APIC meeting postponed on coronavirus

BARCELONA (ICIS)–The Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) meeting, due to take place 28-29 May in New Delhi, India, has been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The organisers are concerned that travel restrictions by companies, especially in Asia, would affect attendance at the meeting. They hope to reschedule the event later in the year.

According to an e-mail sent from the APIC steering committee on 26 February: “As our member countries are from the region significantly impacted, we sought the opinion of steering committee members regarding rescheduling of APIC 2020. All steering committee members were of the opinion to reschedule the event.”

It added: “Accordingly, we are postponing APIC 2020, and now it will no longer be held on May 28-29th of this year as planned. We are working with the other APIC steering committee members to come up with a suitable date convenient for all, as well as allowing some time for the impact of the health emergency to dissipate.”

Founded in 1979, APIC is one of the most important conferences of the year for Asia’s petrochemical sector.

In 2014 organisers shifted APIC from Bangkok to the beach resort of Pattaya because of political turmoil and demonstrations around the capital.

On 25 February, the organiser of the International Fertiliser Association’s  IFA2020 conference said it would go ahead as planned in New Delhi from 20-22 April.

However it is now offering attendees a more flexible cancellation policy, offering full refunds up until 2 April, rather than the original date of 18 March.

This follows the Chinasplas 2020 exhibition which has been rescheduled for later in the year.

ICIS has moved the date of its Asian Recycling & Sustainability Conference to 19 June.

Additional reporting by Richard Ewing and Graeme Paterson

Image shows chairman of the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association (JPIA) Kohei Morikawa speaking to delegates at the 2019 APIC in Taipei, Taiwan. Also on stage were the other 6 chairpersons of the member nations of APIC.

Image credit: Nurluqman Suratman