Global Berry Congress, the world’s leading event for the international soft fruit business, has been moved to 7-9 December 2020 in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
'Our primary concern must be for the health and well-being of everyone who attends Global Berry Congress,' organiser Fruitnet Media International said in a statement. 'We believe a postponement is in the best interest of every delegate, speaker, exhibitor, and sponsor, and of course all our staff and suppliers.'
According to Fruitnet managing director Chris White, the move is intended to give the international berry business as long as possible to deal with the impact of Covid-19 and for it to come together ahead of the new marketing campaign that starts in the new year.
'We are confident that in six months Global Berry Congress can provide a moment for berry businesses both to share best practice on some of the lessons learned from the current coronavirus crisis and, crucially, to prepare for the sales and marketing campaigns from January 2021,' he said.
'The gradual release from lockdown now underway in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe as well as significant travel restrictions that are in place all over the world make it impossible to hold to our current dates for Global Berry Congress at the end of June.'
In the meantime, Fruitnet is planning to organise a special online briefing session for registered Global Berry Congress delegates on 23 June. Hosted by Mike Knowles, Fruitnet's editorial director for Europe, the session will be an opportunity to discuss the current state of the berry business. More details will be available soon.
Purchased tickets for GBC2020 remain valid for the new event dates. More information is available via the Global Berry Congress website.
