EVENTS It’s showtime
Rebecca Morley rounds up the impact of Covid-19 on the trade show calendar COREbike is expected to return to Whittlebury Hall in March
T
he pandemic stopped meetings and events in their tracks when it hit in early 2020, with some shows going virtual and others postponing in the hopes of a
quick return. But two years on we’re still feeling the impacts of Covid-19, so how close are we to a return to ‘normal’? I attended several online events during 2020 and 2021 – some were quite engaging, with live chats and networking sessions taking place, while others I dipped in and out of, observing what was going on with little interruption to the rest of my day’s work. I must admit it was nice to not have to think about getting up early and how much the train will cost, and I, like many others, wondered if these formats could become more common even after the easing of restrictions when we emerge from the pandemic. Late 2021 did however see a welcome return of some physical events, with many people clearly keen to venture
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out and see the latest models in person after so long away. September’s Sea Otter Europe exceeded organisers’ best forecasts with around 45,000 visitors and the new IAA Mobility in Munich was attended by 400,000 participants and 3,500 journalists from 95 countries. Rouleur Live returned to London’s Victoria House in
November, with names including Geraint Thomas and Anna van der Breggen in attendance, while the 29th edition of Eurobike in September saw a total of 630 exhibitors from 68 countries and 18,770 trade visitors attend. But as 2022 kicked off there have already been some
exercising caution, with CABDA cancelling this month’s Midwest Expo. Traditionally held in February, the 2021 edition did take place but was pushed back to September due to the pandemic, and had planned to revert back to its traditional winter dates for 2022 and beyond.
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