World’s leading consumer electronics trade show canceled

When I first heard that major, real-world tech trade shows were coming starting as early as Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in late June. I didn’t see how they could do it. In the United States, thanks to widespread Covid-19 vaccinations, life may return to something like normal, but it’s a different story in much of Europe. So, it came as no surprise when IFA Berlin, the world’s largest consumer and home electronics trade show, decided not to open its doors.

Why? The reasons were simple enough. “Ultimately, several key global health metrics did not move as fast in the right direction as had been hoped for – from the rapid emergence of new COVID-19 variants, for example in South Asia, to continued uncertainties about the speed of the rollout of vaccination programs around the world.”

Another factor was that the Messe Berlin exhibition halls were continuing to be used “to support the fight against COVID-19 by converting parts of its area into a vaccination center and an emergency hospital facility.”

Read the full story here.