Coronavirus: WGI cancels 2021 world championships in Dayton

All in-person events suspended for next season

Credit: MediaMoments.com

Credit: MediaMoments.com

Winter Guard International World Championships, which annually has the largest economic impact on the Dayton region, will be canceled again next year due to concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.

WGI Sport of the Arts announced Monday the cancellation of all in-person events for the 2021 season, which includes the April color guard, percussion and wind ensemble championships.

“Despite this disappointment, our role as a global leader in the marching arts has never been more critical. We had hoped to use this upcoming season as a beacon of healing after the abrupt and challenging end to the 2020 season," Ron Nankervis, WGI director stated in a release. "Still, after numerous discussions with local and state health officials, our top priority remains to ensure the health and well-being of all our participants and patrons.”

The WGI championships is Dayton’s largest event. 2021 would have marked the 43rd annual WGI World Championships, Jacquelyn Y. Powell, president and CEO of the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“We now look forward to hitting those milestones in 2022. We will eagerly work with WGI to help ensure successful 2022 World Championships in Dayton,” Powell stated in a release.

In April 2019, over nine days in a two-week period, the events generated an estimated $24,705,000 in direct spending economic impact for the region, she said.

“This will represent a difficult loss for the local hospitality community in 2021, and is another example of the damaging impact the coronavirus continues to have on the travel and tourism industry,” Powell said.

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