N+I Disrupted By Terrorist Attacks In NYC, DC

Organizers had expected 50,000 attendees at the show, but as of noon today the show floor was a virtual ghost town. Many of the remaining attendees were huddled around television screens, monitoring live news coverage of the unfolding events.

by Kevin Reichard of internetnews.com [September 12, 2001]

Tuesday's terrorist attacks caused major disruptions at Networld+Interop, the networking and telecommunications trade show held at Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center, causing most attendees and many exhibitors to cut short their time at the show.

Show officials have since said the Networld+Interop exhibit floor will close at 2 p.m. EST. All other functions, including seminars, will remain open.

Organizers had expected 50,000 attendees at the show, but as of noon today the show floor was a virtual ghost town. Many of the remaining attendees were huddled around television screens, monitoring live news coverage of the unfolding events.

The main cause for anxiety by attendees wasn't necessarily the potential of attack at the show itself, but rather the physical location of the show. CNN Center is across the street from the Georgia World Congress Center, and at 10 a.m. CNN closed the building to the public and sent home all personnel not directly working on stories related to the attacks.

In addition, show organizers halted all freight deliveries to the show. "We have stopped all freight deliveries because of this," Bill Miller, director of administrative services for the center, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Web site. "We are maintaining close communication with the Atlanta Police Department and consistent communications with our security officers."

—End