One of the world's largest ship technology exhibitions and conferences, SMM, will take place online only in February.
The event will no longer be held as a more compact "hybrid" expo in Hamburg, Germany.
The conference had already been postponed in May from its usual September date due to the coronavirus.
Organiser Hamburg Messe und Congress is calling its new virtual event SMM Digital – The Maritime Business Hub.
Exhibitors and customers from around the world will be able to discuss today's and tomorrow's maritime challenges online, and follow conferences featuring top-ranking experts, the company said.
Diaries cleared
The pandemic has cleared or transformed shipping's conference calendar this year, with Greece's Posidonia cancelled and CMA going online in the US.
"Amid soaring infection numbers and waning hopes for a quick return to normal life, the second Covid-19 infection wave is keeping a firm grip on the world, with massive consequences for the trade fair industry," Hamburg Messe und Congress added.
"In the given circumstances, events without physical presence are preferable."
SMM will follow the company's first digital trade event, WindEnergy Hamburg, in December.
"After close consultations with the exhibition committee and government institutions, we have decided to host SMM 2021 as a purely digital event," said Bernd Aufderheide, president and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress..
"The progress of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting restrictions have rendered it impossible to come up with a reliable plan for a physical trade fair."
He added that by making this "timely decision", everyone involved can plan more easily.
And Aufderheide said the experience of running a digital show could have a positive effect on future physical gatherings.
"By leveraging various digital services, we will be able to further increase the international scope of our trade fairs and provide our customers with substantial added value," the CEO added.
The biennial event will run between 2 and 5 February.
The online platform will remain active until SMM 2022.
Big-name backing
Knut Orbeck-Nilssen, CEO of Norwegian class society DNV GL, backed the decision.
"The pandemic has demonstrated that so much can be achieved through digital means and that the maritime industry is more than capable of adapting to new ways of working. During these very challenging times, more than ever before safety must be at the forefront of every decision we make," he said.
Finnish technology company Wartsila's Voyage division president, Sean Fernback, added: "As Covid-19 puts live events on hold, we very much look forward to participating in digital SMM.
"A maritime phenomenon not to be missed, I’m sure the virtual experience will also surpass expectations to reach die-hard and new audiences like never before."
The theme of the February event is "Driving The Maritime Transition."
TradeWinds is partner with SMM for the Shipowners' Forum conference.
