Organisers of the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) called-off its annual trade show, due to be held in September in Amsterdam, due to the effects of restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

In a statement, CEO Michael Crimp said its team had been assessing and developing appropriate plans for IBC2020, however it became clear “a return to (a new) normal is unlikely to be achieved by September”.

He added after dialogue with the IBC community, making an early decision was preferential for the industry so it could plan for the future.

“Right now, despite the best work of the IBC team and our Dutch colleagues, there are still many unknowns. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to deliver a safe and valuable event to the quality expected of IBC.”

IBC2020 follows other major trade shows hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, including the cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020; IFA20 in Berlin, which moved to an online format; and TM Forum’s Digital Transformation World, which was postponed.