There’s very little “super” about yet another postponement in Calgary’s spring entertainment calendar.
On Monday, organizers of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo announced they had made the painful decision to postpone this year’s 15th anniversary event, scheduled for April 23-26 on the Stampede Grounds.
In a letter to supporters posted on the Calgary Expo page, Aman Gupta, president of FAN EXPO HQ, noted that after consulting with guests and partners, “it’s clear to all of us that the right thing to do is to postpone Calgary Expo 2020 to another date this year.”
The projected date, according to the release, will be in the summer of 2020, which they will announce “no later than Monday, March 30.”
At that time, they also hope to update on the status of some of the guests who had committed to the postponed April event.
It was already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated expos in their decade-and-a-half history, with announced guests having included: Guardians of the Galaxy ‘s David Bautista; a special Boy Meets World panel, reuniting the stars of the ’90s TV series — Ben Savage, Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and William Daniels: four of the cast members of the American version of The Office, Brian Baumgartner, Leslie David Baker, Kate Flannery and Oscar Nunez; a Hobbit reunion featuring Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd; Star Trek legend George Takei; Breaking Bad actor Giancarlo Esposito; Brendan Fraser from the Mummy films, Encino Man and Blast From the Past; and Alicia Silverstone from Clueless and Blast From the Past.
On the subject of refunds, the message states: “Know that our Fan First refund program remains available now and allows for a ticket refund for the full price of the ticket (minus service charges), no questions asked. If you need to cancel your tickets, we understand. If you’d like to hold on to your tickets until you next week, that’s great too. We’ll do our best to get you all the info you need to decide then.”
You can read the entire release below or clicking on the link to Calgary Expo’s official page here.
Dear Fans,
I understand you’ve been waiting for answers about the upcoming Calgary Expo and sharing your thoughts with us – anticipation, unease, sadness, frustration, confusion. We hear you. I know I owe it to you to shed some light on what we’ve been tackling and how it relates to you, our amazing fan community. To be fully transparent, the team and I are feeling the same roller coaster of emotions as this situation changes day by day.
We’d originally hoped that the collective emergency response to COVID-19 and the unprecedented protocols put in place would control this horrible virus quickly enough for us to bring you the show in some form. We know many of our celebrity guests, partners, and vendors shared that hope as we communicated with them to explore all available options before confirming any changes publicly.
However, it’s clear to all of us that the right thing to do is to postpone Calgary Expo 2020 to another date this year. Ultimately, the safety of our fans, guests and staff comes first. It’s our responsibility to do our part to honour and support the efforts of the front-line professionals making enormous sacrifices to keep us safe right now.
I wish I had all the answers for you right now, but here’s what we know so far:
1. Calgary Expo 2020 will be postponed from its original date on April 23-26 to a new date in Summer of 2020. Though our options are limited, we’ve been working with our venue and following all available official guidance to find a new date.
2. We need some time to finalize details and provide you with all the info you need to make the best decision for you. However, we commit to another update with information on the new Calgary Expo 2020, including dates, no later than Monday, March 30.
One more thing:
Know that our Fan First refund program remains available now and allows for a ticket refund for the full price of the ticket (minus service charges), no questions asked. If you need to cancel your tickets, we understand. If you’d like to hold on to your tickets until you next week, that’s great too. We’ll do our best to get you all the info you need to decide then.
I know I speak for the Calgary Expo team when I say that we would love nothing more than to celebrate Calgary Expo 15 with you. Our strength is in our community, and that is what has made the Calgary Expo rise for the past 15 years.
Right now, the team is incredibly busy confirming, making shifts, and planning an amazing show for you. If we’re a little quiet, or take a little longer to respond, be patient. We’re all working from home, staying connected every way we can, and working with partners who are doing the same.
Finally, we each have a part to play in getting us back to our daily norms, not to mention defeating COVID 19… Please remember, wash your hands, stay healthy and take care of each other.
Thanks for understanding and be back to you soon…
Aman Gupta
President, FAN EXPO HQ
