Germany's Boot Dusseldorf that originally postponed from January to April due to COVID-19 has now been called off for 2021.
The world’s largest indoor boat show fell due to the ongoing high infection numbers across all of Europe.
The massive show had been steadily attracting more and more Irish visitors after the collapse of the London Boat Show and the direct flights between Dublin and Dusseldorf.
Messe Düsseldorf decided today to cancel due to the ongoing pandemic and the associated worldwide lockdown measures.
The next boot, as scheduled in the trade fair calendar, will open its doors from 22 to 30 January 2022.
Under the given circumstances, an implementation on the planned date in April is no longer guaranteed, says Wolfram N. Diener, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf: "The continuing high level of infection and the fact that the end of the lockdown is not foreseeable for the time being make a resumption of trade fair operations at the end of April appear increasingly unrealistic. We have reassessed the situation with our partners and jointly decided to cancel boot 2021 early. Our priority is the health and planning security of our exhibitors, visitors and service providers. All activities will now be focused on the successful staging of boot 2022."
The aim, he said, is to return to the concept of boot Düsseldorf both as an event for all water sports enthusiasts and as a business and networking platform for the international trade audience. For 2022, he added, work is also underway on a hybrid trade fair experience that will, among other things, enable digital participation in seminars and events at boot Düsseldorf.
