COLOGNE, Germany — Trade show organizer Koelnmesse has made the call to cancel the 2021 edition of Eisenwarenmesse, the International Hardware Show, which was planned for February 21 to 24. The hybrid event, already postponed from 2020, was still receiving positive feedback as late as the end of October, according to Koelnmesse, but the evolving public health situation has forced the organization’s hand.
“We sincerely regret the need for this decision,” Koelnmesse VP Catja Caspary said in a statement. “We were well-positioned and believed that many things would have been possible with our hybrid format.” She added that a “purely digital format would also not have been a substitute for the new, hybrid approach” as the show is centred on the physical presence of exhibitors. The next event is scheduled for 2022.
