AMSTERDAM – September’s International Broadcasting Convention has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 crisis.
With large vendors such as Panasonic and Canada’s Ross Video already saying they will not attend, IBC 2020 organizers have decided to go virtual, with details to follow.
“(A)s governments announce the route forward, it has become clear that a return to (a new) normal is unlikely to be achieved by September,” said IBC CEO Michael Crimp in statement Friday. This would have been the 53rd year of IBC, a gathering which regularly draws over 50,000 delegates from around the world.
“It has also become evident, through our dialogue with the IBC community, that an early decision is preferential for the industry so it can plan for the future.”
Plus, added Crimp, working out a new way of doing events is going to take some time and effort. “It is also evident that important aspects of a large-scale event such as IBC will be greatly altered by social distancing, travel restrictions, masks etc. so much so that the spirit of IBC will be compromised.”
Over the coming months IBC will announce plans for a digital platform for the show, IBC365.
“I look forward to welcoming you next year at IBC2021, in Amsterdam,” added Crimp.
