Italian manufacturers avoid Glasstec

Italian manufacturers of glass machinery will not attend Glasstec in 2021, primarily because of the continued spread of the coronavirus Covid-19, its trade association Gimav has announced.

Instead, Gimav is throwing its weight behind Vitrum, which is due to take place on October 5-8, 2021.

“Regretfully, at a time like this, we must tell it like it is,” Gimav president Michele Gusti said.

Glasstec had been postponed until the summer 2021, following pressure earlier in the year from exhibitors to cancel the 2020 event.

The German glass exhibition will now take place on June 15-18, 2021. A digital event also took place on October 20-22, 2020.

“In view of the continued uncertainties in terms of travel restrictions and quarantine provisions in the core target markets, Messe Düsseldorf has opted in favour of these new dates in close coordination with the trade fair’s advisory board and all partners involved,” its organisers said at the time.

However, Gimav had already warned exhibition organisers to “avoid an overcrowded calendar in 2021”.

In a letter to Gimav’s members, Michele said: “Many factors influenced this decision but the determining element was, above all, the desire to make Vitrum the only international event truly capable of promoting the excellence of Italy’s glass industry, showcasing the machines as well as the products and technological applications produced through our technologies.”

Vitrum’s president Dino Zandonella Necca said: “This decision fills us with pride and spurs us to do even more to make Vitrum capable of fulfilling this task. All the more reason for us to organise a great edition that sets the pace, leaving a visible mark pointing the way to the new direction undertaken. Vitrum intends to increasingly strengthen its role in favour of the entire international glass industry community”.

Michele described Glasstec’s revised dates as “unusual”, but said that Gimav would still attend if the event went ahead.

“We have always supported the importance of the show and will continue to do so despite the fact that the choice to ‘move’ the 2020 edition to 2021 is not a sound choice,” he said.