2021 confectionery industry events impacted by COVID-19

Here’s a running list of events canceled, postponed or shifted to virtual.

Coronavirus — This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Confectionery industry events for 2021 have been canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, while others are moving ahead in a virtual format.

We will continue to update CandyIndustry.com and this article as more information becomes available. Please continue to check back for updates.

Anyone who would like to send direct information about how the coronavirus is impacting an event or an aspect of the confectionery industry can email Editor Crystal Lindell at lindellc@bnpmedia.com.

Western Candy Conference

2021 Western Candy Conference to be held virtually

Western Candy Conference 2021 will be hosted virtually, organizers announced Nov. 13.

The event was set to be held in Scottsdale, Arizona, but the online event is now scheduled for March 18-19 from 9 a.m. to noon PST.

Western Candy Conference 2022 is scheduled for the third week of March at the Hyatt McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale.

interpack 2021 canceled due to COVID-19

Organizers for interpack have canceled the 2021 event due to increasing COVID-19 infections and ongoing travel restrictions.

The fair, which had been rescheduled from May 2020, was set to be held Feb. 25-March 3 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Additional online options will be available for exhibitors and visitors of the upcoming interpack 2023.

ISM and ProSweets Cologne 2021 completely canceled amid COVID-19

Both the in-person and virtual ISM and Prosweets Cologne 2021 events have been canceled amid a spike in COVID-19 cases around the world.

Organizers said the increased number of infections, as well as the related lockdowns and travel restrictions, made the event unfeasible. It was slated to be held Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2021 in Cologne, Germany.

The 2022 ISM and ProSweets Cologne will be held Jan. 30- Feb. 2, 2022.

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Alyse Thompson-Richards has held many positions with BNP Media, first serving as an intern at Candy Industry magazine in summer 2012. She joined Candy Industry's staff full time as associate editor in August 2016 after a few years at newspapers in West-Central Illinois, becoming managing editor in March 2019. Alyse has also served as managing editor of Cannabis Products magazine since March 2019, and is currently the editor-in-chief of Food Engineeering magazine. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from Western Illinois University.