The world's largest fitness trade fair, FIBO, has been rescheduled again and will now take place from 7 - 10 April 2022, marking a return for the event's usual early-year timing.

The decision to suspend the event was made due to the ongoing pandemic and the global uncertainties that exist around travel and health.

Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein, CEO of the organiser, RX Austria & Germany, said: "An international event like FIBO is simply not feasible under these current circumstances.

"The expectations that our exhibitors, visitors, partners and we have of a world-leading trade show cannot be met under these conditions in autumn.

"We have therefore decided, together with our exhibitors and partners, to postpone the event to April 2022."

Silke Frank, Event Director of the show, added: "We like to say that if it’s called FIBO, it had better be FIBO.

"For an event like this at an international level, we and our customers still see too many uncertainties in the fitness industry in 2021. That's why it's now a matter of looking to the future and restarting at full strength and energy next year."

The events planned in parallel to the now-cancelled November FIBO will be held digitally or live, depending on size of the audience.

The European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF) will be held digitally on 3 November, as will the other EuropeActive events – such as the European Fitness Associations Forum (EFAF) and the International Standards Meeting (ISM).

The President's Council Summit is expected to be held with a physical on-site inspirational, educational and networking programme.

Sibec Europe, which was originally planned to run parallel to FIBO in Cologne, is working closely with EuropeActive on plans to host the exclusive events from 2-5 November.

Sibec will soon communicate about its event.

FIBO was suspended in 2020 at the start of the pandemic and again in 2021, when it was scheduled to take place from 8 to 11 April 2021, before being moved to the new dates of 24-27 June 2021.

The organisers then announced the June dates had been cancelled, with the show scheduled for November 2021.

This means the last time FIBO took place was in 2019.