The GPD organising committee was very optimistic to be able to hold the GPD 2021 this year as a physical and online event. However, looking at the current Covid-19 situation and the rise in infection rates, it became clear that the choice of venues for the event not only became more stringent but also increasingly restricted.
This in turn would mean that the GPD would no longer be able to develop its character, which is based in particular on the networking of participants from all over the world, as was very much possible at previous events and was what the organisers had in mind for this year, as well.
Limited travel possibilities for attendees
Many interested parties have also indicated that they may not be able to come to Finland in autumn 2021 due to travel restrictions imposed by their companies and countries. This means that holding an event in October this year would probably only be conceivable as an online event. In addition, the majority of GPD partners expressed a preference for holding the event in a hybrid format instead of an online-only version.
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Based on this feedback, the GPD organising committee has decided to postpone the 2021 event to late February or early March 2022, with the exact new dates to be announced shortly, so watch this space…
