GMDC | Retail Tomorrow shuffle conference date

As trade shows and conferences continue to be suspended well into the coronavirus pandemic, the retail trade association Global Market Development Center I Retail Tomorrow has postponed its General Merchandise Conference show scheduled for June 4-8 in Orlando and will be co-locating it in the fall alongside its Selfcare Summit.

The association said that it is anticipating that travel bans will be lifted by the time of the two events, which are scheduled for October in Atlanta.

The General Merchandise Conference will run Sept. 30-Oct. 4 and the Selfcare Summit will be running Oct. 1-5. Both events are held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

“The COVID-19 outbreak continues to profoundly disrupt many industries, including retail, travel and hospitality. GMDC|Retail Tomorrow is taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, members and partners,” said Patrick Spear, president & CEO of GMDC|Retail Tomorrow. “Postponing our GM20 event and co-locating it with our second annual Selfcare Summit in October will enable our association to support members’ pressing business continuity needs. It will also ensure the timely creation of new best practices in response to the lasting impacts of COVID-19 on the products and services that we represent. Our trading partners will leverage this time together to navigate what will undoubtedly be a changed retail landscape.”

Combined, the events expect to bring more than 150 retailer executives and 500 supplier executives in the consumer health, beauty, wellness, self-care and general merchandise categories.

For a running tally of how adjusted dates around conferences, see sister publication Progressive Grocer’s listing.