Like many conventions and shows this year, the 2021 World Ag Expo made the initial call to cancel the show back in September. However, the organization has shifted directions. For the first time in show history, the 2021 World Ag Expo will be an online event, taking place February 9 to 11. Officials at the International Agri-Center announced the cancellation of the live event on September 14 and said they spent the next month carefully weighing the implications of a digital show, and ultimately decided to change to a virtual platform for the benefit of farmers and ranchers.
“A digital show is not a replacement for a live event like World Ag Expo,“ said Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center CEO. “But the ag industry has never stopped working, and neither will we. Ag is essential and so is our job as a trade show to bring buyers and sellers together. We’re just going to do it a little bit differently in 2021.”
While most digital trade shows have limited their online show to their traditional dates, the World Ag Expo team is taking a year-long approach.
“Instead of just a one-week show, we will be supporting our exhibitors and the online site throughout 2021,” said Jennifer Fawkes, International Agri-Center Marketing Manager. “Each exhibitor has a micro-site within the show to share information and hold live chats, along with many other options. These can be changed during the year. As organizers, we will have online seminars, the Top-10 New Products Contest, and more new content being released throughout the year.”
World Ag Expo Online will be February 9 to 11, 2021 — the original show dates. Live events and seminars will be scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST each day, but content will be available on-demand at no charge to attendees around the clock.
Seminars will be presented online by exhibitors, California State University-Fresno, Irrigation Association, Center for International Trade Development, and many more. The schedule will be finalized in January and will be available for attendees to begin planning their viewing schedule.
One feature World Ag Expo will carry over from the live show is the Exhibitor Guide. “Many of our attendees like to have a catalogue of the show to keep after World Ag Expo is over,” said Wally Roeben, International Agri-Center Show Manager. “It’s a great resource and we’re excited to make it available nationwide.”
New Holland dealers across the United States will have copies of the 2021 World Ag Expo Online Exhibitor Guide available for pick-up beginning January 25, 2021. Additional copies will be mailed to past show attendees. To make sure you are on the mailing list, please complete the form, available here.
Exhibitors are adding content to their microsites now through February 5, 2021. Attendees can preview the platform online. To have free access to all content, users can register for their My Show Planner to save their must-visit exhibitor list, set reminders for events, download content, email exhibitors, and more. To stay up-to-date on World Ag Expo information year-round, join the email list.
