The list of postponed events continues...
NL: Keukenhof will not open on March 21
As of March 14, an emergency regulation of the Dutch government is in force, with the aim to limit the spread of the coronavirus. It states that meetings with more than 100 people are not allowed in the Netherlands. This also applies to outdoor meetings. The measures are valid until April 6.
This implies that Keukenhof Flower Exhibition cannot open on March 21.
"Keukenhof is the international showcase for the Dutch floricultural sector that we create together with hundreds of floriculture companies. It is the icon of Holland that is visited yearly by more than a million people. We organize Keukenhof together with many partners. We also work closely with international tourism. The fact that Keukenhof cannot open is a huge disappointment with major financial consequences for all involved. The dismay among employees and partners who have worked on the preparation for a year is huge. The park is currently ready for opening, the flower bulbs are blooming and the flower shows are largely decorated", the Keukenhof organization states in an update.
"We realize that these measures have major personal and business consequences for many people and companies involved with Keukenhof and international tourism in the spring season.
"Keukenhof is an organization prepared for her dependence on nature and international developments. We are now rapidly acting on this new situation. Keukenhof’s long-term continuity is not jeopardized.
"We carefully monitor the ongoing situation and will inform you as soon as possible about the period of time after April 6. We are ready to open on April 7, the day after the emergency regulation expires."
US (MI): Tulip Time cancels 91st festival
Tulip Time Festival will cancel the 91st celebration scheduled for May 2–10, 2020. Guided by county, state and federal health officials, Tulip Time was closely monitoring the rapidly developing situation in the days and weeks leading up to this major announcement. “It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we share this news. Our team has spent the last 11 months planning our 91st celebration and we are heartbroken not to see our work come into fruition,” said Gwen Auwerda, Executive Director of the Tulip Time Festival.
In one short week, the State of Michigan declared a state of emergency as it identified its first cases of the infectious disease. On Sunday, March 15, the Center for Disease Control issued a directive recommending the cancellation or postponement of events consisting of 50 or more people throughout the United States for the next eight weeks. With the festival kick-off set for just six short weeks from this Saturday, and in light of nation-wide measures implemented to slow the spread of the infectious disease, the executive committee of Tulip Time’s Board of Directors made the final decision to completely cancel the festival. “Most of our volunteer base and 45% of our festival guests represent populations most vulnerable to infection. We also cannot ignore the two large and beloved retirement homes located right in the center of festival activity in downtown Holland,” said Auwerda.
Like many other festivals and community celebrations scheduled for this time of year, Tulip Time is making do with an unforeseen challenge. “This was not a decision taken lightly. We understand the huge financial impact the festival brings not only to our organization, but to small businesses, hotels and local attractions every year,” said Auwerda. Cancellation will not only impact Tulip Time, but Holland’s entire tourism industry, as the festival brings in 500,000 attendees and a 48 million dollar economic impact on the Holland community.
“We are truly inspired by the preventative and supportive measures our community is taking to ensure our health and safety. In turn, Tulip Time is dedicated to do our part in slowing the spread of the virus,” said Tulip Time Communications Director, Simone Weithers, “We take this challenge as an opportunity to protect the vibrant community we have historically celebrated every spring and reimagine the festival for years to come.”
As a 501C3 nonprofit organization, Tulip Time relies on donations and ticket sales to maintain its bottom line. “Ultimately, our concern for the safety of our community and guests outweighed concerns for our own organization,” Auwerda went on to say. “We are incredibly grateful to our community partners who have made the decision to stay with us during this time.” Event attendees and participants are also encouraged to consider donating their ticket purchases and registration fees to the organization, making it possible for the festival to rebuild in time for the 2021 festival.
“We are not certain what this means for future festivals, but we will be taking time to reimagine our role in serving our community,” said Weithers, “What we are certain of is that 90 years of Tulip Time has prepared us to be a resource for our community. We will not let them down.”
Regardless of the festival’s cancellation, spring is still on its way. The city’s famous tulips will bloom and Holland may see a small wave of visitors undeterred by virus concerns. With continued warm days, the parks department is predicting tulips will reach peak bloom between April 22–29, two weeks before the previously scheduled start of the festival. Due to anticipated attendance, Ottawa County will be providing four hand washing stations to be distributed throughout downtown.
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Europa Cup 2020 postponed to April 2021
The Direction Committee of Florint, the International Florist Organisation, had a crisis meeting on the 13th of March. And in agreement with the Europa Cup's organising committee of Polish host association SFP, it has been decided to change the date of the Europa Cup planned for June 5-7, 2020.
This decision goes along with the recommendations of the national crisis management committee of the Republic of Poland concerning the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
The new date for the Europa Cup in Katowice, Poland, is April 16-18, 2021.