With Covid-19 roaring back across Europe, organisers of SMM, the world’s largest shipping exhibition, have today cancelled plans to host their event in the rescheduled early February dates.
The Hamburg showcase had earlier switched dates from its traditional September timeframe this year to February and the organisers had actually put on other non-shipping shows in the halls of Hamburg Messe earlier this autumn. However, cases of coronavirus are leaping in Germany, forcing a change of plan.
As with many other events, SMM has taken the decision to go for a digital event in February.
“The progress of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting restrictions have rendered it impossible to come up with a reliable plan for a physical trade fair,” said Bernd Aufderheide, president and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress.
The SMM team is working on creating formats that will bring together the maritime community digitally from February 2 to 5.
Attention now turns to Nor-Shipping, due to take place in Oslo in June next year, as to whether or not it will take place. There have been no major shipping events since February this year.
