International. IBC confirmed that IBC2021 will take place from December 3 to 6 at The RAI in Amsterdam. The announcement follows a decision at the IBC Association Board meeting to move the event from its usual September schedule.
"After a period of consultations with the industry, the IBC Association Board agreed that December is the best date in terms of safety and industry readiness to participate. Our conclusion is based on the results of recent surveys of IBC exhibitors and visitors and macro evidence of Europe's openness to business," said Michael Crimp, IBC's executive director. "We really value the honest feedback and opinions of our community; we have always been 'for the industry, for the industry', and this philosophy continues to guide our daily decision-making process."
Key factors behind today's IBC decision include:
Health and safety are critical: health and safety will be a crucial consideration for all attendees. IBC's operations team is focused on creating a secure environment that participants can trust.
- Two-thirds of respondents said ensuring robust health and safety protocols on site would encourage them to attend; The entry of the vaccination passport was by far the most popular measure.
- 86% of respondents said it was very likely and 13% likely to have been vaccinated in December.
- Two-thirds of respondents already feel they are ready to travel and a large majority expect corporate travel restriction policies to be updated by the end of the summer.
- Macrotrends point to accelerated vaccine deployment and border opening in major IBC markets over the next 6 months. Data from the EU commission shows that Europe is now on track to reach its 70% vaccination target by July 2021 and significantly exceed it in December.
- An industry desire to meet again: feedback from exhibitors and visitors shows a strong desire for a live show in 2021. Only one in ten of visitors surveyed said they would not attend a December event.
