First event casualty of 2021 is claimed in Highland community; Plug pulled as influential Aquaculture UK event rescheduled
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The first confirmed event casualty in Badenoch and Strathspey in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic has been announced.
Aquaculture UK – the UK’s most important aquaculture exhibition and conference – has been rescheduled from May 2021 to May 2022.
The show, which was due to take place on May 19-21, will be deferred to the new dates of May 3-5, next year, at the Macdonald Resort in Aviemore, Scotland.
The decision follows the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic and comes after close monitoring of information from the government, as well as consultation with the aquaculture community.
Event director Cheri Arvonio said: “Although all the signs are positive for a restart of events from Easter, we feel running Aquaculture UK in May is too early.
"We want to give everyone the best possible chance for a great show, so it is important we have a clear run into the event.
“We want to make the right decision for our community and having consulted with our exhibitors, visitors and partners, we’ve decided the best action to serve everyone is to postpone the show to its regular home in the show calendar year.
“We’re disappointed not to be able to bring everyone together as soon as we’d hoped.
"But we’re committed to delivering an event in 2022 that provides the community with the most effective opportunities for networking, education, and interaction – and we’re confident that the move to next May means we’ll be able to return with the best show possible.
“The good news is that we won’t be letting our May 2021 dates pass without marking the occasion.
"We’ll be launching a virtual sustainability seminar in the coming weeks to provide a much-needed platform for the industry to connect.
“We’re also excited to announce that Aquaculture UK will be launching a newsletter in the next few months.
"Aquabuzz, the bi-weekly newsletter will give the aquaculture community an excellent opportunity to share news, communicate about products and services, and stay connected at a vital time for our industry.
“Finally, we’re so grateful for the incredible and continued goodwill and support the industry has shown us during these difficult times.
"We’re looking forward to working together over the coming months to ensure that Aquaculture UK continues to be the celebration and gathering the industry deserves and can be proud of."
The Covid pandemic wiped out pretty much all of Badenoch and Strathspey's events calendar last year with high profile casualties including the Thunder in the Glens Harley Davidson rally, the Grantown Show, the Highland Games in Nethy Bridge and Newtonmore, the World Porridge Championships in Carrbridge and Grantown's Motormania as well as the Camananchd Cup Final that had been set for the Dell in Kingussie in mid-September.
