Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation says the current Omicron outbreak has caused extra layers of stress and complexity.
The Omicron outbreak has forced the New Zealand National Fieldays Society to postpone this year’s Fieldays until November 30-December 3.
The event was planned to be held from June 15-18, but an email from Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation outlined the reasons for the date change.
Nation said there were several complex factors behind the decision.
“The current Omicron outbreak has caused extra layers of stress and complexity to our communities – holding Fieldays later in the year will give all involved confidence and breathing room,” Nation said.
Resourcing had also become a significant issue for all people involved with Fieldays, with a tight labour market and employee absenteeism due to ill health and isolation restrictions.
“The Fieldays pack-in and build commences in April – with a large number of contractors on site, this would not be possible under the red traffic light setting and while we can hope for a change in traffic light settings soon, this is crystal ball gazing at best,” he said.
The ongoing impact of a delayed global supply chain was also having an adverse impact on stock supply levels for both event build contractors and some exhibitors, he said.
“This decision did not come lightly but will ensure the physical Fieldays event can operate to its full potential,” he said.