ITT Hub 2021 gets green light
The advisory board of the forthcoming ITT Hub exhibition has agreed to support go-ahead for the event following last week’s announcement of a government roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions in England.
Organiser Binswood Media says the event, which is scheduled for 30 June and 1 July at Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, will fall under step three of the government criteria, whereby events will be able to open after 17 May subject to the milestones set out in the roadmap being met.
A potential limit of 4,000 attendees per day outdoors and 1,000 indoors applies to events which are mainly outdoors.
Following the announcements, the ITT Hub Advisory Board met to review the position, and agreed to support the event taking place, subject to the milestones being achieved.
The event organisers said they would “continue to proceed with cautious optimism to deliver a safe and secure exhibition and conference”.
The advisory board supported the decision to proceed and keep the position under review, issuing the following summary.
“The opportunity to stage ITT Hub 2021 comes at a critical time. Whilst the world has been focusing on the short-term global pandemic and economic consequences, the climate emergency has not gone away.
“As we overcome Covid-19, we need to redouble our efforts on the climate. With caution and responsible planning, ITT Hub 2021 provides the platform for supporting the government’s policy for decarbonising road transport.
“The advisory board is fully supportive of staging the event this summer at Farnborough International on the basis of the roadmap targets being met.
“The safety and wellbeing of all attendees is paramount and we are committed to delivering the event within the parameters of the restrictions within the roadmap announced last week.
“The road transport industry has been one of the many key essential sectors on the front line throughout the last year. The pandemic has delayed industry in coming together to embrace the road to Net Zero and ITT Hub will be one of the first opportunities for over 18 months to re-engage through collaboration across the sector.”
The team at ITT Hub organiser Binswood Media
The advisory board includes senior representation from the public and private sector, including: Centrica, Lloyds Bank, Innovate UK, Logistics UK, Transport Focus, Highways UK, Midlands Connect, TRL, RAC Foundation, Ian Luckett Consulting, Department for Transport, Highways England, Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation, Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, Baringa Partners, Zemo Partnership, National Grid, The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, Advanced Propulsion Centre.
The venue team will introduce key measures including a revised floorplan to ensure safe distancing, together with reducing the number of conference sessions over the two days.
An Exhibitor Open Day is scheduled for Wednesday 19 May at Farnborough, where exhibitors will be invited to enjoy presentations on planning and marketing of the event, meeting trade press and to attend an industry seminar related to the decarbonisation plan scheduled for publication this spring.
Organisers have reported strong levels of interest from companies wanting to book stands at ITT Hub, and a new floorplan is available here.
