Messe Düsseldorf has decided to cancel both Interpack and Components 2021 exhibitions, due to the restrictions related to the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic which has sickened more than 65 million people with the Covid-19 respiratory disease and been attributed to the deaths of over 1.5 million people around the world since breaking out in China late last year. The trade fairs were scheduled to take place from February 25 to March 3 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.
“We have made every effort to do justice to Interpack’s tremendous importance for the processing and packaging industry, even during this pandemic – above all because we have received encouragement from the industry in support of a face-to-face event and have a tried and tested hygiene concept to protect everyone involved. Ultimately, however, feedback from our exhibitors has shown that the uncertainty is too great, and we are thus unable to host an Interpack event that would meet the standards of a leading international trade fair,” stated Wolfram N. Diener, president and chief executive office of Messe Düsseldorf.
He added: “On November 25, the Federal Government and the German states decided to implement stricter measures in Germany, and to possibly even extend these measures into the new year. This, unfortunately, does not give cause for hope that the situation will improve significantly over the course of the coming months. This will affect all Messe Düsseldorf events in the first quarter. We are now focusing on the next edition of Interpack, which will take place in May 2023 according to plan, and which we will supplement with extended online offers.”
Messe Düsseldorf had offered registered exhibitors special conditions for their participation and also granted a right of termination for those companies that could not or did not want to participate.
“In addition to the unique market coverage, Interpack is primarily characterized by the direct exchange of information between market-leading companies and top decision-makers from brand names around the world. This is exactly what is now largely prevented by continuously high infection numbers in Europe and the associated and continuing travel restrictions and quarantine regulations. We therefore welcome Messe Düsseldorf’s decision to cancel Interpack 2021 and are focusing on Interpack 2023,” said Christian Traumann, president of Interpack 2021 and managing director and group president at Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG.
“For the industry, in-person meetings and live experiences are still extremely important, especially when it comes to complex technology. Both enable a direct market comparison, new ideas, leads and networks are created. Online formats only partially achieve this. We are now looking forward to a successful Interpack 2023, where the industry can once again come together at its leading global trade fair in Düsseldorf,” added Richard Clemens, managing director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association.
Until the next edition of Interpack, the industry can access continuous updates on business trends, developments and innovations at www.interpack.com. The online offer for Components is available at www.packaging-components.com. Additional online options will be available for exhibitors and visitors of the upcoming Interpack and Components 2023.
