IWA is the annual European equivalent of our SHOT Show. Most of the world’s major firearms manufacturers are there in Nuremberg, just as they’re in Las Vegas each January. This Year’s IWA OutdoorClassics was scheduled to run from March 6 to 9.
We had heard rumors of companies dropping out of IWA due to concerns over corona virus. The rumors were that companies including Warne, Eagle Imports, HS Precision, Grovtec, SIG, Blaser, C-Products, and others had cancelled their show plans.
You can certainly understand the companies’ concerns about traveling overseas. But we didn’t have confirmation of any of this.
Now however, this notice has gone up on the IWA website:
Due to the new situation regarding the spread of the corona virus, NürnbergMesse has decided to postpone IWA OutdoorClassics 2020 from the planned date of 6-9 March 2020 to a date in 2020, which has yet to be determined.
We hope you will understand the decision taken. The aim of every trade fair must be to create a special experience for exhibitors and visitors alike and to facilitate the diverse establishment and expansion of business relationships. Unfortunately, this goal cannot be achieved under the current circumstances.
This isn’t the first big meeting in Europe to cancel as a result of the spread of the virus.
The next big event in the gun industry is the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Nashville. It’s scheduled for April 16 to 19. That’s still a ways off, but you have to believe the NRA is taking this move into consideration given current events.