The (Big) Show must go on? The National Retail Federation confirmed Thursday that its annual industry conference, the Big Show, now in its 112th year, will still continue in person as planned, despite rising COVID cases across the country. The three day event will run from Jan. 16 through Jan. 18, with a party planned on Jan. 15, at Manhattan’s Javits Center. Several events are planned for Jan. 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a federal holiday.
An NRF spokeswoman drew a comparison between retailers’ operations during COVID-19 and the conference, which is expected to attract 20,000 attendees.
“Retailers have been safely navigating the pandemic for 21 months, and NRF is proceeding with hosting NRF 2022: Retail’s Big Show in-person at the Javits Center in New York City January 16-18,” she wrote in an email. Last year’s conference was virtual.