Expo pulls out of scheduled Convention Center event

Promoter announces decision on Facebook

Another large event at the Ocean Shores Convention Center — the annual Expo over Memorial Day weekend — has announced it will not be produced here this year as planned and scheduled.

Puget Sound Tradeshows LLC, which is the company run by promoter Dennis Irby, told followers on its Facebook page that the company will not produce Expo 2019 at the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

“Further location information will be released once confirmed, for those participating in the Surf-N-Shine Car Show and the Roadside Chainsaw Carvers & Auction. All Vendor refunds will be processed and mailed out immediately,” the notice said.

“We thank the sponsors, vendors, exhibitors and the business community that supported Expo over the last 13 years.”

The event is still listed on the city’s Calendar of Events for May 24-26.

Last year, the annual Seahawks preseason 12’s Fan Fest also decided to leave Ocean Shores for a new location at Birch Bay. Irby, who declined to comment about the Expo decision, also promotes and manages the annual Bikers at the Beach festival in late July.

In 2017, Irby was unsuccessful in proposing the city allow beach vending for a volleyball event his company had planned to produce, known as Beach Blast.