EXSA news

Cry the ‘forgotten industry’

By Gill Gibbs, chairperson of EXSA

It’s a cry for recognition and protection for South Africa’s forgotten exhibition and event industry.

A cry that largely concerns the severe restrictions imposed upon an industry that is a critical and essential contributor towards the recovery of the economy.

Due to the lockdown measures under the Disaster Management Act, it is an industry that remains unable to trade in its core business activities and functions.

It’s a cry for a stay of execution.

From the banks and financial institutions that keep calling, that continue to hand companies over to their legal representatives, refusing to offer respite and the much-needed freeze on all credit card payments, overdrafts, bonds and By Gill Gibbs, chairperson of EXSA vehicle payments. T

his is not our fault, it is not our doing and yet our industry is labelled “high risk”.

Companies are closing, folding, struggling to survive.

It’s an industry afflicted.

What is the value of business events sector? It’s an industry that generates expenditure which supports employment within the region.

“Through the economic multiplier effect, re-spending within particular Industries generates an increase in economic output, household incomes and gross operating surpluses of business to support an increased number of jobs.”

It’s an industry often coined “the dynamic tourism and hospitality industry”.

Can it be deduced then, that this is where we should seek the muchneeded protection and recognition? If so, let it be forthcoming.

It’s an Industry that offers safe, reasonable and implementable safety solutions to mitigate the Covid risk, run by experienced role-players that focus on safety as a priority. It is a community of able-bodied, ready-tomobilise professionals that possesses the expertise, capacity and willingness to assist with the vaccination roll-out.

It’s about building confidence - trusting in the Industry’s ability to recover and resume - for practitioners, for clients and for industry members.

13 March 2021 marked a year since the first batch of trade shows and events were cancelled. A week or so after that will be the anniversary of the first hard national lockdown.

A year of no revenue in our core business activities – year of not utilising our skillsets and not enhancing our sector.

The business events landscape is forever altered in this new normal era, yet never forgotten by its community of loyalists.

It is a message to government - #TRUSTUS to reopen safe exhibitions and events. Help us to keep our industry alive.