3rd show skips McCormick Place because of coronavirus

McCormick Place has lost its third event because of the coronavirus.

The Ace Hardware Spring Convention, due for a four-day run at the convention center starting March 11, has been canceled, a spokeswoman for McCormick Place said Friday.

The International Housewares Association previously canceled a major event, its annual convention that was expected to run March 14-17. The second cancellation was Modern Business Experience, a show sponsored by Oracle, scheduled for March 24-26.

Numerous events and business meetings are being pulled or postponed in hopes of preventing the spread of the virus. The impact of those decisions is being felt heavily in businesses connected to tourism and conventions, while shutdowns of factories in China and other countries are affecting the broader economy.