Messe Düsseldorf (www.messe-duesseldorf.com) said due to Covid-19 restrictions it has cancelled the next instalment of “interpack” (www.interpack.com), the world’s leading packaging trade fair, which was to be held from 25 February to 3 March 2021. The move followed consultations with trade associations, industry and the fair’s advisory board.

“We have done everything we can 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 hygiene concept that has been tried and tested in practice in place to protect everyone involved,” Messe Düsseldorf CEO Wolfram Diener said. “Ultimately, however, feedback from our exhibitors has shown that the uncertainty is too great.”

The Italian packaging machine manufacturers association Ucima (Baggiovara; www.ucima.it) recently called for the fair to be postponed. “Given the resurgence of coronavirus infections and the consequent measures adopted by governments across Europe and other continents, we consider it inconceivable to organise an exhibition like interpack in just a few months’ time,” Ucima President Matteo Gentili said. With more than 400 exhibitors, Italy would have had the second-largest attendance behind Germany, which expected nearly 600 companies to be on hand.

The event, originally planned for 7-13 May 2020, was initially postponed to the following year due to the pandemic. Messe Düsseldorf is now looking to the regular instalment of interpack in May 2023, which is to be supplemented by expanded online activities.

Plasteurope.com has collected these and other event postponements or cancellations in a list available here. Information on trade fairs, meetings, conferences and congresses is updated regularly and easily sorted for your convenience.