially given the happenings of the last few days.”

New dates and details will be announced “at the earliest possible time,” according to Raghavan.

“We remain confident of enjoying the Industry’s support and understanding at this sensitive juncture and remain committed to delivering an even more successful event at the right point in time,” Raghavan concluded. “We continue to be accessible to the entire industry for any support that we could be of, in the meantime, and look forward to our continued engagement.”