While many areas of the country begin to reopen, the novel coronavirus COVID-19 continues to shut down others.
The latest custom electronics industry event to be impacted is the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF), the annual fall gathering of audiophile vibes in Colorado outside Denver.
Prioritizing health and safety of all involved, and weighing the potential of a second coronavirus wave, event organizers have announced the cancellation of the scheduled October 2-4 event, which was going to be held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Aurora.
“Over the years, we have endured many obstacles, and through it all we had the support of our community, a sense of humor and the promise of stories to tell our grandchildren,” noted Marjorie Baumert, director and Marcie Miller, operations director.
“Here in the RMAF office, we have remained calm and quiet for weeks, waiting for the dust to settle around the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown so that we could evaluate the possibilities for our show in the wake of a worldwide shutdown.
“Even now, some parts of the United States are beginning to reopen, although the numbers of people contracting the virus, and the number of deaths attributed to it are still rising, and the CDC is projecting an even more deadly second wave in the fall. We remain uncertain that this is the right course of action, although we wish it were otherwise,” says Baumert.
Audiophile Shows Look Toward 2021
The decision follows similar moves by organizers of other audio shows both in the United States and internationally.
High End Munich and AXPONA, two other much-anticipated events the audio community typically look forward to every year besides RMAF, announced their cancellation earlier this year, for instance.
“The very worst thing that we can envision is for someone to fall ill because they came to our show, whether as an exhibitor, a journalist, an attendee, or a volunteer. Good health is a precious gift, and we are learning that although recovery is possible, the residual effects of COVID-19 can be profound, and we are unwilling to risk even one case,” Baumert and Miller stated.
“Up until now, we have held onto the possibility that our October show could be produced as planned. After watching and listening to the news concerning the coronavirus pandemic, and reading all the trade publications, we no longer hold that hope.”
Noted in the announcement and already on the RMAF website, next year’s event is planned for the weekend of October 8-10 at the Gaylord Rockies venue.
“You may rest assured that we are facing the future with optimism and exuberance,” the organizers added, “and plan to use the coming year to explore new ways of making RMAF better and more enjoyable for everyone!”
