The uncertainties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic have made many organisations to cancel most, if not all, of their plans for 2020 and just plan on 2021. With experts still not sure when the pandemic has burned itself us, making big plans for 2020 is a hazardous exercise that may lead to waste of precious resources.

Realising this, the organisers of the IWA Outdoor Classics, who initially postponed the IWA 2020 schedule to September, finally made it official that they are cancelling the 2020 event altogether. Exhibitors were given a heads up in an email sent to them a few weeks back, gauging if they would prefer preparing for a 2021 event rather than still hope a September trade fair can still be pulled off and it looks like the exhibitors would rather target 2021. The new dates will be the 12th – 15th of March 2021.

The IWA Outdoor Classics is one of the biggest trade events in which you will see many in the airsoft industry and media in under one roof. Held annually in March of each year in Nuremberg, Germany, it is an event that many in the industry and media look forward to. It is also where the biggest annual meetup of shakers and movers in the airsoft industry is held, the Airsoft Meetup. This meetup is organised by NL Airsoft and Popular Airsoft and according to Slickaxe of NLAirsoft, the meetup dates will also be moved and it will be on the 14th of March.

Photo: IWA Outdoor Classics 2019 (Credit: NürnbergMesse)

It is also a good move by the organisers as the exhibiting businesses have suffered a big downturn in business this year as brought about by lockdowns and travel bans imposed by countries affected by the pandemic. The exhibitors would rather conserve their resources this year and prepare for 2021.

Here is the official announcement from the organisers:

IWA OutdoorClassics will not take place in 2020

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 and is causing a reduced willingness to invest, which is in turn associated with declining sales and production stoppages. At the same time, trade fair participants in many places are finding it difficult to plan and prepare their trade fair appearances due to business activity being limited by official order as well as international travel restrictions.

“We would specifically like to thank representatives of the sector for the many candid and constructive discussions we have had with them in recent days that have helped us make our decision. Our objective with the IWA OutdoorClassics is to create a special experience at international level for exhibitors and visitors and to facilitate the establishment and development of business relations. Unfortunately, the impact of the coronavirus crisis means that we cannot do this to our usual high quality standard,” explains Petra Wolf from the NürnbergMesse management board. Originally, some 1,550 exhibitors from 60 countries were expected to attend the IWA OutdoorClassics 2020; in 2019, the event welcomed more than 45,500 trade visitors from 120 countries.

Save the date: IWA OutdoorClassics in March 2021

The next IWA OutdoorClassics will take place from 12 to 15 March 2021. This means that the event is returning to its usual springtime schedule. “After this crisis the need for information and knowledge-sharing will be greater than ever. This is why we are now looking forward and setting the course for next year,” says Rebecca Schönfelder, Exhibition Director IWA OutdoorClassics. “The IWA OutdoorClassics 2021 will serve the industry as a platform for its global relaunch. “Due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus, the already announced IWA Customer Circle will probably not be able to meet for the first time to discuss the ongoing development of the IWA OutdoorClassics until early summer 2020. To ensure that exhibitors can reliably plan ahead in good time, the IWA OutdoorClassics 2021 will therefore be a trade-only fair closed to consumers.”