The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada has announced that the 2020 edition of Canada Night has been cancelled due to ongoing uncertainty with COVID-19 restrictions and concerns for the health and safety of participants.
Canada Night was originally scheduled for 3 November and was supposed to have taken place during the Automotive Aftermarket Parts Exposition (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Canada Night Committee of AIA Canada said it had decided that the best course of action was to have the event cancelled, citing uncertainty around cross-border travel restrictions and concerns about the ability to maintain social distancing both while travelling and while attending the event. The committee said the need for many companies to reassess travel expenses and sponsorship dollars in the wake of the financial cost of measures to control COVID-19 also played a part in the decision.
“This has been a hard year for the aftermarket, one where we’ve all had to make difficult choices,” said J.F. Champagne, President of AIA Canada. “Cancelling Canada Night is not a decision we took lightly. But at the end of the day, we have to do what is best for the health and safety of our members and our industry.”
Canada Night is an annual celebration of the Canadian automotive aftermarket, hosted by AIA Canada, and offers attendees an opportunity to connect, network and socialise with industry peers from across Canada and around the world.
Despite the setback, plans are already in the works for Canada Night’s return to AAPEX in 2021.