Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH, the organizers of textile trade fair Munich Fabric Start and denim trade fair Bluezone, announced Tuesday that it will cancel the January 2022 events due to rapidly increasing infection rates of the Omicron variant across Europe.
The cancellation follows an optimistic statement from the organizers last week that laid out plans to host the event with stricter vaccination and testing requirements. Approximately 90 international denim mills were prepared to exhibit at Bluezone.
However, the factors for the decision to cancel are “various realistic scenarios” that could occur in the coming weeks, the organizer stated, including a new lockdown in Germany with a possible event ban and travel restrictions imposed at very short notice.
“As a trade show organizer, we bear a very far-reaching social responsibility in addition to the big economic risk. The current developments are gradually taking the basis for our actions: we currently have neither room for maneuver nor planning security,” said Sebastian Klinder, Munich Fabric Start managing director.
Instead, Bluezone will be reimagined as a stand-alone event dedicated to denim innovation. The new format will take place May 3-4 event on the Zenith grounds in Munich alongside Keyhouse, a segment dedicated to textile technology.
“This opportunity arises from the unique seasonal rhythm of the denim and innovation segment,” Klinder added.
This puts Bluezone just two weeks before Denim PV, which is scheduled to take place in Berlin May 17-18.
Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH plans to resume its calendar of events. Munich Fabric Start will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 and Bluezone will take place Aug. 30-31.
