Change in forthcoming International stamp exhibitions

London 2020 Newsletter No. 16: 18 March 2020 

Exhibition Dates 

Please forgive my silence over the last week or two, but trying to find a way of managing the London 2020 exhibition that both is safe and secure, as well as being financially robust, has been a major challenge. 

In line with UK Government guidelines, it is now impossible for the exhibition to happen in May 2020. We have consulted with all our major partners in the planning of the show: 

• Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) 

• Federation of European Philatelic Associations (FEPA) 

• The venue, the Business Design Centre (BDC) 

• Stamp World Exhibitions Ltd (SWE) 

• Philatelic Traders’ Society (PTS). 

All of these have been incredibly supportive of trying to find a solution to the unprecedented challenges we are facing, both logistical and financial. Although we have not fully defined all the details, the exhibition will go ahead at the same venue on the earliest feasible dates available: 

19 to 26 February 2022. 

I’m sorry that I have not been in a position to communicate this message any earlier, but I hope you will understand the scale of the problems that we are trying to resolve. Frank 

-Walton RDP FRPSL Chairman, 

London 2020 Organising Committee 

chairman@london2020.co

Termination of BULGARIA 2020

We would like to inform you that since 13th of March 13,2020, "a state of emergency" has been officially declared in the territory of BULGARIA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The borders have been closed, activities of state institutions and public organizations have been suspended or minimized almost to rock bottom level. 

Only food stores, bank offices and branches and pharmacies operate in the country by now. The activity of restaurants and hotels is blocked. The intense spread of the disease excludes gathering of people, travel and other activities, so necessary for the proper preparation and organizing of the World Philatelic Championship - the Exhibition "BULGARIA 2020". Experls predict that not only in Bulgaria, but probably all over Europe the peak of COVID- 19 will be reached by the midst of September 2020. 

All this forces us to announce and declare the termination of the organizalion for the holding of "BULGARIA 2020". We really did a lot - the Bulgarian Postal administration, supported by numerous other contributors, but unexpected circumstances appeared over which we have no control. We do hope however that when the COVID-19 pandemic will be in the past and people return to their normal life and work BULGARIA will be again a kind host  of a World Philatelic Exhibition under the auspices of FIP.

18 March 2020      

-Spas Panchev                                                         

President of Union of Bulgarian Philatelists