“Due to the ongoing uncertainties surrounding Covid 19 the Directors of APF 2020 have taken the difficult decision to postpone the event this year. The revised plan is to roll forward the show to 23/24/25thSeptember 2021 at the same venue at Ragley Estate.”
The APF show postponed
The above information is a quote from a press release from APF that arrived today. At the beginning of April we received a positive message from the APF organizers, which I wrote about in an article on the 8th of April. The headline then was “APF 2020 gives full steam ahead” which was a glimpse of light in the darkness. But why would APF have made it when nobody else did?
From 2021 and onwards, APF will take place in the uneven years meaning that the next event after 2021 will be in 2023 and so on.
2021 will be heavy
It could be easy to make jokes about this steam-thing. But this is no joke. I have been a fair organizer at Elmia and believe me – this is no joke. It´s a nightmare. How are all exhibitors gonna make it to all their “usual” fairs? The visitors will keep to their local fairs but probably not travel over the borders to see something they most likely can see at home. In this situation, there are only losers.
The question is: Can two or more fair organizers cooperate temporarily in 2021? That would certainly make life easier for the exhibitors, and for many visitors.
Let´s have a look at the situation for summer 2021 as it looks for the moment:
11. – 15. April – Silva Regina, Brno, Czech Republic
16. – 18. April – Forst Live, Offenburg, Germany
10. – 14. May – Ligna, Hannover, Germany
18. – 21. May – Elmia Wood. Jönköping, Sweden
3. – 5. June – Swedish Forestry Expo, Stockholm, Sweden
16. – 18. June – ForExpo, Mimisan, France
20. – 22. June – DemoPark, Eisenach, Germany
30. June – 3. July – KWF Tagung, Schwarzenborn, Germany
10. – 12. September – DLG Waldtage, Lichtenau, Germany
23. – 25. September – APF, Ragley Estate, Stratford upon Avon, Great Britain
14. – 20. November – Agritechnika, Hannover, Germany
These are not all forestry fairs in 2021. I have left out the smallest and most local ones, and most likely forgot some.
I haven´t mentioned FinnMetko in Finland. At this moment they are still on for 3. – 5. September 2020. Let´s hope for that …
