SAACI NEWS

Build back better

By Glenton de Kock, chief executive officer of SAACI

A recent industry discussion amongst business events and exhibition colleagues focused on what our sector needs to do in these challenging times to create demand.

While sharing and giving attention to contributions, one was struck by the intensity at which we were all working to establish “that solution”. In the discussion, the commitment had by all to ensure that our sector endures this first quarter of 2021, in laying the foundations for the latter part of 2021, could not be more emphasised.

Following the announcement on 28 December 2020, when South Africa returned to the adjusted level three lockdown, we have been set back at least eight months in our recovery journey. Since 17 June 2020, the industry began rebuilding slowly and was gaining trickled momentum, indicating that we would begin walking briskly during the first quarter of 2021.

So, as an association, SAACI accepts that in this fluid environment, with many unknowns, we continue to build experiences and expertise that, almost a year ago, we did not have.

This time around, we have clarity that there is a vaccine being rolled-out around the world, which will be arriving in South Africa soon, we are told by the time of writing this article. In addition, we have delivered the Proof-of-Concept Events for the business events and exhibition industry, to test the health and safety protocols developed. The vaccine provides hope and the plan would seem that we reach herd immunity in the next few months, which will allow more freedom of activity and for improved business interaction.

Confidence is a wonderful thing and our sector surely needs a good boost of that now. The business events sector is a core participant in the wheels of the economy and many other industries rely so heavily on our specialist professionals to bring them together.

We are a sector that offers solutions, and in the current environment, we, the business events sector can assist in the roll-out of the vaccine for South Africa. Our venues, which have played a significant roll as field hospitals have the expertise in managing the process with end-to-end solutions which include the tracking of who has been vaccinated and who still needs to be vaccinated. We have the infrastructure and we have the expertise to assist, help government and our community.

Our sector will continue to play an important role. It may not seem that way now, and yes we have been halted in our recovery, but our recovery is so interlinked with that of other sectors of our economy, that we must never underplay our significance now, and in the future.

So, remember that we will recover, we will bring back lost jobs and we will activate #DestinationSA. We know that we will see the sector slowly return in a new way and with new opportunities.