METSTRADE and RAI Amsterdam have announced that the Marine Equipment Trade Show, which was scheduled to take place from 17-19 November in RAI Amsterdam, has been cancelled – yet another in a long list of maritime and marine shows and events that have sadly fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement issued by the organisers says: “For more than 32 years, METSTRADE has been providing the most complete meeting place for the global marine industry. Due to the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak, our mission cannot be accomplished successfully, therefore we believe it is the right decision to cancel this year’s show. METSTRADE 2021 will take place on 16-18 November 2021 in RAI Amsterdam.”
The RAI says it has worked tirelessly to adapt all its facilities and protocols to enable events to be held in a safe, responsible and hospitable manner. However, given the uncertain worldwide situation, it believes it cannot guarantee the high-quality, with valuable face-to-face contact, which is expected from the show.
“We have worked towards a safe and successful METSTRADE with great dedication,” says Niels Klarenbeek, director maritime. “The cancellation of the show has been a tough blow for my team and I, but listening to the multiple voices in the industry including the Exhibition Committee, ICOMIA, partners and the stakeholders, this is the only right decision we could make. Our team is working together with our partners on different virtual ways to connect the leisure marine industry in these tough times.”
“It has been an extremely tough decision and the COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the industry,” says Sara Anghel, ICOMIA’s president. “ICOMIA endorses the decision of RAI Amsterdam and will cooperate with the METSTRADE team to be the homeport of the industry as soon as possible.”
“RAI Amsterdam has been hit hard by the current global crisis. We have remained hopeful about the continuation until the very end, but the global situation has not improved significantly. Although this decision hurts the entire leisure marine industry, it is the only right decision at this given moment,” says Bas Dalm, executive vice president exhibition and sales RAI Amsterdam.
