Bernd Aufderheide, president and chief executive of Hamburg Messe und Congress, said: “Rapidly increasing coronavirus infection numbers and a second lockdown are causing major destabilisation to the catering industry and events sector for the second time in just a few months.
“The unpredictable nature of future developments makes professional, reliable planning of a physical trade show impossible. Due to this uncertainty, Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH has decided to cancel the physical Internorga 2021 event, which was due to take place in the Hamburg exhibition halls from March 12-16.
“Instead, the viability of a digital Internorga event is being investigated.
“Planning security, the health and safety of all exhibitors, visitors and employees, and limiting financial risk are top priorities for Hamburg Messe und Congress and make this step a necessity.
“The fact that we have had to make this decision for the second time in one year is very painful for us all, especially since the whole Internorga team had already put their heart and soul into working hard on suggested positionings, a solid hygiene concept and exciting new subject areas for our visitors.
“But as the saying goes, every crisis hides an opportunity, and we now need to make the most of that together. We are currently investigating whether a digital Internorga, which even under the current conditions would offer the opportunity for personal interaction and the discovery of new trends and innovations, is sensible and viable,” he said.