Earlier this year, Messe Stuttgart announced the cancellation of VISION 2020, confirming that it will now take place in October 2021. Exhibitors and sponsors agreed with the organisers that a virtual event for an exhibition this size just wouldn’t be the same as the real thing and we look forward keenly to participating in person along with our customers and suppliers in a year’s time.

However, the industry event calendar has not been left bare during these months of lockdowns and restrictions. CIOE 2020 took place as a physical show in China on 9-11 September and reported nearly 90,000 visitors from 9 application areas. Online conferences and webinars have also offered opportunities to learn more about new technologies and products. The Embedded Vision Summit went online for every Tuesday and Thursday between 15-25 September, with more than 75 speakers presenting and delivering live demonstrations.

The EMVA took the decision to replace its 18^th Business Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria in June 2020 with a one-day online forum, although the Young Professional Award was sadly cancelled for this year. The face-to-face conference in Sofia will now take place on 10-12 June 2021, where tangible networking will once again be able to play a huge part in the event. In the meantime, the EMVA General Assembly for members will take place as a virtual meeting on 15 October 2020.

Coming months offer a mix of physical and digital events
VisionChina Shenzhen will take place on 3-5 November 2020, focusing on technology, communication and industry applications. While few overseas visitors are likely to be able to attend this event, 17-19 March 2021 will see VisionChina Shanghai opening its doors, let’s hope more travel and interaction is possible by then.

Analytica 2020 has moved online for a digital forum on 19-23 October. The show’s motto, “Where science meets industry”, gives an insight into the topics to be discussed, generally covering analytics, quality control, diagnostics, measurement and testing technology as well as biotechnology and the life sciences.

The event for all things hyperspectral, Chii, has also gone digital for 2020. Kicking off with a virtual Welcome Day on 5 November 2020, chiiTalks, nine weekly online sessions, will present new technology and developments in a series of 10-minute web pitches.

On 2-4 December 2020, The International Technical Exhibition on Image Technology and Equipment (ITE) will run in Yokohama, Japan. The show will present the latest developments in areas such as robot vision, medical, security, 3D imaging, deep learning, infrastructure improvement and precision measurement.

Embedded World is scheduled as a face-to-face event for 2-4 March 2021. More than 1100 exhibitors are expected and organisers are currently inviting abstract paper submissions.

UKIVA’s Machine Vision Conference had to be cancelled in 2020 but will take place as a physical event on 11 May 2021. The agenda will cover topics from deep learning to vision in robotics and will look at innovations in camera technology, vision systems and 3D imaging, among others.

Collaboration alive and well in the industry
While the limitations on face-to-face meetings through 2020 has led to the postponement and cancellation of some industry events, innovative formats and online engagements have meant that we have still been able to share news, learn from novel technologies and continue to collaborate with our peers through these unusual times.

At Active Silicon, we’re looking forward to shaking hands with our colleagues, customers and partners throughout 2021. Follow us on social media and sign up to our newsletter to be in the know about forthcoming events.