Natpe Budapest cancelled amid Covid rise

Natpe Budapest International venue the InterContinental Hotel

The organisers of Natpe Budapest International have cancelled this year’s event due to rising cases of Covid-19 and travel restrictions, with no virtual edition of the event set to take its place.

Natpe has issued a statement citing concerns over the rise of the Delta variant of Covid-19 and travel restrictions preventing travel into Hungary, as well as restrictions on large-scale meetings for those there, as reasons for the cancellation.

The organisers of Natpe Budapest International had been hoping to return to the InterContinental Hotel in the Hungarian capital between August 30 and September 2.

The annual conference usually takes place in June. Last year it was pushed back to August before being switched to digital-only because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there will be no virtual edition of the event this year.

“We have come to the decision to postpone Natpe Budapest International until June 2022, when we can again meet in-person and properly serve the CEE and MENA region,” a spokesman said.

“As the pandemic evolves and our focus shifts towards getting back together in-person, we have also decided to forgo a virtual edition of the event. We look forward to seeing everyone together and face-to-face at Natpe Streaming Plus in LA on September 14 and Natpe Miami in January 2022, where we expect participation from every corner of the world and every aspect of the content industry.”