EDITOR’S COMMENT

Making memories

The business events industry has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic… in South Africa, our sector is still far from full recovery. The vaccine roll-out in SA has been slow, which means that our sector is still in limbo.

Limbo, means for me, as a Catholic, a place of contemplation. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It means that it is a time to reinvent, reignite and restart with the tools we have, despite the restrictions we may have imposed on us.

For the past month I have felt a renewed energy in the industry. We are all ready to make things happen, ready to start making memories with our clients.

At the same time, I also have a sense that the imminent third wave hasn’t got the same stigma that the last two had on our communities. We are living in a Covid-19 world and have seen the effects it has, but we aren’t as scared as we were before. It is not as unknown, which means that there is less fear. This is a good thing.

Many people seem to have accepted that Covid-19 is here to stay and we are going to be okay. Of course, there are those that are still very fearful and that is also okay.

What it means is that the way in which we conference, exhibit, host events and incentive travel must cater for everyone.

In this edition we look at quite a few trends, and also how the manner in which we travel and conduct business events have changed.

We have had to adapt and remain flexible. This is the only way we will endure through the next wave.

Life must continue, we need to have contingency plans for what comes. This is something we have learnt over the past year. Perseverance remains key and partnerships are crucial, heading into the future.

According to a recent UFI report: “As industries and economies across the globe look for recovery platforms on the heels of vaccine progress, exhibitions fill a void left by economic crisis and isolation.

“Exhibitions, commonly referred to as trade shows or fairs, have a simple purpose – bringing industries together to build community and create supply chain opportunities. But the industry itself is not a simple one at all: with over €493 ($551) billion in business sales for attendees, exhibitions have an incredible impact on our global economy.”

“In addition, the expenses of visitors and exhibitors generate a total impact of €299 ($334) billion for both the value chain of the exhibition industry (organisers, venues and service providers) and the tourism related activities (accommodation, food and travel).”

“While digital solutions have proven invaluable during pandemic times, as economies reopen in response to progress against Covid-19, data shows that both sides of the supply chain are eager to return to in-person platforms.”

This report just looks at one of the business events sectors. Imagine what the collective economic value of the business events sector is?

The business events sector remains key in the recovery of global economies.

We are going nowhere and, quite frankly, everything we have been through has just made us more resilient.

I cannot wait to start making memories again. How about you?

Irene

Email: gomesi@iafrica.com