ANNAPOLIS, Md.—NAHAD has postponed its annual meeting and convention to June 12-15 at the Marriott Marquis in San Diego, Calif.
The meeting originally was scheduled for April 10-13.
The Annapolis-based Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution said the move will allow more of its membership to attend.
"While we all are eager to get back to face-to-face meetings with our suppliers and customers, we felt this delay was necessary to allow additional time for vaccine distribution and for company travel bans to ease," NAHAD President Sam Petillo, president of Singer Equities, said in a statement. "We feel that, by June, there will be a much greater opportunity for the NAHAD community to gather together safely and effectively."
NAHAD typically draws 1,000 attendees for the event, which includes educational sessions, networking opportunities and more than 150 exhibits in the Showcase of Hose Solutions.
The event will enforce social distancing protocols, as well as all San Diego County COVID-19 policies and procedures that are in place at the time of the convention, NAHAD said. The association also has altered its traditional cancellation guidelines, "knowing that travel policies continue to change almost daily for many of its 500-member companies."
"We know this year is unlike any other for our attendees, and for the entire industry," NAHAD executive vice president Molly Alton Mullins said. "As a result, we are considering all avenues possible to ensure a successful conference experience. This includes flexible refund policies, as well as looking into alternative venues that meet the needs of the NAHAD convention, if needed, by June. Communication is paramount in this situation and we are in constant contact with Marriott Marquis management on jurisdictional restrictions in place that impact NAHAD's annual convention."
NAHAD canceled its 2020 convention due to the coronavirus pandemic.
