Diamond Comic Distributors is canceling it’s annual retailer summit amid concerns over the spread fo the coronavirus and COVID-19. The event had been scheduled to take place April 14-16 in conjunction with MegaCon in Orlando, Florida. In a press release, Diamond says, “We do this out of an abundance of caution and with deep disappointment. We will continue to assess the viral outbreak to plan a new conference date. Our top priority is the health and safety of our staff, business partners, conference attendees and colleagues. We appreciate the efforts of the Informa team and the state and local authorities they are working with to provide a safe environment for fans and vendors, and support their goal of another fun, successful convention. MegaCon Orlando is part of an international organization with dedicated health, safety, security and travel experts who are monitoring developments, sharing relevant information and providing guidance on events. At this time, we cannot ask our sponsors and retailers to commit to travel plans while the Coronavirus’ impact is so uncertain.
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“We recognize the importance of the Retailer Summit. We thank you for your support and commitment to the Summit. We will continue to monitor this situation and look forward to the opportunity to meet face-to-face with our industry partners in the future. In the coming months, we will provide further updates as we determine our possible attendance at other events. Know that we value your business and take these measures to ensure we can provide our business partners with the services they need.”
Disney World is monitoring the spread fo the coronavirus on state and federal levels. , Disney World is also placing extra sanitizing stations around the park the help fend off the spread of the disease. Disney is reminding its workforce to take precautions by frequently washing and sanitizing their hands.
Other Florida parks including Universal Studios and SeaWorld are also monitoring the situation. Legoland has restricted employee travel to high-risk countries and implemented “enhanced cleaning regimes” at the Winter Haven park.
“The health and safety of our guests and our staff is always our top priority and we will take all necessary precautions to ensure their continued welfare,” said Merlin Entertainment spokeswoman Julie Estrada in a statement. “Like many businesses, we continue to monitor the situation closely and are in regular contact with local authorities so we may respond quickly to any developments.”
The spread of the COVID-19 has caused wide-scale disruption across the entertainment industry. WWE is monitoring the spread of the virus in Tampa Bay, Florida, the site of WrestleMania 36. Warner Bros. canceled the premiere of Superman: Red Son. Netflix is struggling to film Dwayne Johnson’s new movie, Red Notice. Disney delayed the Chinese premiere of its live-action Mulan movie indefinitely. The Game Developers Conference canceled its 2020 event after a series of company pullouts. Emerald City Comic-Con has been canceled. London Book Fair was canceled. This year’s SXSW was also canceled. The release of the upcoming James Bond film No Time to Die was pushed back into November. Other films, including Marvel’s Black Widow, seem poised to arrive in theaters unabated by the thread of the virus’s spread.
