The organizers of the IBC trade show confirmed Tuesday that they will proceed with plans to conduct their event live at the RBC Amsterdam convention hall Dec. 3-6, despite the Dutch government's declaration of a three-week partial lockdown of the country last weekend.
“Naturally, the recent changes to COVID protocols announced by the Dutch government sent waves of concern throughout the industry," said IBC CEO Michael Crimp, in a statement.
"However, on close examination of the new rules, and consultation with the RAI it is clear that not much changes with regards to the safety plans we had already put in place," Crimp added. "We will still have the perimeter fence around the RAI and thorough COVID status and health screening on entry. We will make a number of adjustments to our safety management and operational protocols to make sure the guidance is clear, and the event is safe for exhibitors and visitors."
Crimp also cited support from "many of the leading technology companies in the market" as rationale to proceed with IBC, despite COVID case rates in the Netherlands that have been steadily rising over the last month and reached nearly 20,000 on Monday.
"We recognize that attending a live event is not for everyone at this time, and we fully respect individual decisions," Crimp added. ■
