Easyfairs has cancelled this year’s Packaging Innovations & Luxury Packaging London, with the event to return 22-23 September, 2021.
The event was due to take place on 23-24 September this year but was subsequently rearranged for 8-9 December. Owing to the ongoing coronavirus crisis and the impact on hosting print industry events and exhibitions, the decision has now been taken to cancel the event this year and return in September next year. Easyfairs confirmed that the decision has been made following consultation with the packaging industry and due to the ‘ongoing unforeseeable, unavoidable and unprecedented’ global scope of the coronavirus pandemic, which sees the UK Government reviewing its decision to allow live events to run from 1 October, further contributing to the continuing Force Majeure situation.
Renan Joel, divisional director for Easyfairs UK & Global’s packaging events, stated, ‘We had been working closely with our exhibitors and key stakeholders to secure the best possible option to run the event and provide the industry with an opportunity to meet and do business this autumn, and as such we have worked tirelessly to put in place numerous safety measures to ensure we can deliver a safe event to the highest possible standards. However, with the Government’s continuing social distancing measures and push-back on the go live date for exhibitions, it has become increasingly clear that it is impossible to run the December 2020 edition.’
Easyfairs has already been running a series of online digital Innovation Talks under its Packaging Innovations, Luxury Packaging, PCD, ADF and PLD brands since the spring. It has also recently announced a dedicated online Packaging Innovations Discovery Day on 15 October, bringing together select exhibitors, a product gallery, seminars and panels, case studies, a showcase of the industry’s 30 stars under the age of 30, and a meeting platform to facilitate networking and business between all attendees and suppliers. Find out more Packaging Innovations Discovery Day here.
Mr Joel continued, ‘2020 has been a very unusual year. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on everyone’s lives, and specifically in the exhibitions industry on the ability to bring people together to run live events over the past months. Although we are currently in challenging times, it has not only highlighted the potential of the digital world but also the true value humans place on meeting and interacting with one another in person. This gives us a very exciting opportunity to revitalise our event offering and reignite other opportunities through an increased digital – and even hybrid – presence.
‘We made the decision to postpone the 2020 edition in close consultation with our exhibitors, visitors and partners, taking into account their feedback and requirements and balancing the need for an opportunity to come together with the current circumstances surrounding the pandemic in the UK. Our top priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our exhibitors, visitors and staff. I would like to thank them all, and the wider packaging community, for their ongoing support and commitment to the event. With over 100 exhibitors already confirming their involvement on the September 2021 dates, it is clear that the industry is just waiting for the day that it can meet in person and reinvigorate those valuable business relationships and opportunities that come from face-to-face interaction.’
He added, ‘Our team never stops and is working hard on shaping an exceptional edition in September 2021, full of high-quality content and business opportunities for the packaging community. Events will definitely play a huge role in the economic recovery.’
Read the November/December issue of Digital Labels & Packaging for more on the print industry exhibition landscape in 2021; register here to receive the magazine, for free
