MCE will go ahead: in 2022
The MCE (Expocomfort Exhibition Event) has been postponed again, this time to March 2022. The announcement was made by Reed Exhibitions Italia, the company responsible for organizing the trade fair, who, after lengthy discussion and consultation with all the professionals involved, have decided to cancel the 2020 edition all together.
In addition to the MCE, the BIE (Biomass Innovation Expo), an exhibition focusing on wood biomasses, complementing the MCE and due to be held in parallel, has also been postponed. It is a heavy blow for the civil and industrial plant engineering sector, but is essential to maintain the standards of quality which have always distinguished these events.
Cancelling MCE was a difficult decision
MCE is a leading trade fair in the air conditioning and renewable energy sectors, which brings together major producers and experts every 2 years, in order to present new technologies and the latest market innovations. In other words, it is an international point of reference in that market.
It is understandable then, how the decision to cancel it was not taken lightly by the organisers. The economic impact of calling off an event of that size is enormous and comes at a time when the global economy is already struggling due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In any case, this decision was reached after careful assessment, following many months of consultation with associations, exhibitors and visitors, who monitored the evolving situation closely. In the light of uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of trade fairs resuming however, each of the interested parties agreed on the decision to cancel the fair.
An initial postponement to September 2020 had already been proposed in March, in the hope that the health emergency would have been over by then, but its unexpected continuation forced organizers to take a drastic decision.
A strong sector which does not give up easily
The postponement of the MCE trade fair has not discouraged those involved in the project. Of course, it is a missed opportunity which could have helped kick start the recovery of several economies, but the important thing is not to give up.
The wish expressed by key players in the industrial and civil plant engineering sector is to make up for the time wasted due to the coronavirus. There is a strong desire to start again and grow together once more, as reflected by the close collaboration between exhibitors, associations and organisers who, since March 2020, have united under the hashtag #MCEMoveOnTogether.
Over the last few months of uncertainty and doubt, Reed Exhibitions has prepared some digital initiatives to reinforce the links between professionals who support MCE and BIE. The company has continued to negotiate with the government and other authorities, in the hope of being able to guarantee a safe trade fair for all in September, while fully respecting the restrictions in place.
The constant rise in infections over recent months has created organisational difficulties (accentuated by new lockdowns in many European countries), which have led the organisers to postpone the event definitively until the 2022 edition, while maintaining a positive outlook.
The new dates of MCE – Expocomfort Exhibition Event
The Managing Director of Reed Exhibitions Italy has emphasised how the main objective of the organising association is that of putting together events capable of meeting the business needs of all the participants involved.
The Expocomfort Exhibition Event is a point of reference for many companies and professionals, which deserve a scenario where they are free from the restrictions imposed by the health emergency. The MCE and BIE events have therefore been rescheduled for 8th to 11th March 2022, at the Milan Fair as planned.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
