In a statement, Ross, which has been attending the NAB since 1974, said that they have a duty towards their employees, customers and families.
Ross Video has announced that they are withdrawing from the NAB Show 2020 due to growing concerns over coronavirus spreading globally. The event, a media, entertainment and technology ecosystem for professional in the industry, is scheduled to take place from April 17 to April 22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas.
In a statement, CEO David Ross remarked: “I’m disappointed for both our customers and our staff. We always enjoy spending time with friends old and new in Las Vegas, and of course, it’s always a great opportunity to launch our newest products.”
“However, like every person attending the show, all of us at Ross have friends and family in high-risk categories that could die if they contracted COVID-19. Realising we could bring this back to them made the decision very clear.
“This isn’t just any flu – it’s easily spread with fatality rates of up to 15-20% for people over 80. My own parents fall into that category. That makes it very personal. Even as recently as a week or two ago, we hoped that this was only an issue for countries outside of North America and that the NAB Show would be protected by the travel restrictions in place,” he said.
He further noted: “Today, a quick look at the John Hopkins maps and graphs below show that it is unlikely that containment will be achieved by April in the USA.”
“Ross is not alone in this. Many of our largest customers and partners have implemented travel restrictions over COVID-19 concerns. Broadcast Asia and CABSAT have already been pushed back until later this year as have many other shows,” Ross added.