High-End Munich Canceled

(February 28) High End 2020, aka Munich High End, has been canceled “due to the current worsening trend with respect to the spread of the novel coronavirus.” Citing a rapid increase in infections in Italy “within a few days,” and uncertainty as to how the virus will continue to spread in Europe, Stefan Dreischärf, Managing Director of High End Society Service GmbH declared, “We consider it our responsibility to act in a timely manner.”

The press release also revealed that, at the beginning of February, the society offered Chinese exhibitors options for leaving the show. Since then, the society had received an increasing number of inquiries as to the show's fate. Refunds are promised to all ticket holders.

In a separate statement, AXPONA, North America biggest audio show, affirmed its intention to go ahead with plans for its April 17-19 event, at Chicago’s Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center. “As always, the health and safety of our customers is our number one priority,” says the statement. “We will be reinforcing recommended measures on-site regarding appropriate hygiene standards and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and local health authorities. …We certainly appreciate anyone’s individual decision not to travel due to their own personal health concerns and we recommend that anyone who feels under the weather should remain at home.”

COMMENTS
invaderzim's picture

I really hope things like this end up being over reactions when we look back. But it seems like a smart idea now. With luck the impact of the virus will end up being small and another blip in our history.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

May be Stereophile could cancel covering the AXPONA as well as the Montreal Audio Expo ....... We need all our Stereophile reviewers ........ They are our valuable assets (seriously) :-) .........

Jack L's picture

Hi

Is Japan still under the curse of the "Samurai" - to fight to death for a course ?

Japan has just announced last week to proceed with the Olympic Games in July despite being the 2nd most virus-affected country next to China.

Does Japan concern the health safety of thousands of athletes & hundred thousands of attendances & staff there in July ?????

God knows!

Jack L

Anton's picture

This is obviously the place to work that stuff out!

ChrisS's picture

...not overreacting.

Jack L's picture

Hi

Certainly not when Milan, Italy decided to cancel its annual Milan Carnival, a huge costume parade to mark its annual Fashion Week, for the sake of public health safety.

Jack L

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

A big question worth asking is what course of action all the companies who planned to unveil premieres in Munich will take. Will many of them shift to AXPONA? That will depend on any number of factors, including the spread of the pandemic within the U.S. (which could result in a cancellation of AXPONA), which manufacturers from Europe and the far East will be affected by our country's virus-related travel ban, how long this pandemic lasts and which other shows it affects, and how much room AXPONA has at this point for new exhibitors. Will some manufacturers simply release new products without show-related fanfare? Without wishing to sound like cable news, which searches for dramas it can track and highlight on a segment-by-segment basis, there's a lot of "Breaking News" ahead.

jmsent's picture

https://wgntv.com/news/illinois-health-officials-announce-new-case-of-coronavirus/

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Breaking news this morning ......... There is an outbreak of the Corona virus in a nursing home near Seattle ....... The virus is suspected to be 2-3 times more contagious than the Flu virus :-) ........

Jack L's picture

..... near Seattle" quoted B Haranath.

I read the newspaper this morning: the first virus death was announced by the US chief medical officer with D. Trump & M Pence there side by side.

It is now a state of emergency !

Jack L

tonykaz's picture

There seems to be a News Blackout on this Virus.

We on the Bernie Trail are informed that the Virus is mostly a Flu for the largest percentage of folks, just stay at home and chill out for the majority of infected population.

Folks with respiratory issues will need Hospitalization to recover.

Older folks, weakened by Smoking and acute respiratory Issues are at high fatality risk.

Tony bouncing around California and N.Y. phew

ps. I quit tobacco some time ago and typically walk 4+ miles per day. No breathing issues.

ps. We are told that there will be NO vaccine available over the next 12 months.

tonykaz's picture

Can we worry about the survival of people ?

I'm hoping to not loose family.

2020 will be a decisive Year in a few ways.

As far as New Product Releases, hmm, I'll be happy to live long enough to read the review in Stereophile & JA1's data point reasonings.

Our lives are at stake here, this virus has already gone Global and is wreaking havoc on Business.

Let's try not to loose anyone.

Tony in S.Carolina

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Did you enjoy some of that 'Lowcountry cuisine' (see, Wikipedia)? :-) .........

tonykaz's picture

I have no time or budget for Culinary excursions.

I typically have a travel bag with enough Burger King to last a day and half. ( or taco Bell, McD, etc...), I feel like a Big Green Waste Management food processeser.

Tony heading for SF

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Eating 'Hoppin' John' is supposed to bring happy and prosperous year filled with luck :-) .......

JRT's picture

Tony Kaz asked the rhetorical question, "Can we worry about the survival of people?"

I would suggest that worry is different from concern, and that the mental act of 'worrying' obfuscates perception, most especially if that worrying is an excessive focus on things outside of your spheres of control or influence, as that just distracts and wastes your limited resources to affect those things that you do control or influence.

I would further suggest that as general principle for most any situation, you should focus on your own OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) (web search John Boyd). Work toward your longer term strategy while performing constant triage on your near term plan of actions as you orient your thoughts to your observations, and focus on the decisions and actions that you either control or significantly influence. Include the effects of your actions in your observations to close the feedback loop. Sometimes inaction or delayed action is the best course, but avoid indecision and the paralysis of excessive analysis. Simply do your level best with that, timely, and without much angst.

Worrying about other things outside of your limited spheres of control or of significant influence is neither useful nor helpful to you or anyone else, rather that worrying just adds psychological obstacles that interfere with and distract from useful thoughts and actions.

JRT's picture

"Both COVID-19 and influenza cause respiratory disease and spread the same way, via small droplets of fluid from the nose and mouth of someone who is sick."

"...COVID-19 does not transmit as efficiently as influenza, from the data we have so far..."

"Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died. By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected."

The snippets above were excerpted from WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on the subject of COVID-19 on 03 March 2020. The full text is available at the following link.

https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---3-march-2020

I would add that these are very early days in the propagation of the Covid-2019 global pandemic, which only recently began breaking out into larger populations.

Your best protection is to simply wash your hands before touching your face or your food (good practice at any time). When this does break out larger and risk of infection becomes larger than it is in most places today, until a vaccine becomes available, avoid restaurants and eat only cooked foods prepared at home, avoid crowds and close contact with anyone not sharing your household, if practicable work from home.

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