IT²EC Will Not Take Place in 2020

As a consequence of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Training Technology Exhibition and Conference (IT²EC) scheduled for September at ExCeL London will no longer take place in 2020.

This is principally due to the continuing prohibitions and advisories against international travel put into effect by governments around the world and the introduction of COVID-19 government regulations and public health directives. The next edition of IT²EC will be staged 25-27 May 2021 in Seville.

As Europe’s primary event for the military training and simulation sector, IT²EC is global in its make-up, with more than 100 speakers, 80% of exhibitors and two-thirds of visitors based outside the host nation. With such an international audience, the restrictions – which in the UK currently include a 14-day quarantine – present extremely significant challenges for the majority of the IT²EC audience in planning their attendance at this year’s event.

As such, the decision has been made following consultation with key stakeholders, including the National Training and Simulation Association (NTSA), not to stage IT²EC in 2020.

Tracy Bebbington, Event Director, Clarion Defence & Security explains: “While the decision not to hold IT²EC this year is disappointing for us as organisers and for the community we serve, it is a result of factors beyond our control.

Clarion Events is one of the largest exhibition organisers in the world and holds the safety of all event attendees as its highest priority. As such the company is looking ahead to how physical distancing measures can be incorporated into the planning of all our events in the future and is contributing to broader government and event industry initiatives to support this.”

Efforts are now focused on bringing the international training and simulation community back together at IT²EC 2021. Next year’s edition will be the first time Spain has hosted the event, before IT²EC returns to London in 2022.

In the meantime, IT²EC has introduced several digital initiatives to support customers, including an ongoing webinar series and unrestricted access to historic conference materials.