Digital Construction Week to run alongside GEO Business next year.
Following GEO Business organiser Diversified Communications UK has confirmed that this year’s show has sadly been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The UK’s geospatial event will now take place on 19-20 May 2021 at ExCeL London. Another announcement includes the new dates for Digital Construction Week (DCW), the UK’s event dedicated to digital construction, engineering, design, manufacturing and operation, with the show now set to run alongside GEO Business.
The magnitude and unprecedented scale of the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent government restrictions have affected the lives and livelihoods of people and businesses around the world. While the UK’s strict lockdown measures are expected to ease over the coming months, social distancing and restrictions on mass gatherings look to remain for the rest of the year. Notably, many of GEO Business exhibitors and visitors are among the 7.5 million people currently furloughed, which makes it even harder for firms to plan many months ahead.
Caroline Hobden, Diversified UK’s event and portfolio director, says: “Like all businesses, we have been closely following the rapidly changing developments during these difficult times. Whilst we were hopeful that the current tough measures on restricted social interaction would be lifted by the autumn, there are still too many questions surrounding hotels, travel, social distancing measures, and individual company policies, to make it viable to run GEO Business this year. Clearly, the best and most responsible option for everyone involved is to wait and host an even better show in 2021.
“We appreciate how important GEO Business is to the geospatial profession and are very sorry to disappoint the thousands of attendees that were planning on exhibiting and visiting. However, the success as well as the safety of our exhibitors, visitors, speakers and partners has always been our priority and we are hoping that everyone will get behind this tough but necessary decision.