The UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) has cancelled its EXPO 2020 event, which was due to take place on 18-19 August at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool, UK.
UKIFDA CEO Guy Pulham says that the organisers have been working with the Exhibition Centre to look at ways to host the event safely following government guidelines, but have ultimately decided that it will not be possible. He acknowledged that the news would come as a disappointment to all involved.
The UK Government’s plan to ease the country out of lockdown depends on how the pandemic progresses. As such, the organisers do not yet know important details such as whether mass gatherings will be allowed, and if they are, under what circumstances, whether local hotels and restaurants will be open, whether travel restrictions for European exhibitors and delegates will have been lifted by then, or whether corporate restrictions on non-essential travel will be lifted in time.
‘As you know, we have worked hard to try and keep the 2020 event in the calendar as a positive marker of lives returning to some sort of normality,’ says Pulham. ‘In the end, and with great reluctance, we have concluded that it is just not possible to safely run the event that our members, exhibitors and delegates would want – namely a large-scale, high quality event where business gets done.’
UKIFDA EXPO 2021 will remain at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool and will take place on 19-20 May 2021. UKIFDA EXPO 2022 will move to the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow and will take place on 18-19 May 2022. UKIFDA EXPO 2023, on 17-18 May 2023, will also take place in Glasgow. Pulham said that both venues have been very supportive.
Visit the UKIFDA EXPO 2021 event website for more information.
