Organisers of Subsea Expo said today they had made the “difficult but sensible” decision to call off this year’s event due to the worsening of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Industry body Subsea UK had already postponed the 2021 showcase from its usual slot in February to May due to Covid-related restrictions.
But Subsea UK has now decided that the next edition of the three-day exhibition and showcase, held in Aberdeen every year, will have to wait until February 22-24 2022.
Chief executive Neil Gordon said there was “no appetite” among Subsea UK members for the world’s largest underwater engineering event to go virtual.
All exhibitors and sponsors will be able to carry over their bookings and any deposits to next year’s event, Subsea UK said.
Mr Gordon said: “With the new lockdown, rising cases and new variants of the virus, there are strong indications that this year will continue to be disrupted despite the vaccine roll-out.
“There is no appetite among our members and the wider industry for Subsea Expo to become a virtual exhibition so we have taken the difficult but sensible decision to wait until February 2022 when we can be more certain of being able to deliver the event safely and secure the maximum attendance from the UK and overseas.”
The organisation is considering running a scaled-down virtual event or series of virtual events in May.
Mr Gordon added: “We had already secured leading figures from sectors of the blue economy to present at Subsea Expo under the theme of Oceans of Opportunity – harnessing the Blue Economy.
“With significant opportunities for the underwater engineering industry in the global blue economy, estimated to be worth $3 trillion by 2030, we are keen to keep the momentum building around this exciting topic with on-line events at which delegates can explore the potential, glean valuable market intelligence and make valuable connections – albeit virtually.”