UPDATE 4: IWA OutdoorClassics 2020 cancelled – New date for IWA 2021: from March 12-15, 2021 without end-customer days
The IWA team of NürnbergMesse GmbH has just announced the following: “Due to the impact of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the global economy, NürnbergMesse has decided not to hold the IWA OutdoorClassics in September 2020. The uncertain situation is imposing as yet unknown challenges on the industry. The decision not to hold IWA OutdoorClassics this year is extremely difficult, but together we must now look ahead. So there will be a industry trade show at the usual traditional date of March 12-15, 2021 in Nuremberg.”
Likewise, the planned End-Customer Days will not take place. Instead, the IWA organizers will fully return to the traditional mode in order to provide the industry and visitors with better planning security. An IWA Customer Circle with industry representatives in summer 2020 will discuss whether such plans should be made in future and how IWA OutdoorClassics should develop as a trade fair.
We at all4shooters.com are already looking forward to 12.3.2021 to finally report on IWA 2021 from Nürnberg for you again.
UPDATE 3: Will the IWA OutdoorClassics in September 2020 now be a public exhibition on two days?
We refrain from expressing an opinion and, for reasons of transparency, we pass on the latest communication from NürnbergMesse to the industry and to our readers, so that they are informed about the decision-making process.
We have received many reactions, especially to the long-term announcement of the dates - positive approval, but also critical opinions. Since our highest aim is to further develop your international industry platform for you at the best possible quality level, we take your feedback very seriously. We will therefore keep a spring date reserved in our internal disposition for the following years from 2021 onwards – as well as a September date. This gives us the opportunity – together with you – to determine the best possible date after the trade fair in September 2020 for the following years. Due to the special circumstances this year we are in a particular situation. However, we also see this situation as an opportunity and would like to use the IWA OutdoorClassics in September 2020 to organise a "Special Edition". What does this mean in concrete terms? Our first conceptual approach would be to split the four days of the fair for the first time: into two trade days (Thursday, September 3, 2020 and Friday, September 4, 2020) and two end-customer days (Saturday, September 5, 2020 and Sunday, September 6, 2020).
Conclusion: many interesting ideas – but no decision about IWA 2020 and IWA 2021. We will keep you informed.
UPDATE 2: IWA postponed to early September 2020
As announced by the organizers of the IWA, this year's IWA will take place from September 3 to 6. The EnforceTac and U.T.SEC trade shows will be held from September 1 to 2, 2020. Petra Wolf, Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse, says: "We would like to thank all customers, partners and media representatives for their understanding of our decision to postpone IWA OutdoorClassics 2020. We are pleased about the high level of commitment in the industry - after intensive deliberations and numerous positive discussions with national and international customers, we have chosen the new date at the beginning of September, also for the following years."
+++ COMMENTARY +++
We wonder if this rush job – also as a new date for the next few years – is a favor to you and the entire industry. In the middle of the holiday season, at the end of the shooting season and so shortly before the driven hunt season, a trade and order fair? Who has novelties to present there? Will there be large orders at that time? Unfortunately, we have more questions than answers at the moment. And no, we do not want to be in the shoes of the organizers. But was such a quick decision really necessary and agreed with the industry and the specialist committees?
2021: IWA and EnforceTac will continue to be held at the beginning of September
The organizers of NürnbergMesse also informed that the exhibitions will continue to take place in this period at the beginning of September: "For the planning reliability of all exhibitors, visitors, partners and media: IWA OutdoorClassics will continue to take place in the period at the beginning of September in the following years and no longer in the previous period at the beginning / middle of March."
UPDATE 1: IWA OutdoorClassics 2020 is cancelled / postponed
IWA Outdoor Classics 2020 has been postponed. Thus, after the Eisenwarenmesse Fair in Cologne and Light + Building in Frankfurt, another fair followed, due to the coronavirus. The decision was not an easy one for the organizers, but they put the health of visitors and exhibitors before anything else. This has our fullest support. In order to still present a report with all relevant news, the team of all4shooters.com will communicate closely with our partners and other industry manufacturers.
The same applies to the two-day trade fair preceding the IWA, the EnforceTac, and to U.T.SEC, the Summit for Drones, Unmanned Technologies & Security.
Let's start from scratch: IWA 2020 was to be held in Nuremberg from 6 to 9 March 2020. IWA OutdoorClassics is a classic trade fair and exhibition for firearms, ammunition, optics, accessories and outdoor equipment. There, trade visitors from all over the world inform themselves about the products and services on offer and cultivate customer and supplier relations. In addition to the SHOT Show in the USA, which traditionally kicks off the international gun shows in mid-January, IWA is the most important trade fair in this sector for Europe.
But there are also very successful trade fairs that are open to the public - such as Jagd & Hund in Dortmund, which just ended on February 2nd. Even there, there were many premieres of new products for the current season. So, the distinction between trade and public fairs seems to be shifting.
Our interview to the organizers of the IWA about the 2021/2022 fair dates
Against this background, we asked the organizer of the IWA OutdoorClassics two questions about the IWA dates for the next few years and we received concrete answers:
all4shooters.com: When will IWA 2021 take place?
Nuremberg Fair: IWA 2021 will certainly take place on the traditional dates of mid-March.
(Editor's note: according to our information, this means from March 12th-15th, 2021)
all4shooters.com: What's the schedule for IWA 2022?
Nuremberg Fair: We have intensively examined the request clearly expressed by our customers for a date earlier in the year and we will communicate a solution for the 2022 fair date at IWA 2020.
Speculation about a new date for IWA has cleared up for the time being
Thus, all rumors which had been based on the assumption of an earlier date for IWA 2021 have been disproved. This gives the industry planning security. As far as the further scheduling for 2022 is concerned, the trade fair organizers will provide information by the last day of the fair in 2020 at the latest.
Considering that the SHOT Show traditionally takes place in mid-January, January is no longer a realistic option. We don't want to make any speculations here, but will inform you here when the official announcement of IWA 2022 is made. Stay tuned.
all4shooters.com reported about all the highlights of last year's IWA OutdoorClassics.
You can find more information about the fair on the IWA OutdoorClassics pages.
