Another Tucson Gem Show Canceled Due To The Coronavirus
TUCSON, AZ — Another Tucson gem show has been canceled due to the continued surge in coronavirus cases.
The American Gem Trade Association announced it will not hold its annual GemFair Tucson in 2021 due to the pandemic.
“We have worked hand-in-hand with the many show producers in Tucson, and the Pima County Health Department to develop a show that could be safe and conscientious,” Douglas K. Hucker, AGTA CEO, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, with the trajectory of the spread of the coronavirus, the requirements we would need to meet to produce the show, and the health risks associated with a gathering of this size have made the GemFair 2021 untenable and Pima County Health Department has chosen to deny our application for the event.”
Pima County reported 569 new coronavirus cases and 20 additional deaths Thursday.
It would have been the 39th GemFair, with multiple large-scale events held around town. The next AGTA GemFair is scheduled for Las Vegas in June 2021, with final dates to be confirmed. The dates for the 2022 AGTA GemFair Tucson are February 1 – 6, 2022.
A spokesperson for the city of Tucson said the group's application was not denied, according to the Arizona Daily Star. The association was asked to resubmit its application with more safety precautions and it declined to do so.
“They had to make a business decision,” spokesman Andy Squire told the outlet. “And, if cases get worse and the [Tucson Convention Center] become a COVID hospital they’d be out.”
The gem show, with more than 50 locations around town, had a direct economic impact of $131 million in 2019.
Hucker said the AGTA is looking for ways to engage the community without an in-person event, like seminars or online educational events.
“While times are certainly strange right now, it’s important that AGTA works to find new ways to facilitate trade for our members and buyers,” he said.
This article originally appeared on the Tucson Patch
