The pot, comics and restaurant shows must go on

The New England Cannabis Convention announced today that it still plans to open on March 20 at the Hynes Convention Center, while the ACE Comic Convention said it is also still planning to open on March 20, at the South Boston convention center - but don't even think of hugging anybody once inside.

Also still scheduled to open, on March 22 at the South Boston convention center: The New England Food Show.

But the Cognitive Neuroscience Society announced today it will be canceling its conference at the Hynes on March 14 and will instead try to have its presentations done online. The Society of Surgical Oncology announced it is moving the March 28 opening of its conference at the Hynes to Aug. 17.

In its statement, cannabis-show organizer NECANN wrote:

We currently have no plans to postpone our upcoming conventions in Boston (March 20-22) or Illinois (April 3-4). At this point the only circumstances that would cause us to cancel would be if the host venues (The Hynes Convention Center in Boston or the Chicago Hilton) decided to shut down themselves, which neither venue is currently considering doing.

An estimated 21,000 people are scheduled to attend.

Organizers of the comic convention, with an expected 32,000 attendees, say they are imposing some restrictions on conventioneers due to the threat of Covid-19: Handshakes and hugs are banned, as are letters and gifts meant for celebrity guests. Also, anybody seeking an autograph or photo op at a designated booth will have to wipe their hands with sanitizer first.

The Massachusetts Restaurant Association says its annual show at the South Boston convention center will also go on as scheduled for an estimated 8,000 attendees:

We understand concerns about the COVID-19 Coronavirus, and we want to assure the industry that at this time we are confident that there is no reason for any impact on the successful production of the 2020 New England Food Show as we are not expecting any participants from the areas of severe infections. ... Restaurants are open for business and so are we.

Also still on: The April 2-4 National Conference on Science Education, with an anticipated 21,000 attendees, at the South Boston Convention Center. But the conference is now officially handshake-free.

In recent days, some conferences in Boston have either been postponed or turned into online only events.