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IHG Expo – cancellation of face-to-face event

To our valued Members & Suppliers,

After a great deal of deliberation and consultation we are making the difficult decision to cancel the 2022 IHG Expo on the Gold Coast.

We cannot, in all consciousness, encourage our key stakeholders to attend such a large face-to-face event when your safety and wellbeing is our number one concern.

There is nothing we would like more than to use our event to give you the networking and sales growth opportunities that you crave. And whilst there was always a risk associated with travel and a large gathering, we had a strong Covid plan in place and were confident we could keep you safe. But as it stands today with the emergence of Omicron, heightened movement of the population and cases in every state, the likelihood of exposure to Covid and potential quarantine implications now outweighs any benefit in attending our event.

We do intend on proceeding with a virtual event in early 2022 to encompass the Deal Book, Business Session, National Awards ceremony and supplier/member interaction, although the dates may change to give us time to reengineer things.

We will come back in early January with more details around this virtual event, as well as information on credits/refunds resulting from this decision. All delegate bookings and reversals with our travel providers, Orbit, will be paused until the New Year.

Disappointing but we hope you support our decision in the interests of safety and the risk of severe disruption to our businesses.

Thanks for your understanding.

The IHG team

IHG Expo is back and better than ever!

Join us as we head back to the sunny Gold Coast 8 + 9 February 2022 for a long awaited face to face networking, educational and celebratory event.

Bringing together the very best of independent hardware operators and suppliers, the IHG Expo will once again create opportunities to learn, connect and explore, while also celebrating this amazing, vibrant industry we’re all part of.

But that’s not all…if you can’t make it to the Gold Coast we’ll bring the Expo to you!

Our new hybrid event format allows you to attend in person or take part from the comfort of your store, office or home with much of the Expo broadcast online via our virtual platform, and content remains on-demand until the end of February.

We’re taking a ‘best of’ approach for 2022 – what you love most about our face to face Expos AND the parts you really valued from our Virtual Expo – to create one super-sized event that brings the Expo experience to everyone.

Join more than 3000 of your peers at the industry’s premier annual event – in person or virtually
Meet with suppliers, learn about the latest products and secure red hot deals
Catch up with friends from far and wide…and make new connections
Watch our line-up of expert presenters and topical sessions discussing what’s shaping our industry
And let’s not forget the memories we make at our nightly social functions!

Of course, your safety remains our priority. You can be assured that all COVID safe practices will be in place and we have contingency plans should we need to adapt our approach.

So get excited. IHG Expo is back and better than ever. We cannot wait to welcome you.

Exhibitor registrations open in August and member/guest registrations in October. Stay tuned for more details.

Want to know what IHG Expo is all about? Check out the 2020 Highlights Reel

What can you expect?

Learn

Attend executive and keynote presentations and a range of industry-relevant learning labs and supplier webinars to build knowledge and capability amongst your sales team. Learn about the latest product trends and selling ideas, and watch product demonstrations and videos.

Meet

Our platform enables interactive chat and video conferencing capabilities to ensure members can connect with suppliers on-the-go or pre-book appointments during Expo opening hours.

Explore

Explore new business opportunities at our virtual product showcase of the latest trends, innovation, services and solutions. Search the exhibitor directory, spanning every product category, or simply browse each exhibition hall for inspiration.

Deals