We all know that 2020 was supposed to be a year brimming with live conferences all over the place, covering all aspects of the global gambling industry. Then corona came… and stayed, zapping all the enthusiasm bit by bit, causing major disruptions, and forcing organizers to nix their planned events.
It just emerged that there we will have to go without iGB Live! and iGB Affiliate Amsterdam shows this year and that both events have been postponed to 2021 due to uncertainty caused by the worst health scare the world has seen in many years and travel restrictions enforced to help curb the advance of the pandemic.
Event organizer Clarion Gaming said that both shows, normally taking place together in mid-July, have attracted “a critical mass of core exhibitors and sponsors” and have seen “strong” pre-registration numbers, but they have decided to push them to July 2021.
Both iGB Live! And iGB Affiliate Amsterdam will now take place at the RAI in the Dutch capital from July 13-16, 2021. This same slot was originally reserved for this year’s edition of the events. They were then pushed back to September 22-25 in the face of the Covid-19 global crisis before they were eventually postponed.
Organizers explained that their decision to push the shows back to next summer was prompted by the growing number of Covid-19 cases in some countries as well as by different travel restrictions implemented by governments.
The Right Thing to Do
Speaking about their decision to postpone the two major events, Clarion Gaming group event director Naomi Barton said that they felt it was the right thing to do and “the most responsible decision to take.”
She went on to say that while they really wanted to deliver the two shows, “with measures that are beyond our control … we cannot guarantee that delegates, exhibitors, and sponsors will be able to get to the event safely.”
While another set of Clarion Gaming-organized physical shows was pushed back, the event organizer said that it would now shift its focus onto a new initiative, iGB Network. More details about it are set to be announced in due course.
What we know about the new initiative is that it would combine digital and physical elements and will bring the industry together in a “safe and responsible way”, if and when that is possible.
Next year’s iGB Live! and iGB Affiliate Amsterdam will take place shortly after the reorganization of the Dutch iGaming market. Ms. Barton noted that “this makes each show all the more valuable as a networking and discussion forum, for market incumbents and newcomers alike.”
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