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AGTA Cancels 2021 Tucson GemFair
The Pima County Health Department denied the organization’s application to hold the event in February due to the ongoing pandemic.
A shot of the show floor at the 2020 AGTA GemFair Tucson. The 2021 edition of the show has been canceled due to COVID-19. (Image courtesy of AGTA)
Dallas—The American Gem Trade Association announced Tuesday it has canceled the 2021 Tucson GemFair trade show.
The event was slated for Feb. 2-7 at the Tucson Convention Center.
The cancellation comes as a result of the Pima County Health Department denying the AGTA’s application to hold the show, according to AGTA CEO Doug Hucker.
“We have worked hand-in-hand with the many show producers in Tucson and the Pima County Health Department to develop a show that could be safe and conscientious,” he said.
“Unfortunately, with the trajectory of the spread of the coronavirus, the requirements we would need to meet to produce the show and the health risks associated with a gathering of this size have made the GemFair 2021 untenable, and Pima County Health Department has chosen to deny our application for the event.”
Hucker said AGTA will work to find new ways to facilitate business for members and buyers, whether that is through virtual trade shows, educational seminars, social media outreach or online events.
The next GemFair trade show is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas in June 2021; final dates have yet to be confirmed.
The dates for the 2022 Tucson event are Feb. 1-6.
AGTA is the latest organization to cancel its 2021 Tucson gem show, with GemFair joining the Gem and Jewelry Exchange and Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in foregoing a show early next year.
Its cancelation means there will be no trade-facing gemstone shows in Tucson in February, wiping out another week that is a staple on the calendars of many gem dealers and jewelry retailers.
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