Fespa has taken the difficult decision to postpone its main European event, which had been scheduled to take place later this month in Madrid, due to the worsening situation around the Covid-19 virus.
Fespa says that, based on feedback from its exhibitors, it will attempt to reschedule the event for a later date, assuming that it can find a suitable venue.
Fespa had previously announced that all exhibitors from China would have to provide documented evidence that their representatives had not resided in or visited China two weeks before the event had been due to start. Nonetheless, the show had had to reduce its footprint, giving up one of the planned halls. But there was a growing feeling that the infection was spreading across Europe and many of the exhibitors that I spoke to over the last week said that they expected the show to be cancelled.
Neil Felton, CEO of Fespa, explained: “Until this week, our actions with regard to COVID-19 – including the pre-emptive action taken in February regarding exhibiting companies from China – have been informed by guidance from the relevant international and national authorities, with the primary objective of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of exhibitors and visitors. However, in light of the recent spread of the virus in specific areas of mainland Europe, we have consulted with our stakeholders and have concluded that it is in the best interests of our community to defer the events to a later date.”
Anyone interested in this should keep an eye on the Fespa website for further updates.
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