NYCxDesign and Chicago's NeoCon furniture fair have been postponed due to the US outbreak of coronavirus.

NYCxDesign was due to take place from 12-20 May but has been suspended plans amid measures to maintain the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus.

A new programme will be developed for October, while the NYCxDesign Awards programme will be held digitally in May with all winners announced online.

"NYCxDesign was conceived to bring New York together in celebration of the incredible talent in the city, and the tremendous examples of international design that are shown here," said NYCxDesign's vice president and executive director Edward Hogikyan.

"Gathering our community around design is so central to the work we do that, given the concerns around Covid-19, we are shifting from our annual festival in May to a reconceived fall programme to ensure the safety and well-being of all who participate in and visit NYCxDesign."

NYCxDesign coincides with New York architecture and design activities

The organisers of NeoCon 2020, which was scheduled to take place in Chicago from 8-10 June, are yet to confirm the rescheduled date for the event.

NYCxDesign said it will confirm the dates of the October event at a later point.

Its postponement means it will coincide with a host of other design events in the city like Archtober, the Architecture and Design Film Festival and Open House New York Weekend.

The virtual awards, which will be followed by a live event in the fall, meanwhile joins a number on digitial alternatives that have been introduced to replace real-world interactions. Designers, universities, events and brands with products to launch are all taking activities online in the wake of the pandemic.

Suspension follows the growing US coronavirus outbreak

Among these are US institutions Harvard University, Stanford University and Columbia University, which have suspended in-person lessons and switched to digital learning materials and lectures.

The suspension of NYCxDesign and NeoCon follows the growing outbreaks of coronavirus in the US. At the time of publication, there are more than  4,000 confirmed cases in the country and 86 deaths, according to the New York Times.

New York City has taken a number of measures to mitigate the spread of the virus. Museums and galleries including MoMA, The Met and Solomon R Guggenheim have been shut entirely until further notice. The city is also restricting restaurants to delivery and takeout services from today.

Global architecture and design events are postponed

Architecture and design events across the globe that were scheduled for 2020 have either been postponed or cancelled in the wake of coronavirus.

AIA has postponed its annual architecture conference, Berlin Design Week 2020 has been cancelled yesterday, while DesignMarch in Iceland and 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen have also been postponed.

Italy has quarantined the entire country following a major outbreak in the north leading to the postponement of the industry's two key events, Milan's Salone del Mobile and the Venice Architecture Biennale. The Salone del Mobile furniture fair will decide next month whether it will still take place in June

Visit Dezeen Events Guide's list of affected events for more information.

Photo by Rune Stokmo.