Organisers first pushed back the May date to September but then cancelled the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event would bring in about $16 million to the community on a typical year.

But 2020 is far from a typical year and it is hard to judge just how much local expenditure the event would have generated if it went ahead.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's group manager economic and cultural development Liesa Davies said there was a focus on encouraging the athletes to visit the area to holiday and train.

"It's a great opportunity for them to come and explore our region in a different way," she said.

Ms Davies said there were definitely implications around the event being cancelled.

"What we are trying to do as a council is remain positive around future events, both Ironman and other events," she said.

Our largest tourism campaign has also been launched to encourage new and returning visitors to the region.

Accommodation and hospitality businesses, suppliers and community groups are expected to be among those to feel the financial impact of the 2020 race cancellation.

Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce executive officer Mark Wilson said the chamber was disappointed that businesses would miss out on the influx provided by the Ironman event.

He said it was important to keep our community safe, given the coronavirus pandemic.

"It has been a tough year with COVID and with bushfires before that," Mr Wilson said.

"However, we are looking forward to returning to some form of normality with tourism, and obviously welcoming tourists from NSW and Queensland to visit our lovely town."

The CWA Port Macquarie Evening Branch will go without its major funding source for the year due to the Ironman event cancellation.

The branch's president, Gay Cowan, said members helped put together the volunteer packs and assisted in the official tent in the week leading up to the event.

"We tend to put the money we receive from Ironman back into the community," she said.

"We just won't be able to make the donations to the community groups as we normally do, so that makes us sad."

Laurieton Men's Shed will look to other income sources to help offset its expenditure now the 2020 Ironman event won't go ahead.

Men's shed treasurer John Denyer said the organisation got a "nice hunk of money" as a result of its involvement in the Ironman event.

That assists to defray major expenses such as electricity and insurance.

"We have other sources of income but this [Ironman event] is one of the major ones," he said.

Men's shed members' involvement includes acting as traffic marshals along the bike route in Bonny Hills, Laurieton and Dunbogan.

Bonny Hills Rural Fire Brigade, Camden Haven Dragon Boat Club, Beach to Beach, Creek to Creek and Bonny Hills Progress Association have also helped out.

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