LG pulls out of ISE 2020 amid coronavirus concerns

The novel coronavirus outbreak has motivated LG’s decision to pull out of two major tech events

UPDATE: LG has officially withdrawn from ISE 2020, citing the World Health Organization’s recommendations on the coronavirus.

“LG regrets having to make this difficult decision but the safety of its employees and customers continues to be its number one priority. With the WHO recommending that individuals “promote social distancing,” LG management believed that the most responsible decision is to avoid participating in large public events until the situation stabilizes,” the statement read.

LG will reschedule meetings and discussions “locally in more private settings.”

Yesterday, ISE organizers issued their own statement acknowledging coronavirus concerns while emphasizing that the show will go on with considerations to current guidelines provided by public health authorities.

ORIGINAL STORY: LG has pulled out of ISE 2020 amid coronavirus concerns, reports Florian Rotberg, owner and managing director of Invidis Consulting and organizer of ISE’s Digital Signage Summit. Rotberg notes that LG’s booth at ISE 2020 was already under construction and that LG’s customers are being informed today of the cancellation.

“The cancellation is a bang and is difficult to understand at first glance in Europe,” Rotberg writes. “The stand construction in Amsterdam was already in full swing, the majority of LG employees who were scheduled for ISE are in LG’s European offices.”

Yesterday, the South Korean electronics manufacturer pulled out of the Mobile World Congress 2020 in Barcelona, Spain, citing the global emergency declaration issued by the World Health Organization as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across China.

“With the safety of its employees, partners and customers foremost in mind, LG has decided to withdraw from exhibiting and participating in MWC 2020 later this month in Barcelona, Spain,” LG said in a statement published on its website. “This decision removes the risk of exposing hundreds of LG employees to international travel which has already become more restrictive as the virus continues to spread across borders.”

Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events, has been monitoring the global responses and issuing updates on ISE 2020, including what attendees can do to protect themselves amid coronavirus concerns.

 “Although all Chinese airports are already exercising exit controls with health tests we ask all of you, whichever country you will be attending from, to work with us and exercise some common healthy practices,” Blackman said in a statement issued on Monday, February 3. “If you do not feel well or believe you may have any relevant symptoms (or in fact any health threatening symptoms, whatever they may be) that you feel might put your fellow exhibitors and attendees at risk please seek medical advice and refrain from travelling.”

ISE organizers are reportedly in daily contact with the RAI, with airlines and with public health authorities and continue to monitor the official advice from the WHO, the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) and the Dutch public health authority (RIVM).