PacPrint organiser Visual Connections Australia has confirmed that due to ongoing uncertainty caused by COVID outbreaks around the country, the upcoming tradeshow has been postponed to the middle of 2022.

PacPrint 2021, Visual Impact Melbourne and the Label & Packaging Expo were due to take place at the end of September; however with the current COVID-19 lockdown situation in Sydney and, to a lesser extent, Melbourne, Queensland and South Australia, PacPrint Board chair Sue Threlfo said the decision to postpone it has become ‘inevitable’.

The organisers are now looking at PacPrint taking place from 28 June 2022 to 1 July 2022 – the first available at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) for next year.

“The past couple of weeks has demonstrated that, unfortunately, this pandemic is far from over. Realistically, we have come to accept that restrictions will continue to apply for some weeks and perhaps months to come, which may impact not only on the venue arrangements, but on the ability of our exhibitors to properly prepare their stands,” Threlfo said.

“We’ve been in constant discussions with the MCEC and with Austrade, and the owners of the shows Visual Connections Australia and the Print & Visual Communications Association (PVCA), as the situation has evolved.

“We are all in agreement that the increasing uncertainty for our exhibitors and visitors has become untenable, so we have made the exceptionally difficult decision to postpone the expo until 2022.

“The exhibitors are supportive of this decision and have indicated their commitment to the show remains unchanged.”

Visual Connections Australia has also confirmed that letters are being sent to the exhibitors of the postponement.