Tradeshow Cancellations – Prolight + Sound, ENTECH both postponed until 2022

COVID-19 continues to disrupt the events industry globally in 2021, as two major tradeshows heavily attended by the Australian production industry are shelved.

In a statement posted this week, the organisers of Frankfurt’s influential Prolight + Sound said:

“We all hoped until the very end to meet again in Frankfurt in April. Together we dedicated ourselves to reinvigorate the industry, find ways out of the crisis and inspire each other to restart the event business. However, we also know how important it is, especially in these times, to establish the best possible degree of planning reliability. Currently we are facing a de facto ban on events in Germany – in addition to serious travel restrictions. There is no relief in sight at the moment. Hence, in close consultation with the industry, we have decided to focus on 2022. So there will be no Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt am Main in 2021. This is a great disappointment for our entire team, which started planning for 2021 immediately after last year’s event was cancelled.”

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Meanwhile here in Australia, hampered by continuing interstate border closures and persistent hot zones, the organisers of ENTECH Roadshow have been forced to cancel the upcoming March tour of Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Organiser Julius Grafton issued the following statement:

“Everything was against staging ENTECH in March 2021 with the risks multiplying. We simply can’t run our three state roadshow with border closures and lockdowns possible with little notice”

He points to the risk profile: a snap lockdown, the risk to touring staff being stuck behind a border; the intangible time delays at borders holding trucks so long they miss a load in; and the actual transmission risk of the virus at the event.

Rescheduling is not an option, Grafton said. “It’s half arsed, and we only do complete arse. In March 2022 we will run ENTECH 2022 as a three state roadshow. ENTECH NZ will be back to the original timeline format, and we have new event that we are very excited about. Our SECTECH Roadshow may get up and run this May, otherwise it will just roll on another year. So 2022 will be big for us.”

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“Until then, our little family events company will hibernate and we will do other things, helping our community.”