Interpack’s postponement leaves packed event schedule for 2021
Just after we went to press with our present edition, we received news that this year’s Interpack would in fact be delayed until next February due to coronavirus.
The organisers of the trade fair had worked hard to keep the show on the road, putting out statements to that effect, but in the end, the pace of events surrounding what has been described as the most troubling pandemic for a century, meant that it was no longer viable for the event to continue.
Not least of the concerns surrounded whether the large contingent of Chinese exhibitors and visitors would be safe to make the long journey to Germany, given that the virus had originated there at the end of last year.
As the show organisers noted, ultimately, the health and safety of all those involved in the show remains paramount, and as such, a final decision was taken that it would have to move. However, selecting an alternative time slot for one of the industry’s biggest shows would be a particularly challenging task.
If it were moved any time this year, then organisers could not be certain that the present situation, which continues to escalate rapidly across Europe, would be resolved. But the eventual date selected, at the end of February, is just a few weeks after ProSweets and not too long before Anuga, so there will be those on either side who will not be best pleased with the outcome. These are extraordinary times though, so more than anything, we can just hope that some sense of normality returns to our working and personal lives before too long.
