EXSA NEWS

Our exhibition journey – reimagined

With the course of the Covid-19 pandemic still rolling out, in context, exhibition economic activity may unfold in any number of ways this year and into the next.

By Gill Gibbs, chairperson of EXSA

Factors that influence the journey include how quickly the vaccine is to be distributed and administered over the next two years; the level of financial stress; the negative impact and strain on our industry and the composition of the remaining industry role-players.

We are compelled to question what this picture is going to look like progressively, across 2021 and into 2022.

An industry well-versed in environmental, health and safety protocols, and in that, we have the substantiation and support of well-documented and researched Reopening Safety Guidelines and dossiers from exhibitions safely executed in 2020 and 2021. We are more than eager and ready to mobilise and effect successful and seamless execution of exhibitions and trade shows.

The language and process for us is clear – vaccination and pandemic control measures, such as mandatory mask wearing, are prerequisites for sharply reducing infection and for effective pandemic management efforts.

In a world of prompt, effective and widespread vaccination – one in which Covid-19 transmissions will begin to decline and one where, if the pandemic is brought under control earlier than anticipated, we will see the beginning of real recovery and growth in our sector – our resilience and agility will serve us.

Our industry mission is forward-focused, knowing that our efforts to lobby, campaign, achieve recognition and to build trust and confidence in our sector, have not been in vain. Small wins have brought much-needed hope to the horizon and even more of a strong, collective industry voice – we will not be silenced, we will be heard.

Our legal initiative has resulted in a response from the State Attorney’s office and our industry matters are being addressed – watch this space.

Almost at the halfway mark of 2021, we are witness to a court ruling being awarded in favour of an organiser of a trade exhibition: Huntex 2021, giving credence to our efforts and our capabilities as a sector.

Another win – SA Spine Congress 2021, a successful, seamlessly executed trade exhibition, was held in May at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town. And so we begin to paint the picture for our reimagined exhibition journey.

In a world of complexity and disruption, where every aspect has been touched by the pandemic, we are writing our new chapters, reimagining our world with sustainable outcomes. What is the future we want? Let’s write it together.