Electronica pulls the plug, goes virtual
The organizer had been trying to keep the biennial event “real” at the purpose-built showground on the outskirts of Munich from November 10 to 13, albeit at reduced scale.
However, on Saturday September 5, the Messe Munchen announced that the current level of travel restrictions, which are becoming more stringent, had required a switch to a digital, virtual format. There are likely to be implications for Semicon Europa and a MEMS event that were to be collocated with Electronica.
The virtual Electronica will include digital trade booths and provide visitors with ways to interact with booth holders and each other. It will also include a large portion of the conference and supporting program being presented virtually. Individual talks and panel discussions on such topics as the automotive industry, embedded systems, IIoT, 5G, medical electronics and smart energy will be available online.
Falk Senger, Managing Director of Messe München, said: “Even though an in-person trade fair could have been conducted with the help of our safety and hygiene concept, the latest developments related to travel restrictions in many countries forced us to rethink our plans. We are adapting these plans to this dynamic situation and are now focusing solely on our virtual format.”
Kurt Sievers, CEO of NXP Semiconductors and chair of a board of advisors to Electronica, added: “After re-evaluating the situation, I consider the decision of Messe München to be very appropriate and responsible. We are pleased that, with electronica virtual, a concept is now offered for 2020 that allows exhibitors to reach their international customers, even in the continuing difficult pandemic period.”
SEMI, the industry organization responsible for Semicon Europa has said in the past: ” With regards to SEMICON Europa 2020, we are in close contact with our Messe Munich partners, in consultation with the responsible authorities, and are taking their recommendations into account with regard to the staging of events.”
Although the SEMI website has yet to be updated its seems inevitable that Semicon Europa will also turned into a virtual event. SEMI’s has also said: ” In case SEMI comes to the decision to cancel SEMICON Europa 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be a 100 percent refund of the participation fee.”
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