AIPC

INDUSTRY VIEWS

What the upcoming conferencing season holds

ALLAN AGERHOLM is the CEO of Bella Center Copenhagen and an AIPC board member.

SVEN BOSSU is the CEO of AIPC.

A fresh start

September is typically the month in which activities are relaunched in the northern hemisphere, after a well-deserved summer break. However, this year’s new season is quite different, as the rules of the game have changed, says Allan Agerholm and Sven Bossu.

Event venues worldwide are slowly reopening for business in compliance with strict safety and security protocols, which are different for every country. This makes it complex for both event organisers and venues, who need to deal with an ever-changing and not always rational environment. However, having organised events take place again is of key importance for relaunching the global economy. There is no alternative.

Getting back to business in a Covid-19- safe environment is not an easy task and venues need to provide their authorities with insights on how and why organised events must take place. AIPC supports this effort by providing clear guidelines and does so in partnership with ICCA and UFI to ensure messages are streamlined and come with a stronger voice.

ASK AND ADVOCATE We need to be asking, and actively advocating, for the trust of our local authorities. We have always looked after the safety and security of our visitors and delegates as our first priority. We will never compromise their safety or our reputation. We need to be allowed to do what we do so well: opening our doors and appropriately managing the congregation of people.

All players involved – both within venues and the larger event ecosystem – will need to profoundly rethink how this can be engineered in the best possible way. Classic event business will remain but needs to be enriched with new products and services. For example, technology needs to be deployed to provide a safe and secure environment – such as crowd management tools. This also allows us to obtain deeper insights into overall participant behaviour.

Collecting this data on a continuous basis will allow us to create better delegate experiences and adapt almost instantly when needed. Technology also enables us to increase reach and complement the on-site event with virtual elements, targeting not only professionals who are no longer allowed to travel but also audiences who until now were ‘unserved’, as the on-site experience was simply not accessible, for financial or other reasons.

The identification and implementation of these opportunities will result in a new value proposal, with a key focus on engagement, whether through physical or virtual components. As one of our colleagues said during a recent meeting: “We do not run buildings; we manage experiences.” To deliver on this, an even closer partnership between venues, destinations and event organisers is needed – hence organised events become platforms for achieving a multilayered set of goals. Legacies include economic recovery, the creation of jobs, and social and community-based outcomes.

This is of course not new – many destinations are already exploring these routes to create other types of value. What is new is the momentum created by the current crisis to rethink and reshape organised events in ways not conceivable six months ago. This is very similar to the fact that nobody had imagined working from home could actually work on such a massive scale – and yet it does.

Given the concentration of creative forces within the events ecosystem, we foresee organised events making a comeback – with a twist.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Understanding new world sales behaviours

MARK ANDERSON is the treasurer of AAXO.

Shifted approach

Salespeople can and must change their approach when selling into the exhibitions industry to safeguard their relationships and grow their portfolios in our ‘new world’, writes Mark Anderson.

Recently, I had the privilege of joining the team from Flume Sales Training. Our discussion focused on how the process of sales is currently changing and how we, as salespeople, need to adapt and evolve with it. The key driver is that our audience’s behaviour is changing; it is imperative that we keep abreast of these changes and their needs.

Clients are very risk averse, and the big focus is now more than ever on ROI. To sell effectively, we need to offer a watertight case when presenting our proposal – an offer that seals the ROI.

Sales teams tend to lean on old-school thinking that today only leads you down a rabbit hole. Our go-to tools include: 1. Volume of activity. 2. Keep your focus on the company. 3. It’s all about the product. 4. Always let the client drive the ROI. 5. Ensure your closing techniques are ready and waiting. better than before.

While we start to rebuild our businesses and environmental outcomes are not so black and white – but The current pandemic has taught sales teams to evolve in this dynamic environment by adding these tools: 1. Tailored activity in the form of personalised introductions – making it all about the client. 2. Role first, then company – asking the right questions, listening and conveying how you can elevate the client in their position. It’s about connecting and being empathetic. 3. All about the audience and client best practice – ensuring you engage the audience in the most relevant manner. 4. Lead your client to drive ROI, and be ready to sell a complete solution. 5. Assist your client in navigating the decisionmaking process.

Clients need to understand that the exhibition can assist them in engaging with their industry sector. The sales team reinforces this understanding. It is, therefore, vital that exhibitions deliver on the engagement, to ensure

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Build back better

NEO MOHLATLOLE is chair of the EGF Marketing Committee.

Finding the green lining

While we consider our post-pandemic recovery, Neo Mohlatlole asks whether this could be an opportunity to reimagine how we can be

industry, there is an opportunity to look at However, as a starting point, consider the following: what wasn’t working before and what we can • Draft a sustainability statement for your business. What is do better. Improving sustainability within your business is a important to you, what goals can you set from this, and no-brainer. how can you then achieve these? Share this document

The three pillars of sustainability are the economic, social and your commitment publicly. and environmental outcomes of your actions. A business • Find the right partners to build a supply chain of that is losing money is not sustainable, but neither is one businesses that share your values and will support you in where the needs of your staff, clients and host community achieving your goals. are being overlooked, or where precious environmental • Ask for it. When you send out an RFP or request resources are compromised. All three pillars need to be a quote, ask what is being done to provide a more supported and balanced against each other; you cannot be sustainable offering. sustainable if any of these are disregarded. • Offer it. Look for ways that you can be more sustainable.

The economic consequences of our decisions are Let your clients know about these opportunities – always easy to track on balance sheets. The social and whether paid-for or as added value. return business. this doesn’t make them any less real or worth pursuing. Receive sustainability ideas and inspiration by signing up

So how can you build back better? for our monthly newsletter at www.eventgreening.co.za.

There are countless ways to do this, and all will depend For more information, contact Pippa Naude at the EGF on on your business and its unique needs and opportunities. +27 (0)74 369 6369, or pippa@eventgreening.co.za.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Looking towards the future

GLENTON DE KOCK is the CEO of SAACI.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Taking stock

MICHELLE HINRICHSEN is the current president of Travelbags.

Adapting to survive

Business events and meetings will recover, but won’t be quite the same, says Glenton de Kock.

Undoubtedly, the events and exhibitions industry is incredibly resilient, and our human need to interact and exchange information face to face will result in a recovery, in time. However, the impact of Covid-19 will change how we work, forever.

For the remainder of the calendar year, we will have to adapt and consider the safety of staff, clients, suppliers and communities, as we proceed in our planning. The Events Safety Council’s Re-Opening Guidelines will assist the sector in how we prepare and care for all involved in our events.

Our recovery journey will call on all of us to be open and reasonable, as we need each other, and our recovery may be deep.

We encourage members and the business events sector to consult and plan well in advance and to operate with the care of all in mind. Our individual responsibility is to ensure that our work force, clients, partners and community are protected by detailed planning in accessing business events in the coming months.

Checking in

We all miss travelling and events so much, but the thing I miss the most are the people and interactions that are found at events and networking functions.

Travelbags is all about networking, people and fun events. This has been a tough year for us all, but it has encouraged us at Travelbags to try to find alternative methods to network and connect again.

We are still witnessing the overwhelming impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic but, little by little, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. South Africa has considerably eased lockdown levels, and the first live events and conferences are starting to trickle back under the new protocols. However, this is not going to be the start of business as usual for the MICE industry; we need to adapt and change to this new world we live in. We may find that most people will only attend events that are of true value to them and provide an experiential feeling. The increased use of technology cannot be understated as the sector looks for ways to enhance events, with creative digital marketing campaigns to promote events.

The Re-Opening Guidelines proved invaluable during SAACI’s recently held Proof of Concept event and provided the opportunity for us to work with various disaster management teams around the country on how we delivered the event.

All event types have their pros and cons, whether in-person or remote. For organisers, the challenge lies in identifying the meeting model that best suits their needs.

Digital is a welcome value-add option but will not replace face-to-face meetings in the future.

Overall, it is in everybody’s interest – venues, cities, organisers, exhibitors, companies, airlines and delegates – to get the exhibitions and events industry back to pre-Covid-19 levels of activity.

The events and travel industry is rapidly changing – now, more than ever, we need to assess where we are and find our footing going forward, says Michelle Hinrichsen.

Let’s keep on collaborating! Since mass gatherings have now been proved to be one of the main driving forces of spreading the virus, people will feel reluctant to attend a conference or event in the near future. So, we need to focus on smaller events with fewer people.

Aspects that will need to be considered and adjusted to respect social distancing regulations include catering, registration, seating plans and, of course, sanitising.

Until a vaccine is found, much of our focus will still fall on hybrid and virtual networking events. In the meantime, we need to send virtual hugs to our friends and colleagues, and remember to check in with colleagues virtually or in person while social distancing, as everyone is feeling similar levels of anxiety and stress during this time.

Stay positive and know that you are not alone.

It is not only about you

2020 was a wake-up call of note. Up until the beginning of the year, we had been going about our day-to-day lives with no real consideration towards the effects of standing within proximity of each other and breathing in the same air. Some might say we were lucky that a pandemic on the scale of Covid-19 hadn’t happened sooner, and I have to agree.

Scientists and epidemiologists have been pre-empting an airborne pandemic for years – both former US president Barrack Obama as well as Bill Gates have been widely quoted for their predictions five years ago detailing the impact of a possible outbreak. Even then, the possibility of an imminent and almost invisible threat seemed somewhat abstract – but with more than a million coronavirus deaths, the reality is that this threat now exists and is very serious.

SILVER LININGS The novel coronavirus has underscored the importance of not just hygiene, cleanliness and physical distancing but also how hypervigilant we need to be in order to avoid getting sick. Anti-maskers and ‘plandemic’ conspiracy theorists aside, we have scientific evidence of just some of the preventative measures we can take to ensure that we are protected against the virus.

INDEX TO

ADVERTISERS We now know enough to understand how long the virus stays active on various surfaces and screening protocols have been rolled out almost everywhere to ensure that early symptoms are caught timeously enough to curb the spread of the virus.

I don’t expect these protocols to go away anytime soon and, to be quite honest, I hope they don’t – within MICE, the more people there are behind these measures, the sooner we can get the industry back up and running.

Another positive spin-off is how the number of cases of flu has dropped significantly this year as a result of the measures that are being taken to combat Covid-19 – by as much as 90% in some countries such as China. This just goes to show that despite how some of the processes we have to follow are tedious, they are beneficial in so many ways. For

me, it also indicates that how we were living previously took for granted basic everyday activities such as going to work or the shops, never mind travelling or visiting friends or family. As lockdown regulations ease and we are able to slowly start enjoying aspects of our old lives again, it is more important than ever that we exercise caution throughout our day so that at each possible point of exposure, there is a measure in place to prevent possible crossinfection. With Covid-19 symptoms being so varied, it is impossible to tell from the outset how each person will respond to the disease but, as the age-old adage goes, prevention is certainly better

than cure.

Barmotion

Fancourt

Garona Communications and Projects OBC

IFC

8 SA Events Council

Tau Game Lodge

WTM Africa IBC

OFC

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10 GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR HOSTING EVENTS SAFELY

Produced in partnership with the venue and the organiser, the risk assessment will be a key document to determine the measures that will need to be put in place for an event. The organiser must appoint a COVID-19 compliance officer to oversee the implementation and adherence to the health and safety measures established by event’s COVID-19 plans.

VENUE FACILITIES

Ensure that your venue’s facilities are in line with the latest government guidelines.

BEFORE YOUR GUESTS ARRIVE

Screening delegates, visitors, and exhibitor stand crew before entering is very important. COVID-19 related questions need to be added to the pre-registration process and must be completed before entering the venue. This will also aid in minimising queuing and contact during registration. Face coverings are a condition of entry – guests will not be allowed to enter the venue unless they are wearing a face covering.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Ensure that relevant markers and one-way systems are installed in public areas, including networking spaces outside conference rooms, toilets, lifts, and cloakrooms, to help everyone keep a safe distance.

ARRIVAL & REGISTRATION

Ensure that your venue, can manage arrivals safely and securely, in line with the latest government guidelines.

BUILD-UP & BREAKDOWN

Ensure that anyone working on any phases of an event have pre-registered before arriving onsite. They should also declare whether they are fit and healthy to work. They must come with the required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Ensure that all hospitality, stand catering and retail services provided are in line with the latest government guidelines.

CLEANING STANDARDS

Ensure that the venue’s cleaning team has been trained to deliver new cleaning procedures. This includes ensuring all touch points are regularly wiped with chlorine-based cleaning fluid, as well as the seating in conference and meeting areas.

TRAINING & COMMUNICATIONS

Ensure that the venue’s employees have participated in a COVID-19 training programme. As part of your pre-event communication, let attendees know about pre-registration and early arrival. As part of your post-event communication, let attendees know that there is a possibility that the attendee database maybe shared in case of positive COVID-19 case.

REMEMBER SAFETY FIRST

PERSONAL HYGIENE

Ensure that hand sanitisers will be provided at the main entrances and across public areas of the venue.

SOCIAL DISTANCE MANAGEMENT:

Social distancing must be managed, considering the latest government advice. Relevant markers must be installed in public areas to help everyone keep a safe distance.

ASSESSMENT:

Every event is different. Working in partnership with your venue, assess what the safety practices to meet the needs of your event will be.

FACILITIES:

Ensure the venue has adapted to the guidelines provided by government, so that events can run safely including a new cleaning regime, improved air circulation, hand sanitiser stations and one-way systems.

EXPERIENCE:

With the the venue, aim to minimise the impact on the guest experience, ensuring that expectations are set with everyone delivering the event. This would include arrival and registration, food and beverage as well cleaning standards.

TRAINING:

Ensure that your staff, as well as staff at the venue, are trained to deliver events that are in line with latest government guidelines, and to the highest possible standards.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Make sure that your team and venue understand their role in keeping themselves and everyone else safe.