iGB Live! and iGB Affiliate Amsterdam postponed to 2021
The iGB Live! and iGB Affiliate Amsterdam shows have been postponed to 2021, amid ongoing uncertainty caused by new travel restrictions related to the ongoing novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
While Clarion Gaming noted that the show has attracted a critical mass of core exhibitors and sponsors, as well as strong pre-registration numbers, the iGB team ultimately decided to push the event back to 2021.
The show will now take place at the RAI in Amsterdam from 13 to 16 July next year. The 2019 exhibition had previously been pushed back from this slot to 22 to 25 September as a result of Covid-19.
With new travel restrictions being announced by European governments, and increasing Covid-19 cases in some countries, it was postponed in order to ensure it can offer as much value as possible to attendees and commercial partners.
“As disappointing as this news is, we feel it is the most responsible decision to take,” group event director Naomi Barton said.
“We really wanted to deliver this event for our partners and stakeholders,” Barton explained. “However, with measures that are beyond our control, we feel a postponement is the right thing to do, as we cannot guarantee that delegates, exhibitors and sponsors will be able to get to the event safely.
“If we can’t deliver the value and return on investment that is usually available from our events, we will wait until that is possible.”
With the physical event pushed back, focus instead shifts to a new initiative, iGB Network, for which more details will be announced in due course.
“iGB Network will have a digital and a physical element, but we will definitely, if we are able and in a safe and responsible way, bring the industry together – even face to face where we can,” Barton added.
The iGB Live! Online platform will also remain open to users as a networking and content resource, with registration free via the iGB Live! site. This includes all video sessions from the digital show on-demand, and will be updated with exclusive content throughout the year. More than 1,500 industry professionals have already signed up to use the platform.
The postponement does mean that iGB Live! and iGB Affiliate Amsterdam will take place at a time when the Netherlands, provided there are no delays to the process, has opened its igaming market for business.
“This means that the next editions of iGB Live! and iGB Affiliate Amsterdam will take place as the Dutch igaming market finally opens for business,” Barton said. “This makes each show all the more valuable as a networking and discussion forum, for market incumbents and newcomers alike.”