By Stuart Thomson

The organisers of the IBC trade show have welcomed news that the Dutch government is to relax restrictions on international travel to the country from high-risk COVID territories such as the UK and the US later this month.

“IBC applauds the announcement from the Dutch Government relaxing COVID-19 social distancing measures and removing quarantine rules for fully vaccinated travellers,” the organisers said. “After a summer of testing safety protocols, the changes are a real boost to business confidence and mean that large-scale trade shows can once again return to The RAI in Amsterdam.”

The RAI exhibition centre will be the venue for a number of trade shows this autumn following the easing of restrictions, beginning with the delayed Money20/20 on September 22.

From that date, fully vaccinated international visitors from very high-risk areas will no longer have to quarantine on arrival in The Netherlands. Previously, visitors from the likes of the UK and US were subject to a 10-day quarantine on arrival in the country.

IBC also welcomed the fact that from September 25 The Netherlands will no longer enforce social distancing rules of 1.5 metres apart or mandate mask wearing in inside areas. The country will instead begin the wider use of coronavirus access passes, where people wanting to gain entry to various venues will be required to demonstrate proof of either vaccination against COVID-19, recovery from an infection of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, or a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of use.

IBC said that 70 per cent of its audience already have easy access to the event, now due to take place in December, from being part of the EU COVID travel block. The removal of the international travel quarantine rules means that IBC will now be accessible to almost 100 per cent  of its usual audience, they said.

“It’s time to get excited about coming together again. We have been anticipating this announcement from the Dutch Government for a while, and the whole IBC team is buzzing at the opportunities the relaxing of these COVID-19 measures will bring. That is not to say we can relax our guard – we continue to be fully focused on delivering a safe and valuable experience. But with these new measures, we can stage an event as close to ‘business as usual’ as we could hope for in the current environment,” said IBC CEO Michael Crimp.

“We’ve had lots of really positive responses from our exhibitors and the industry to this news. With over 650 exhibitors confirmed, we are busy finalising an action-packed programme of features and free content; all of which will make IBC2021 an event not to miss. Registration is open and we are seeing that hotel and flight bookings are on the up. Now is the time to get your trip arranged. Let’s get together again – I cannot wait to see everyone in Amsterdam in December.”

IBC has updated the exhibition protocols on its website to reflect the latest rulings