E3, NATPE cancel in-person events
January 10, 2022
Video game convention E3 will not be held as an in-person event in LA in June 2022, for the third year in a row.
The decision was due to health risks surrounding Covid-19 and the “safety of exhibitors and attendees”, said organisers the Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
Last year the event was held digitally with games companies including Nintendo, Microsoft, Konami and Ubisoft taking part giving fans access to online showcases, trailers and preview material.
The ESA said it “remains incredibly excited about the future of E3 and looks forward to announcing more details soon”.
The last in-person E3 event was held in 2019, at the show’s traditional Los Angeles Convention Center home. Many are speculating that event will also turn out to be its last.
Meanwhile, NATPE Miami 2022 has also cancelled the in-person conference planned for later this month in Florida, with new dates and locations under consideration for the next NATPE Conference and Marketplace.
JP Bommel, President and CEO at NATPE, said: “Although this decision from a financial point of view will cost the organisation a great deal of money, that was secondary to our primary concern, which is to put the welfare of our members first. We put a great deal of safety protocols in place, but it is just not enough given the intensity of this virus which is spreading at an enormous rate all over the world. We look forward to producing a strong conference at the right time and under the best circumstances, and to provide all our attendees with the greatest value we can offer.”