April

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Apr 2020

India Enters Lockdown

3.0 5 Day Hunan Auto Show in China Opens

INDUSTRY IN PICTURES FROM THE WORLD

Big issue for the events industry as it reopens will be its capacity to deliver. Organisers may survive but how many of the suppliers will s ll be in business to actually build the shows?@pwoodwardhk

Organisers of Cra Drinks India 2020 have postponed the 1-2 July event, ci ng evolving public health concerns and cau on advisories around Covid-19

Exci ng news! The UFI European Conference 2021 will be held on 5-7 May 2021 in Poznan, Poland and hosted by @GrupaMtp!

As the world ba les COVID-19, India’s energe c and innova ve youth can show the way in ensuring healthier and prosperous future. Shared a few thoughts on @LinkedIn which would interest youngsters and professionals.

(1/7) More than Rs 36,659 Crore transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) in the Bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries during #COVID19 lockdown. #IndiaFightsCorona

As the Indian economy ba les with #Covid_19, measures announced by @RBI like re-classifica on of NPA norms, incen vising banks to lend to businesses, cut in reverse repo rate, fresh life line to NBFCs and housing finance companies are reassuring: #ASSOCHAM SG @Deepaksood69

At the heart of our #COVIDー19 response must be simplis c interven ons that are focused, intelligent and easy to implement; this is par cularly important in the context of a country as vast and diverse as India: #NITIAayog YP Siddharth Sinha writes

Organisa ons like @prasarbhara , @nipponindiamf, @njwealth and a host of organisa ons associated with PHD Chamber of Commerce have made valuable contribu ons towards a healthier India.

Great to see this! #IndiaFightsCorona

Addressing the FICCI-KAS Dialogue, Mr @SunjoyJ , Chair, ORF spoke about a slow segmented revival of the economy post-COVID & the need to upscale connec vity, re-organize businesses & create norms for managing supply chains, in order to adapt to the new normal.

Quick Bytes Documenta Art Exhibi on Makes Online Prepara ons One of the biggest modern art exhibi ons worldwide, Germany's "Documenta" has moved its prepara ons online in light of the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.Documenta takes place every five years, with the next event scheduled from June 18 to Sept. 25, 2022, in the German city of Kassel. The 15th itera on of the exhibi on will be curated by a collec ve of ar sts, known as Ruangrupa, from the Indonesian capital Jakarta. "We are currently running at full speed to digitally prepare for documenta 15", said the general director of the documenta society, Sabine Schormann. Instead of fortnightly face-to-face mee ngs with the ar s c team from late March onward, the team has switched to holding virtual mee ngs with 30 par cipants from more than 10 countries in various me zones.This means that despite travel bans, prepara ons can con nue, the organizer said. Of course, it does not replace personal mee ngs, but it allows for intensive work so that things are progressing well, Schormann said. The theme of documenta 15 is more current than ever, given the social situa on during the pandemic, according to Schormann. "The method that will be used in the exhibit, known as limbing, is all about coopera on, solidarity, standing up for one another, empathy, sharing, generosity and many values that are now more important than ever" said Schormann.

Scarborough Exhibi on Goes On In Spite Of Covid19 Pandemic

Germany Supports Exhibi on Industry The German government has announced a 50billion-euro emergency relief programme to reduce the economic consequences of Covid19 for freelancers and small businesses. Under the plan they will be able to receive financial benefits directly. German na onal tradefair industry associa on AUMA’s Managing Director Jörn Holtmeier welcomed the news and said tradefairs would need to play a crucial role a er the Covid-19 crisis. AUMA said the government programme would assist numerous players of the tradefair industry: small organisers with one or two tradefairs annually, specialist service providers like those working in crea ve jobs, skilled cra s and trades or freelance contractors. Addi onally, event and conference organisers or small catering companies are set to benefit, too.

Holtmeier said: “Tradefairs are complex ecosystems, which only work if many partners of different sizes are co-opera ng. If, a er the coronavirus crisis, the economy shall get started again, pla orms like tradefairs will become necessary in order to rebuild trust and strengthen business rela onships through personal contact. Therefore, the tradefair industry will need all partners again – with their usual quality and crea veness.

The New Light Prize Exhibi on, an open exhibi on that shines a light on Northern art, is s ll on. The exhibi on is going ahead as planned despite the current coronavirus crisis, which has forced many arts organisa ons into temporary closure. Rebekah Tadd, development director at New Light, said: "We’re very fortunate that the way the New Light Prize Exhibi on is organised means that we are able to go ahead as planned. “The submissions process all takes place online, ar sts are invited to submit their works via our website by the end of May and the judging process takes place online during the summer.

The New Light Prize Exhibi on will be at Scarborough Art Gallery before moving on to Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle, The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle, and culmina ng in London at The Bankside Gallery. The winners of the compe on will be announced at a private view at Scarborough Art Gallery on Friday September 18.

Animmersion Boosts Communica ons And Exhibi on Industry Animmersion UK, a technology company has launched a new venture to help businesses showcase products and interact with customers while reducing health risks and carbon emissions. It has developed the Virtual Interac ve Events (VIE) service. They say the facility, fast-tracked into development owing to the COVID-19 health crisis, allows operators to create custom virtual mee ng spaces, including exhibi on stands and virtual showrooms. Furthermore, they say the endeavour, by integra ng digital assets such as 3D CAD data and anima on, creates an engaging experience for customers that removes the need for them to travel to mee ngs and exhibi ons. Samuel Harrison, managing director of Animmersion UK, which is based in Middlesbrough, said: “The COVID-19 global pandemic has changed how we look at the world and accelerated the development of opportuni es for businesses to interact on a personal level without having to travel. With con nual event postponements and cancella ons, many organisa ons are now considering an alterna ve approach, which will form part of their future strategies to reduce non-essen al travel for both health and environmental reasons. To support a fundamental shi in client communica on we have developed our VIE service to allow businesses to engage with clients and prospects as if they were mee ng at an exhibi on, but all in a remote se ng.

Quick Bytes

FAITH Discusses Measures On Tourism Exports With Commerce Ministry FAITH, the industry associa on, has asked for survival support from the Ministry of Commerce. The support includes ra ng the SEIS @ 10% and credi ng it immediately on the basis of previous financial year, deemed export status, SEIS on gross forex earnings, zero ra ng of tourism exports & GST refunds to tourists, strategic focus on mice sector, EPCG on tourist vehicles and relaxing export obliga ons among others. Most of the tourism enterprises support their infrastructure (hard & so ) by managing different tourist seasons. As all global source markets are hit, it will be domes c business of India which will keep India tourism businesses running. Thus, FAITH also has requested the Ministry of Commerce to request Mr. Piyush Goyal, who is both, the Commerce and the Industries Minister to take up the request for the survival support for the whole tourism travel & hospitality industry with the PM. These include deferment of all statutory liabili es, se ng up a COVID 19 Tourism relief fund for interest free 10 year working capital loan for salaries & establishment costs , increase of banking moratorium period to 12 months without any interest for or for direct benefit transfer to affected employees and a na onal legisla ve tourism task force of central and state governments. FAITH has also requested ESI funds to be used for compensa ng employees as ‘stay at home’ is a forced and mandatory cura ve medical need to fight the virus.

Messe Frankfurt To Highlight Urgent An Counterfei ng Measures

The biennial Architecture Exhibi on- Time Space Existence

With India being one of the world's largest producers of medical supplies, there is an urgent need to bring in strong an counterfei ng measures which will be addressed at Messe Frankfurt's upcoming conference- Pharmasafe India 2020. As d e m a n d fo r m e d i ca l s u p p l i e s s o a rs worldwide in the fight against Covid-19, there is a parallel risk of substandard and counterfeit medicines in the global market.

Together with healthcare workers on the frontline, the pharmaceu cal industry has been ac vely playing a crucial role and strengthening efforts to ensure best medical services in the ba le against Covid-19. The recent warnings issued by the World Health Organisa on indicate that a growing number of fake medicines linked to coronavirus are on sale in developing countries. With an aim to draw a en on to the latest developments in the field of an -counterfei ng technologies for the pharma industry, Messe Frankfurt India will bring key an -counterfeit solu on providers for dialog with the pharma sector at its highly influen al Pharmasafe India 2020 conference.

The European Cultural Centre is here with the fi h edi on of the extensive biennial architecture exhibi on TIME SPACE EXISTENCE. The exhibi on will open in parallel with Biennale Archite ura on August 29th, 2020 and it will run for six months un l February 16th, 2021 at Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora and Giardini della Marinaressa, with press previews and opening par es in each loca on on August 27th and 28th. TIME SPACE EXISTENCE features completed and ongoing projects, innova ve proposals, and utopian dreams of architectural expressions.

Through a wide selec on of projects ranging from conceptual works, models, photographs, videos, sculptures, to site specific installa ons, each room will provide visitors informa on and inspira on on our surroundings. By bringing together a diverse group of par cipants working across disciplines, the European Cultural Centre aims at s mula ng an exchange among architects, universi es, legendary masters, emerging studios, established global prac ces, designers, ar sts, photographers, developers, engineering companies, who together can have a crucial role in shaping the future of our living.

Interna onal Electric Vehicle Expo Cer fied As Interna onal Exhibi on For 4 Consecu ve Years

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nterna onal Electric Vehicle Expo cer fied as Interna onal Exhibi on for 4 consecu ve yearsThe Interna onal Electric Vehicle Expo's organizing commi ee has announced that it has been cer fied as an interna onal exhibi on for 4 consecu ve years, star ng with the 3rd event in 2016 to the 6th held last year. Among the exhibi ons that have been held more than twice at the Associa on of Korea Exhibi on Industry (AKEI), an agency affiliated with the Ministry o f Tra d e , I n d u st r y a n d E n e rg y, t h e interna onal exhibi on cer fica on is finalized through a procedures involving onsite verifica on, review of related documents, and evalua on by the review commi ee over six months. Only 80 exhibi ons, which is 12.9% of 620 domes c exhibi ons, have been cer fied as an interna onal exhibi on for four years in a row, reflec ng the high level of its recogni on in Korea and abroad. The main factor that enabled the cer fica on of the 6th IEVE held last year is the explosive sixfold growth of par cipa ng na ons, from eight in the first event organized in 2013 to 51 last year. Interna onal exhibi on cer fica on is helpful in a rac ng foreign companies and buyers, in addi on to the interna onal recogni on of the event.

News Buzz

Exhibi on Showcase Held Its Webinar, The Future Of Our Industry - A Global Perspec ve For Exhibi ons & Conven ons, Onapr 13, 2020 At 01:00 Pm. The Session Focused On How Our Exhibi on And Conven on Industry Will Survive, Adapt And Evolve In The Future

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or the very first me, a medical expert, Dr. Ishwar Gilada, came onboard to give his expert insights specific to our face to face industry. Dr. Gilada is the President of the AIDS Society of India and Governing Board Member, Interna onal AIDS Society, an authority on infec ous diseases.

This webinar was moderated by Mr. Raghav Khosla, Group Editor, Exhibi on

Showcase, MICE Showcase and esteemed panel of speakers included Mr. Raymond Lim, Area Director, India & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board, Mr. Paul Woodward, Chairman, Paul Woodword Advisory, Ms. Loredana Sar , General Secretary, Italian Exhibi on and Trade Fair Associa on, Mr. Naji El Haddad, Regional Manager, MEA, UFI, Mr. Ma hias Tesi Baur, Director, MBB Media Group,

Ms. Karla Jaguel, Messe Germany, Mr. Stephan Murtagh, Managing Director, The Exhibi on Guy Group, Mr. LC Goyal, CMD, ITPO, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, MD, Informa Markets in India, Dr. Ishwar Gilada, President, AIDS Society of India, Ms. Rupa Naik, Senior Director, World Trade Center Mumbai, Mr. Girish Kwatra, Hony.

Secretary, India Conven on Promo on Bureau.

News Buzz With close to 500 par cipants in a endance from over 20 countries, Mr. Khosla commenced the session by asking all the panelists about the challenges faced by each one of them. "Exhibi on is the hardest hit sector. it will take longer to recover, as compared to other industries...You can't just look at one or two key markets. We have to be ready with new standards and strategies.

We have to prac ce hygiene way beyond what we normally used to" said Mr. Lim while Mr. Hamid emphasized the need to re-strategize and innova ve. Mr. Haddad commented "SMEs are the backbone of exhibi ons..We will face cargo, venue and government restric ons and regula ons".

He also advised organizers not to think narrow while planning further and to take care of their employees.

Mr. Woodward while answering the ques on said "It will be at least two to three months a er the lockdown, before the trade shows and exhibi ons bounce back to normal but exhibi ons will play a huge role in stabilizing the economy...Bigger companies are finally integra ng digital marke ng out of necessity". On being asked about the Canton Fair going digital, he said " Canton Fair had no other op on than going digital. Many Chinese service providers and small companies are dependent on it during this crisis".

We also saw Mr. Baur asking everyone to focus on how we can reinvent ourselves.

He said "We need to change our view of how we work with the digital pla orm.

You can benefit through digital events events even before the face to face format returns". "The associa ons will play a very important role with the government, to prepare for the future...In the future, we will focus more on the quality, specialized content and bringing the right people together" said Ms. Juegal.

Speaking from the worst impacted region, Ms. Lordena informed about the postponement of 28 events and

cancella on of 30. "Use this me to maintain rela onships with your clients" she said.Mr. Murtagh shared that the biggest problem in Ireland is the rescheduling of events and the lack of venues. He said "Digital is part of the solu on, not "the" solu on. The future is about using the digital pla orm as part of the strategy, combining online and offline.

We should sell it as the second best op on, not the best ".

Mr. Goyal praised the Prime Minister's mely and quick ac on and assured that ITPO will do its best to support organizers, exhibitors, service providers and moderate its fares. "As organizers, the biggest pain-point is postponement and cancella on of events, and building the customer's confidence...We will have to adopt social distancing, set up distant booths at our events. Hybrid and digital models are here to stay, esp. for people who can't travel.

This will lead to a whole new set of market". He said he foresees new partnerships, regional events in er 2 and er 3 ci es, and work from home to become a norm while Mr. KwIndiainformed us about the government announcing a relief for MICE travellers to India.

The medical expert onboard, Dr. Gilada said "People will be apprehensive to travel now. We don't think anything will se le in the coming two to three months.

We must give importance to our environment, symbiosis, animals and our planet...We're looking at vaccines, it may take four to six months".Before thanking the panelists and the par cipants, Mr. Khosla asked Mr. L.C. Goyal about the Praga Maidan expansion, to which Mr. Goyal announced the almost comple on of three new exhibi on halls.

Breaking News Post the web conference Mr. LC Goyal, CMD, ITPO has announced new measures to support the Indian Exhibi on & Conven on industry.

Measures ITPO has decided to give a relief of 20 percent in the applicable tariffs for the events booked / rescheduled / to be held upto March 31, 2021. The contract of CHAs (services) being extended upto March 31, 2021 beyond September 2020 with 20 percent less of applicable licence fee for the period from April 2020 to March 2021. ITPO also will not charge penalty for cancella on / rescheduling / reduc on in space area upto March 31, 2021.

Mr. Goyal will supervise the India MICE campaign closely and ITPO ED will be the head of its Advisory Commi ee. Mr. Goyal has assured that ITPO will remain firmly commi ed for the industry.The announcement comes just minutes a er Exhibi on Showcase's web conference on the Future of Our Industry that was a ended by close to 500 delegates from over 20 countries.

Exhibitions | Events | Retail | Signage | Museums | Experience Centers | Digital Content & Films

www.litmusmeroform.com Contact sanika@meroformindia.com maniayush@meroformindia.com

News Buzz

IEIA Has Organized A Webinar Series, The First Part Of Which Was Held On 2nd April, 2020. This Webinar, Powered By ExhiBits, Was Took Place From 11:00AM to 11:45AM esteemed panelists were Mr. Rakesh Kumar- DG, Export Promo on Council for Handicra s, Ms. Sonia PrasharChairperson cum MD, Nürnbergmesse India Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Yogesh Mudras- MD, Informa Markets India, Mr. V. AnbuSecretary, Director General & CEO, MTMA & BIEC, Mr. Gaurav Juneja- Director, MEX Exhibi ons Pvt. Ltd.Mr. Bhupinder kick started the discussion sta ng that the Indian Exhibi on industry has reported over 100 shows affected due to COVID19 between March to July 2020.

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he theme for the Business Session was "Disrup on in the Indian Exhibi on Industry, The Organizer's Perspec ve.The moderator for the webinar was Mr. Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India Pvt. Ltd. and the

This has resulted into an es mated loss of 3.5,000 Cr. na onally and app. 500 million Euros globally.IEIA has ini ated webinar series specifically for the current industry needs. IEIA President Mr. S. Balasubramanian said: "We don't think anybody of us has seen something like this before. And what has brought us together in this era of social distancing, when we're all working from home, is the Zoom mee ng pla orm.

"Mr. Bhupinder then introduced the esteemed panelists and asked the first ques on for the webinar about the things that might look different in the future and the assump ons that might get

challenged. Answering to his ques on Mr. V. Anbu said "The only excep on here is IT which is doing very well because it's a great opportunity for them to contribute.

Perhaps they will see a growth".

Mr. Rakesh Kumar assured to offer their venue and services to the Government of India. "Post COVID, we should come up with adver sements and aggressive publicity campaigns that India is a safe venue" he said. Ms. Sonia Parashar advised a minimum 2yrs assessment of business plannings to avoid harming the interest of the businesses as well as the staff, while Mr. Yogesh Mudras advised CEOs to look at innova ve ways of marke ng and digitaliza on keeping the cost benefit analysis in mind.

We also heard Mr. Gaurav Juneja state his 5R's to concentrate on namely 1) Resolve 2)Resilience 3)Return 4)Re-imagina on 5)ReformThe webinar concluded with the panelists telling us where they see the silver lining in this situa on which ranged from the introduc on of technology to joint ventures and collabora ons to a possible s mulus package from the government.

Hauser & Wirth's First Online Exhibi on from 1947 to 2007, showcasing 14 drawings from the ar st’s long career, which spanned seven decades.

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ew York gallery Hauser & Wirth has launched their first online exhibi on, Louise Bourgeois: Drawings,

They’re calling it an online exhibit presenta on and the drawings are featured alongside a short documentary of the ar st in her

studio. “It’s a response to the current situa on, in the sense that we’re all glued to our devices,” said Marc Payot, president of Hauser & Wirth. “Obviously, we’re not capable of going out into museums and galleries, but we’re s ll interested in art.

This is a possibility to share that.” The drawings on view range from abstract landscapes to strange swirls, black holes and a pair of eyes gazing back at the viewer. There’s a pink bu erfly, grassstrewn landscapes.

News Buzz

The IEIA Webinar Series Part-ii Was Held On 4th April, 2020 from 11:00 to 11:45AM IST. This Was A Business Session On Disrup on In The Indian Exhibi on Industry From The Venue Owners Perspec ve

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he moderator Mr. Sooraj DhawanDirector, Falcon Exhibi ons Pvt Ltd, welcomed the panelists Mr. S Balasubramanian- ED & COO, IMTMA & BIEC, Mr. Sudeep Sarkar- CEO, India Exposi on Mart Ltd and Mr. Ravi BoratkarMD, Asian Conven ons & Exhibi ons Pvt Ltd. On being asked how venues are suppor ng the industry and what are the ini a ves or incen ves taken in this regard, Mr. Balasubramanian said: "We have offered our venue to migrants. We started healthcare and preven ve measures from January. We will give relaxa ons and leeway in our guidelines and policies to the organizers. We will help organizers with their cancelled shows. Also, we will provide add-on services within the rent and ease on our surrendering policies". "We are extending a constant value contract to two to three organizers for 3-5 years which they can use to reduce their price and extend it to the exhibitors. We're also introducing payment in installments, easy space surrender and theme protec on" said Mr. Sarkar. Mr. Boratkar while answering to this ques on said "We will accommodate every event. Each organizer has to be dealt with individually and we will ensure minimum cancella ons".

Talking about possible social distancing policies, Mr. Sarkar said "We have made vendor registra on, health checkup at the entrance and database of all labourers with a medical history a mandatory". Mr. Balasubramanian emphasized on food audit and assured that their train their internal as well as the supply chain staff accordingly. He also men oned that their premises was audited by CISF and they are working closely with the government on the security. At the end of the webinar all the panelists disclosed their plans of expansion. Mr. Boratkar spoke about expanding in Nagpur and Mr. Sarkar talked

24 | March | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

about a hotel to be built inside the premises as well as a permanent food court. The webinar gave way to a Master Class on Force Majeure and its implica ons on Exhibi on Industry presented by Mr. Sooraj Dhawan from 11:45AM to 12:30PM IST. This masterclass explained Force Majeure and how it can be effec vely used in the exhibi on industry.'Force Majeure' clause is a provision in a contract that exempts a party from performing his contractual obliga ons which have become impossible or imprac cable due to an event or effect which the par es could not have foreseen or controlled.

A erwards Mr. Dhawan explained how the general principles of Force Majeure apply to the COVID19 pandemic, which are: Ÿ An unexpected intervening event occurred: The event should be one which is beyond the control of either of the par es to the agreement, similar to an Act of God. Ÿ The par es to the agreement assumed such an event would not occur: A party’s non-performance will not be excused where the event preven ng performance was expected or was a foreseeable risk at the me of the execu on of the agreement Ÿ The unexpected event made contractual performance impossible or imprac cable: Whether an event has made contractual performance impossible or imprac cable has to be determined on a case-to-case basis. Ÿ The par es have taken all such measures to perform the obliga ons under the agreement or atleast to mi gate the damage.Mr. Dhawan then went on to discuss whether one's agreement has an FMC and the things to so in case it's not and gave the recommenda ons: Ÿ Nego ated se lements are the best way forwardBoth par es are aware of current circumstances; know that the

situa on will improve soon and things will be back to normal. They should nego ate a se lement which minimizes harm to both par es and sign a fresh contract. Ÿ Resolu on of disputes of this nature by informal means or by media on is consistent with the current business and societal impera ve to work coopera vely to maintain normal ac vity and preserve economic structures as far as possible Ÿ If an appeal to your counterparty in those terms does not work, it might be worth poin ng out to them op ons under Sec on 32 and Sec on 56 are open any way. Ÿ Have a look at your standard terms and condi ons in quota ons. Ÿ Read the contracts before you sign. Ÿ Include Force Majeure clause in your quota ons. Ÿ Read more on Media on and Alternate Dispute Resolu on Strategies. Ÿ Service Providers should sign milestone based payment contracts.The masterclass concluded with many industry professionals asking ques ons and experts like Mr. Balasubramanian, Mr. Sudeep Sarkar and Mr. Ravinder Sethi helping Mr. Dhawan to answer them.

News Buzz

IEIA Held The Part-iii Of It's webinar series on 6th April, 2020 at 11:00 AM On The Zoom Mee ng Pla orm.

India Pvt. Ltd.Mr. D S Malhotra, Execu ve Director, Namdhari Events N Promo ons (P) Ltd.Mr. Sunil More, President, IESA. The panelists, in a united voice, assured the exhibi on industry will bounce back.

As Mr. Binu Nanu said " Exhibi ons will con nue. We must think what we can do for the country and not what the country can do for us. Hum honge kamiyab, no doubt about it". "Exhibi ons will pile up, handling the shows will also be a challenge. If organizers support the service providers, we will de over this" said Mr. Dharampal Singh.Mr. Ravinder Sethi assured everyone that in spite of digitaliza on, face to face exhibi ons and conferences will remain. The way of working is going to see posi ve changes like zoom mee ngs, cost reduc on, increased produc vity etc.

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his webinar was a Business Session on "Disrup on in the Indian Exhibi on Industry- The Service Providers Perspec ve. The moderator Ms. Sonia Prashar- Chairperson, NurembergMesse India Pvt Ltd commenced the mee ng by welcoming the par cipants introducing the esteemed panelists namely Mr. Raju Mane, Associate Vice President, Thomas Cook (I) LtdMr. Binu Nanu, Founder Director, Meroform India Pvt. Ltd.Mr. Ravinder Sethi, Chairman & MOR E Rogers

while Mr. Sunil More shared with us how they're suppor ng their staff and keeping their morale high. We also heard Mr. Subhash Goyal say "It's very important that all components of supply chain support each other". About digitaliza on he said " You can see the Taj Mahal virtually but doesn't stop you from physically experiencing it. We must more weddings and conferences in our Indian hotels". He also spoke about contribu ng to local gurudwaras and encouraged all

the par cipants to help the poor in this crisiy. The webinar concluded with Ms. Sonia Prashar asking the panelists their biggest worry for the next 6 months and their mantra for the future, to which Mr. Dharampal Singh said "Hold on to your staff and be with them". " Remain connected with your stakeholders, clients and employees" said Mr. Sunil More. Mr. Binu said his mantra is to believe in oneself and one's team, to face the reality and go forward while, Mr. Subhash Goyal insisted that a er survival, we have to think of revival. We must have insurance policies for freight forwarders, suppliers etc.Mr. Ravinder Sethi said "Our top concern is our payment ge ng delayed from organizers. And our mantra is, let's not turn this into survival of the fi est, but survival by coopera on".At the end of the webinar, Ms. Sonia Prashar thanked everyone for par cipa ng and making the webinar a success.

“Exhibi ons won't die, we are the ones connec ng people to people" she said, and handed over to Mr. Ma hias Tesi Baur, Founder, MBB Consultancy Group UL, who presented a MASTER CLASS on Exhibi on Sales Recovery Guide from11:45 AM to 12:30 PM where he shared his screen and gave a presenta on of MBB's Crisis Recovery Guide.

Olympic Flame Exhibi on In Fukushima Cancelled flame. The exhibi on of the Olympic Flame in Japan's Fukushima, slated to remain displayed un l the end of this month, has been cancelled over the growing concern of coronavirus, as announced by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Commi ee on Tuesday.

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er the government's decision to announce a state of emergency in the country on Tuesday, the Olympic organisers cancelled the exhibi on of the

The flame, a symbol of resilience, was on display a week ago at Japan's na onal soccer training centre. But following the

government's decision to announce a state of emergency in the country on Tuesday, the Olympic organisers cancelled the exhibi on of the flame.

“Originally we wanted to hold the public display un l the end of April. But considering recent developments, we decided to stop," said a Tokyo 2020 organising commi ee spokesman. He, however, did not comment on whether the exhibi on will be restored.

News Buzz

The Fourth Part In IEIA's Webinar Series Was A Special Business Session On 'corporate Financial Planning In Times Of Uncertainty'.

Therea er Was A Master Class On 'goal Se ng & Planning For The Future'. This Webinar Was Held On Apr 8, 2020 At 11:00 AM

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he moderator Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets India, hosted the webinar excep onally well and the panelists Mr. R.K Agarwal, Managing Director, Indore Infoline Pvt LtdMr. Kailash Singh, Managing Director, Teflas Research & Marke ng Communica ons Pvt Ltd. Mr. Shibu, Director, Pavilions & Interiors India Pvt LtdMr. Sachin Kumar Sinha, Chief, Financial Officer, India Exposi on Mart Ltd Mr. Milind Dixit, Managing Director, Koelnmesse YA Tradefair Pvt Ltd, spoke in unison.

Mr. Kailash emphasized on the necessity of bigger organizers to support the small ones and crea on of a collec ve fund. He also men oned restructuring prices and focusing on local events as his plan

further plan of ac on. "We must focus on how to manage the current six months. Let us all stay ready for the post six months period, as there will be a huge opportunity" said Mr. Agarwal. He advised organizers to explore t² and t³ ci es for events and exhibi ons as the visitors and exhibitors will be skep cal to travel afar. On being asked

by Mr. Mudras if he would like to join hands with the big organizers, Mr Agarwal said that the small players will be happy to do so.

Keeping the morale of the par cipants high, Mr. Shibu said "We are fortunate that the COVID19 pandemic came a er the industry's peak season...We are keeping an honest and transparent approach with our associates and partners regarding payments". Mr. Sinha said " IEML will help its events organizers in event promo on and scheduling of events when they pileup together. We are also helping small organizers as much as we can".

"As organizers, we should be the ones to control cost... An industry body should

lobby with the government so that they see our contribu on to the economy" said Mr. Dixit, while Mr. Kailash said "We have to use this me to engage with our clients and partners. Together, we should all create a federa on of event and exhibi on companies and then go to the government with a collec ve data, instead of going individually". Mr. Agarwal insisted on training your manpower and hoped that the bank would reduce interest for small business owners and Mr. Sinha asked all the companies to focus more on revenue than cost cu ng, advised on connec ng with exhibitors and organizers more and emphasized on the significance of crea ng a con ngency reserve.

At the end of the webinar, Mr. Mudras thanked all the panelists for their contribu on and with his par ng remark "Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity and cashflow is reality", gave the charge over to Dr. Bindu Khosla, Head of Leadership Development, Xcalibur, who then, presented a MASTER CLASS on Goal Se ng & Planning for the Future from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM.Dr. Bindu advised all the businesses to focus on Dinamic Goal Se ng instead of sta c goal se ng.

She also bewared all business owners saying that only the ones who spend this me in rigorous planning, will win in the post lockdown period. The highlight of Dr. Bindu's presenta on was the corporate term BHAG i.e. Big Hairy Audacious Goals

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IESA Held Its Webinar, A Business Session On COVID19- Challenges For The Indian Exhibi on Industry And Survival Strategies, On 7th April, 2020 the year, Mr. Nanu said "Fundamentals of physical exhibi ons will not change, we're social animals. I are expec ng to do 50% business as compared to last year with a full swing from Q4 onwards".

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he session started with opening remarks from Mr. Vipul Agarwal, Expro Events. As the event proceeded, we saw the moderator for the event, Mr. Nimit Soni from Paras Art Studio, ask ques ons to the esteemed panelists Mr. Binu Nanu, Meroform, Mr. Shibu, P&I, Mr. Ajit Thakkar, Jess Ideas, Mr. Dharampal Singh Malhotra, Namdhari Events and Promo ons, Mr. Rajnikanth Kedia, Insta Group, Mr. Sanjay Wadhwa, Swi Corpora on, Mr. Rohit Saraogi, Design Desk, Mr. Roop Dayani, Sconce Global.

When asked about what they foresee for

While Mr. Wadhwa said: "Lockdown is teaching us new ways to communicate and be more produc ve.

Hybrid pla orms will weigh in, health and sani za on will impact the cost but face to face cannot be replaced". "A digital dimension will come. We will not vanish, we will con nue to flourish.

Seminars, workshops, mee ngs can digi ze but not large scale trade shows and exhibi ons" said Mr. Saraogi.

Mr. Kedia joined in all the way from USA and assured that post COVID19, first the regional and na onal exhibi ons will start and gradually move to interna onal, while Mr. Shibu men oned that cash flow is the main issue and we need to plan for at least six months in advance. Mr.

Thakkar,when asked about the plan of ac on said "We must control all our expenses day in day out.

We must help the government with whatever resources we have and maybe the government will see our contribu on and help us with a s mulus package". " We must not forget that this is a global crisis, even export orders are cancelled.

We should reduce coso" said Mr. Kedia.

Mr. Dharampal, while answering to this ques on said "Associa ons, na onal bodies and industry professionals should take an ini a ve, discuss and make an agreement to avoid cu hroat compe on", to which Mr. Nanu and Mr. Kedia agreed.

While wrapping up the session, Mr. Soni asked the panelists for their advice to the par cipants to which Mr. Nanu said "Reduce cost internally, use technology wisely and take advantage of online courses", Mr. Thakkar said: " MSME is the worst hit sector right now. Don't work without advances a er the lockdown is over" and Mr. More said "Yes there will be a price war, all of us associa ons have to work together to overcome this".

The webinar concluded with giving the par cipants an opportunity to ask their ques ons which were answered by Mr. Soni and the panelists.

Free Online Tours Of Tate’s Exhibi ons

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or two of London’s major exhibi ons, the museums were closed last month due to COVID 19. Tate is now offering the opportunity to make free virtual visits to

both shows. Andy Warhol opened at Tate Modern on 12 March and closed five days later on 17 March.

week. Likewise, Aubrey Beardsley at Tate Britain will be available for free virtual visits from next week, 13 April.

As the exhibi on is intended to run un l 6 September, hopefully it will s ll be possible to visit later. In the mean me, you can watch a short tour of the exhibi on via the gallery’s YouTube channel and website, star ng from this

The tours offer unique perspec ves from Tate experts as they take visitors through the empty galleries, allowing special access to major art works on loan from public and private collec ons across the globe.

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ICPB’s Webinar – ‘The Coronavirus Crisis- What Do I Do To Protect My Business' Was Held On 9th April 2020 At 11:00 AM. The Speaker For The Webinar, Mr. Christopher Doyle Is An Expert On The Subject Shared His Experience With A Natural Disaster

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r. Doyle shared step by step what every business must start doing now to survive the economic crisis and ensure recovery and growth a er the crisis blows over. He is the founder of The Growth Catalysts and has helped small and mid size companies grow their revenue and profits 5 to 10 mes in a mespan of 1 to 3 years.

He has Business Coaching prac ce, has spent 21 years in large organiza ons, with

11 years as Business Head and CEO for companies like Hilton Hotels, IBM and The Economist Group. The first point he emphasized on was awareness and agility.

He introduced the par cipants to the ICE Model: Zone of 1 and shared his assump ons of the three phases post this crisis. "Cashflow in a business is equal to oxygen" he said.Mr. Doyle advised business owners to iden fy what customer needs will change a er this pandemic and ask how their business can address them. He suggested to use this me to maintain customer rela onships by serving and suppor ng the customers without any expecta on of return.

"List all revenue opportuni es and create an ac on plan using the 5step model...ask for advance payments from clients post this crisis" he said. He also insisted on diversifying the business model by using

automa on and other such technologies, while also emphasise on the necessity of up-skilling the manpower.Advising to review business processes he asked companies to reduce costs and adjust for con nuing work from home.

In view of taking ac on, Mr. Doyle suggested making con ngency plans and daily as well as weekly reviews. At the end of the webinar, he asked businesses to look for low cost marke ng with emails, social media etc. and to demonstrate their skills to customers to make some amount of sales if they can.While concluding the webinar, Mr. Doyle asked everyone to make assump ons and create realis c, best case and worst case scenarios based on them. He then gave the par cipants an opportunity to ask ques ons, which he answered skillfully and pa ently.

10,000 Migrant Labourers At Bombay Exhibi on Centre

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he venue of some of the biggest expos in the country including some of the leading prin ng and packaging ones, the Bombay Exhibi on Centre (BEC), has decided to offer its space to accommodate migrant laborers who have been affected due to the 21-day lockdown. The venue, owned by Nesco Group, located in Goregaon, will accommodate over 10,000 people.

"Thousands of migrant workmen who have been adversely affected due to the closure of the Mumbai metro, vital linkroads, coastal road and construc on sites, have been le homeless. Although the BMC and the state government have been

trying to accommodate them, they need much more space," Nesco chairman Sumant Patel said. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 many upcoming prin ng and packaging exhibi ons that were slated to take place at BEC in the coming months have been deferred. The last major expo related to the prin ng or packaging industry that took place at BEC was Media Expo Mumbai 2020 held in late-February.

Some important events slated to be held at BEC that have been postponed include Screen Print India 2020.

Taking into account public health concerns, travel restric ons and market vola lity due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India has decided to postpone the Mumbai edi on of Screen Print India 2020 scheduled to be held from 24 - 26 April 2020. The Mumbai edi on is now planned to be held in the la er part of the year, and the new dates

will be announced in the coming weeks, a er consulta ons with the fair’s interna onal and local suppor ng associa ons. Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India also decided to postpone Gartex Texprocess India, which was slated to make its debut in Mumbai last month.

Gartex Texprocess India is a comprehensive tradeshow on garment and tex le machinery.

BolognaFiere Group and Informa Markets, organizers of Cosmoprof India, have announced the postponement of the 2020 edi on. The exhibi on, ini ally scheduled for early September, will be held from 29 to 31 October at the BCE. Cosmoprof India in Mumbai is the business-to-business event for the fastgrowing beauty market in India. The expo sees par cipa on from a lot of cosme cs and pharmaceu cal packaging companies.

News Buzz

UNESCO Combats COVID-19's Effect On Art And Heritage

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NESCO is hos ng debates to online exhibi ons, social media campaigns, ministerial meets, implemen ng numerous online events to safeguard the world of art and culture through the pandemic. UNESCO is hos ng an online debate and social media campaign on World Art Day (April 15) in collabora on with electronic music expert and their Goodwill Ambassador Jean Michel Jarre.

Called ResiliArt Debate, it is part of UNESCO’s ini a ves to support cultural industries and ar sts through the COVID19 pandemic. Ar sts and key industry players will par cipate in the debate ‘to sound the alarm on the impact of COVID19 on the livelihoods of ar sts and

cultural professionals’, according to a UNESCO press release. The press release quoted Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, as saying, “UNESCO is commi ed to leading a global discussion on how best to support ar sts and cultural ins tu ons during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, and ensure everyone can stay in touch with the heritage and culture that connects them to their humanity." Some of the events lined up by the organisa on include a global social media campaign called #ShareOurHeritage ‘to promote access to culture and educa on around cultural heritage during this me of mass confinement’, a virtual exhibi on with technical support from Google Arts & Culture, World Heritage Site managers sharing first-hand accounts of the impact of the pandemic on the sites they manage and on the people around them, and more.

According to the press release, the organisa on will also provide up-to-date informa on ‘through an online map on its

website and through social media on the impact of, and responses to COVID-19 on World Heritage Sites, which are partly or fully closed to visitors in 89 per cent of countries due to the pandemic’.

On April 22, Earth Day, UNESCO will hold an online mee ng of the world’s ministers of culture who will talk about the impact of the pandemic, exchange informa on and discuss remedial policy measures.

UNESCO reiterated that the ‘closure of heritage sites, museums, theatres and cinemas and other cultural ins tu ons is jeopardizing funding for ar sts and crea ve industries’, as well as compelling people to put on hold many rituals and ceremonies and thus affec ng communi es.

The release said that once countries return to their normal rhythm, the "ShareCulture" and "ShareOurHeritage" campaigns will be maintained to share reflec on on measures to safeguard World Heritage Sites and promote sustainable tourism.

South China Beauty Expo Exhibi on Center from July 30 to August 1, 2020 by Informa Markets, BolognaFiere and Shanghai Baiwen Exhibi on Co Ltd.

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hina is one of the countries with strong demand for cosme cs but its per capita cosme cs consump on is s ll 6 mes lagging behind that of the developed countries and regions. In order to help the Chinese cosme cs industry to advance in a mul -dimensional scale and grasp the new B2B opportuni es in the Greater Bay Area, the South China Beauty Expo (SCBE) will be held for the first me at the Shenzhen Conven on and

The inaugural event will be held in the exhibi on centre of 22,500 SQM in size and joined by 800 high-quality exhibitors from various sectors for an expected number of 20,000 trade visitors. Serving as the vane of the beauty industry, SCBE bases on its geographical advantage and dominant background to fit the industry trend and consumer demand by selec ng the exhibit categories: Perfume & Fragrance, Personal Care & Toiletries, Cosme cs & Tools, Nails & Equipment, Professional Salons Products & Equipment, and Hair Salons Products & Equipment, Supply Chain. ecoming the key for the manufacturers to get business opportuni es.

The customers are not only interested in the R&D and produc on of the suppliers, but also their ability to provide more diversified services. Powered by the advantage of strong resource integra on, SCBE selects the best one-stop exhibitors and service providers at home and abroad exhibi ng in the Beauty Supply Chain area for the fields of contract manufacturing, OEM/ODM, packaging materials, raw materials, prin ng, machinery and equipment to present forward-looking informa on as well as professional and effec ve supply-chain solu ons to the visitors. The leading suppliers at the exhibi on will also present opportuni es of sourcing and star ng beauty business for the Greater Bay Area and neighbouring areas.

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has broken the peace. However, amid the crisis, there are always opportuni es.

News Buzz

Bodleian Exhibi on Captures Scents Of Old Books limited strictly to books. The IDA team is also recrea ng the scents of famous libraries, including the Bodleian’s own historic Duke Humphrey Reading Room.

Dr Karenowska said that the Duke Humphrey scent will be “built up from actual items recovered by library staff from the reading room itself, including cedar wood shelving, leather desk coverings and discarded bits of old books.” For Roger Michel, execu ve director of the IDA, this was the most compelling scent.

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he scien sts at Oxford University have been trying to capture the smell of ancient books for visitors planning to a end a forthcoming Bodleian Library exhibi on. Dr Alexy Karenowska has working at the Bodleian for the Sensa onal Books exhibi on – an explora on of books in all five senses which was due to start but has now been postponed due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The scien st is a magne cian who is also the Director of Technology at The Ins tute for Digital Archaeology. She said: “No two books smell exactly alike,” as she inspected a rare copy of Shakespeare’s 1623 First Folio. “There are muted sweet notes of benzaldehyde, a chemical evoca ve of maraschino cherries, and 2nonenal, known as mouldy furniture smell to odour experts, but there are also strong traces of tobacco.” The book is thought to have been owned by 18th century Shakespeare scholar, Edmond Malone. It is understood the first-of-itskind olfactory component of the Bodleian’s exhibi on will permit visitors to experience the aromas of a huge range of rari es. The evoca ve aromas are extracted using non-invasive techniques specially developed by the IDA. Books are placed in a sealed glass container through

which air is circulated using lubricant-free fans.

The air passes through several filters of increasing fineness for up to 36 hours, trapping the compounds that carry a book’s dis nc ve scents. The filter packs are then sent to the IDA laboratory where they are chemically dissected to determine what compounds have been captured. They are then crushed, powdered and suspended in a neutral liquid base. Medical grade nebulisers are used to deliver the liquefied scents. The IDA wants to allow exhibi on visitors to enjoy mul ple aromas in rapid succession.

Book scents are created by technician George Altshuler in the IDA laboratory.

One of the oldest manuscripts which could be in the exhibi on is also one of the Bodleian’s greatest treasures: a 1217 copy of Magna Carta. The parchment document was kept in Oseney Abbey, Oxford, un l the Dissolu on of the Monasteries in the 16th century.

Scien sts preparing for the exhibi on say the Magna Carta is a ‘delicious document’ - ‘an aroma c mix of moist wheat bread and beach sand.’ The Bodleian exhibi on, however, will not be

He added: “One whiff took me right back to my student days there in the 1980s.” To complement the Bodleian exhibi on, IDA olfac onists claim they are also extrac ng the scent from a 1616 First Quarto copy of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. They want it to be developed into a tradi onal perfume scent and sold for the benefit of charity. Every bo le will contain a few molecules of “the western world’s most roman c play” as Mr Michel says.

News Buzz

Coronavirus Lockdown: How Indigo, Spicejet, Goair Could Have Cut Their Losses In India, the situa on with domes c carriers is pre y grim with just three months of losses being pegged at $3.6 billion; but did airlines actually have a chance to be be er-prepared

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t's the toughest me for the global avia on industry. With the suspension of interna onal and domes c flights in a large number of countries, including India, due to lockdown, the global airlines industry is staring at losses of $314 billion - as es mated by global body IATA. In India, the situa on with domes c carriers is pre y grim with just three months of losses being pegged at $3.6 billion (as per CAPA). The problem with the coronavirus crisis is that it has caught the en re airline industry unawares. Even the best-placed airlines like IndiGo (in terms of cash reserves) are now preparing to post record losses, and to witness a complete wipe-out of their reserves.

But did airlines actually have a chance to be be er-prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude? Experts say that domes c airlines would have been in a marginally be er situa on if they had outsourced their ground handling opera ons to professional agencies. Back in 2016, the government developed a framework for new ground handling policy, and last year, the policy was implemented at the private airports. Following which, airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir started hiring ground handlers on their rolls because the

policy prohibits the use of third-party contractors which was the norm back in 2016. Air India too manages its ground handling part with its own cap ve subsidiary - AIATSL (Air India Air Transport Services Limited).

"Once the self-handling was allowed, most domes c carriers made a quick move. These airlines kept the ground handling close to themselves instead of handing it over to an outside agency," says a large ground handler. But there's a problem with self-handling. Globally, the airlines don't typically do self-handling.

They focus on their core business of flying, and leave this aspect to outside agencies for a simple reason. Instead of hiring a lot of workforce, engaging an outside agency, which has exper se in the business, costs much less. How? A specialised agency uses shared resources and brings economies of scale that bring down the costs for everyone.

"The airlines don't realise a large number of costs associated with self-handling.

Most importantly, the cost benefit of not employing hundreds of people on their own rolls. This factor keeps outside agencies at a variance when it comes to costs," says Murali Ramachandran, CEO

(India) of Turkish agency Celebi Avia on Holding.

As per some es mates, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir together employ about 12,000 people in the ground handling division, which is almost a third of their overall staff strength of about 37,000 at the end of March 2019. Imagine if carriers didn't have these many people on rolls, their payroll costs (one of the largest components) would have been somewhat lower. To de over the crisis, airlines have announced salary cuts recently. Market leader IndiGo, for instance, has implemented salary cuts of between 5 per cent and 25 per cent from April 1 across the workforce. Distressed carriers GoAir and SpiceJet have deducted March salaries of most employees as they are le with literally no op on but to take such a step.

At the moment, the specialised ground handlers - Bird Group, Menzies Avia on, Celebi - in India are largely dependent on interna onal side which has been badly affected a er the suspension of flights.

Perhaps, the current crisis could act as a wake-up call for airlines to become leaner in future.

News Buzz

India Expo Mart Announces Several Measures To Support The Organisers

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ndia’s leading exhibi on center – India Expo Mart, has come forward to announce several measures to support the small, medium and large organisers.

The venue also says that they are geared up to host the requirements of the future.

Message From IEML CEO

Dear Exhibi on & Conven on Fraternity, First & foremost, I pray for your family’s, yourself and your team members good health.

The exhibi on industry all around the world is going through the most

challenging mes. The event P&L and ROIs have gone haywire. That as an event venue, our P&L sheets have taken a serious blow too. However, we all at India Expo Mart are deeply concerned about the well-being of our industry. Being India’s leading purpose-built MICE venue and having received such overwhelming admira on & respect all these years, it is our responsibility to stand firmly with both, our industry and our na on, during these tough mes! I would like to assure everyone that me and my team will fully cooperate, and we will do our best to make a mutually agreeable situa on for all our valued organisers & partners.

I would also like to assure that IEML will take utmost care to ensure best-in-class hygiene and sani za on at the venue. We are ready to go more than an extra mile for you & here are some of the key benefits which we have decided to extend, going forward. You can choose any or a combina on of the following: Applying lean period economical rates for events postponed to peak period. Ÿ IEML will not charge penalty for cancella on / rescheduling / reduc on Ÿ

in space area upto March 31, 2021. Ÿ Be a part of a 3 year rate contract & take maximum benefits with subsidized rentals on YoY basis. Ÿ Carry out the most economical shows ever by availing all-inclusive packages of venue rental and services. Ÿ Relaxed EMI Payment op ons. Ÿ Avail the most viable value by paying on actual area u liza on, subsidized rental for floor areas for registra on areas, cafeterias, lounges and mee ng rooms etc. Ÿ Embrace the venue courtesy of Govt liaison for grants / exhibitor & visitor promo on / transport services / Metro Tickets / Hoardings etc. Ÿ Hotel bookings and show permissions facilita on by the venue. Ÿ Engage in win-win accord of partnership on a revenue sharing basis. Ÿ Top of the line IOT technology in terms of webinars / virtual expos / registra ons etc.

Today we are proud to service eight out of top eleven exhibi ons organized in India.

With a solid growth rate, an experienced opera ons team, most economical hall rentals & packages, maintaining the top venue posi on, servicing all major segments of events in India and being fully compliant on event safety & compliances; services; ameni es & clearances and logis cs support – we have been appropriately awarded the Best Standalone Venue Award by the Govt of India.

We are geared up to serve the industry and ready for the future! If you have any queries then please feel free to reach out to me at ceo@indiaexpocentre.com.

Please take care and be strong!

News Buzz

COVID-19 And The Trade Show Industry

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ecause of my 2 decades as a successful trade show exhibitor, and an addi onal 2 decades as a successful trade show services and exhibitor educa on and training provider, this writer was recently asked the ques on; "Will tradi onal trade shows "more or less" survive the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic?”

I replied to their ques on, with a ques on, “Do you mean the consequences of the more, or the consequences of the less?”

Compare trade shows to trade publica ons in this example. All trade publica ons have to offer their adver sers is their 'circula on and readership.' All trade shows have to offer their exhibitors are their 'a endance and booth traffic.'

Therefore, more or less... the, Less a endees in trade shows for organizers, due to reduced travel budgets, social distancing, masks, cleanliness, and their lingering fear of harm from social gathering?

Less booth traffic and number of leads for exhibitors, as a consequence of fewer a endees in the aisles? More cost-perlead for exhibitors, as a consequence of fewer booth visitors? Less ROI (Return on Investment) for exhibitors, as a consequence of fewer leads? More disappointed exhibitor dropouts for organizers, as a consequence of less ROI

for their exhibitors?

More necessary marke ng cost for organizers, to increase show a endance and replace their exhibitor dropouts?

I then said that "I think the days of exhibitors’ simply showing up to show off, at any cost, are over." Trade show organizers are going to have to develop new ways of keeping their a endees and exhibitors safe, and stay top of mind to remain relevant to their exhibitors.

From what I have personally seen and actually experienced from more than 25,000 trade show exhibit managers, who have been in my seminar, webinar, and workshop audiences, the amount of me exhibit managers have been in their job was already declining before COVID-19.

That will no doubt worsen post COVID-19, so exhibitor educa on will be a new opportunity for trade show organizers.

Exhibitors are already crying for an educa on and will remember who taught them, like you remember your teachers from school, and my a endees remember me, over decades.

“I learned more from this guy in an hour, than I did in 4-years of college and 12 years on the job” said Bill Wilde, Marke ng Manager, MTI. That quote is from 18-years ago. “Thank you for your insight on "Conver ng Sales to Leads.” I found your (training) Session very helpful.

I intend to use (what I learned) it at the

upcoming ConExpo” said John Hunt, Field Marke ng Manager, The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. That quote is from 10-years ago.

“I have seen a lot of presenta ons to sales people over the years, but I have never seen sales people respond to a presenta on like ours did to yours” said Barry Rogers, Global Sales Manager, Sunnen. That quote was from 12-years ago.

The outer rings of the ripple affect from COVID-19 will soon be waves in the trade show industry. It's all going to get a lot worse before it gets be er, and also impact trade show industry suppliers who will also benefit by educa ng their customers. 5-7 years ago, when a empts were made to replace face-to-face trade show marke ng with virtual events, it failed miserably. Now, with impact and consequences from the likes of a pandemic disease, digital and virtual mee ng and exhibi ng are a formidable considera on.

Those show organizers and suppliers who can help to deliver ROI to the future's exhibitors will win BIG. Even if it's in the up coming paradigm shi to a digital and virtual means of mee ng and trade show exhibi ng.

How a endees are going to behave a er all of this will drive everything.

News Buzz

Coronavirus: Exhibi on Industry Hit Hard, Suffers A Loss Of Rs 3,750 Crore

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ith shows across various industry sectors being cancelled, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the exhibi on industry in India.

The Indian exhibi on industry has suffered a loss of Rs 3,750 crore, according to Indian Exhibi ons Industry Associa on (IEIA).

“In the last few weeks, more than 90 shows have been reported to be either postponed or cancelled due to COVID19… with a resultant es mated loss of Rs 3,570 crore for the en re sector and this may increase if COVID-19 crisis lingers on,” IEIA President S Balasubramanian said in a statement. Experts in the sector say, this could hurt na on’s economy further, as exhibi ons are effec ve catalysts of growth UFI, the associa on for global exhibi on industry, has es mated that the global economic damage for exhibi on industry is 81.6 billion euros of total output loss for exhibi ons only.

The Bangalore Interna onal Exhibi on Centre (BIEC) had a good start to 2020 with big exhibi ons in the first three

months. V Anbu, CEO, BIEC and Vice President, UFI told DH that between April and June, nearly nine shows have been cancelled and two shows stand postponed. He said, “Any show which is postponed or rescheduled for different dates will take me to come back. We hope to see the revival of the industry during the end of the second quarter or if the situa on remains grim for some more me, then we foresee revival in the third or fourth quarter.” According to IEIA, the size of Indian exhibi on industry is Rs 23,800 crore with more than 550 events conducted annually in the organised sector.

The exhibi on industry sector enables trade/business transac on of over Rs 3,00,000 crore, boos ng and suppor ng the growth of various spectrum of industries while also being a colossal employment provider with nearly 1,20,000 people employed in this industry. Jewellery exhibi on organiser Expo World CEO Sandeep Bekal, said the B2C business has been terribly hit by COVID-19 because of the popularity of jewellery exhibi ons.

“Diwali/ Dusshera season starts from August, we will have to wait and see if the govt will put restric ons on all gatherings.

It will then become a ques on of survival for us because our regular overheads – office expense, staff salary – con nue to exist, and we can only do so many exhibi ons in a year to sustain.” If the situa on persists for six months, there won’t be sufficient funds for the organisers to sustain the next six months.

Post the pandemic, there will be a fear among the exhibitors if they should par cipate or not — a gesta onal period of another 2-3 months, say experts. Bekal said, if World Expo stays inac ve for six months, the company’s revenue would fall to one fourth of what they were genera ng earlier. While jewellers, most of whom take exhibi ons as their main pla orm to do business, will also take a hit of 10-20%. Various industry bodies are seeking the government’s interven on as many micro and small enterprises, which make the backbone of the exhibi on industry may have to suffer because of the lack of business.

News Buzz

Coronavirus: Indian Events And Exhibi on Sector To Take ₹1 Trillion Hit With around 10 million jobs in the live events and exhibi on industry is at stake with 90% of them being daily wage earners The body has urged government to extend sops such as tax refunds, loan facility for MSME sector and ar stes

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he Indian events and exhibi on sector is expected to take a ₹1 trillion hit as almost all big scale events across categories have been postponed or cancelled in the wake of coronavirus (covid-19) outbreak and the 21-day na onwide lockdown, Sanjoy K Roy, founder and managing director of events company Teamwork Arts and president of industry body Event and Entertainment Management Associa on (EEMA) said on Monday.

This includes both formal segment events and exhibi ons such as IIFA film awards, T20 cricket tournament IPL, music concerts, stand-up comedy shows as well as corporate product launches, MICE and hospitality, food and entertainment events along with informal segment such as weddings and other par es.

"Between February and March, we witnessed 60% to 70% cancella on leading to a damage of up to ₹5,000 crore. Now it's a complete lockdown and all big events are being cancelled or indefinitely postponed which means we are looking at 100% revenue loss because no big or small events can be held in view

of precau onary measures of social distancing. While some of the events have move to digital but online doesn't have a sustainable financial model," Roy told Mint. With around 10 million jobs in the live events and exhibi on industry is at stake with 90% of them being daily wage earners, EEMA in a wri en request to the government has asked for sops for the industry.

The body has urged government to extend sops such as tax refunds, loan facility for MSME sector and ar stes to mi gate the impact of livelihood of people involved in the entertainment and event space. "The infrastructure and service providers that segment is completely wiped out. The venues, which are carrying huge inventory, are also facing the heat. In April with no income money coming in this sector we will see huge retrenchment," Roy added. EEMA is working with industry bodies such as Confedera on of Indian Industry (CII) and Federa on of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and government directly.

EEMA has urged government in a wri en

request to cover the cost of salaries of daily wage workers affected by covid-19 and unable to resume work, collateral free line of credit to be used for employees' salaries and statutory dues and moratorium of paybacks on loans, interest free for a period of 9-12 months.

Besides, the body has also asked payments for government projects (both central and state) which have been completed should be released, measures to cover loss for the ar st segment along with instruc ng insurance companies to insure future events against coronavirus or similar biological disasters.

The global impact of coronavirus is staggering as well. Germany announced $50 billion into the art economy, UK released €150 million in art segment similarly Singapore, Dubai and Australia have also released funds to counter the impact of the novel virus on the events, exhibi on and crea ve arts industry.

"Unfortunately, in India we don't map.

How much crea ve arts sector contributes to GDP of the country we don't come under one ministry. Without data it would be difficult to map the overall impact on this sector," Roy said.

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AIPC And UFI Release Second Guide To Conven on And Exhibi on Centres Managing COVID-19 Consequences

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will help all member venues prepare for and perform in an excep onal role that they were not specifically designed for but are increasingly being asked or forced to play as temporary emergency facili es”.

xhibi on venues and conven on centres around the world are currently increasingly being converted into temporary hospitals and health centres in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. A new guide, produced jointly by AIPC, the Interna onal Associa on of Conven on Centres and UFI, the Global Associa on of the Exhibi on industry, assists members of both global associa ons in dealing with these and similar requests.

The Guide will be distributed to all AIPC and UFI members to support them in what for many is a new experience with limited precedent. It follows on from the “Good Prac ces Guide to COVID-19 for Conven on and Exhibi on Centres” guidebook that was produced and distributed in early March of this year.

“This is the second guide to facility management under pandemic condi ons to be produced by AIPC and UFI within a few weeks, but one that is of crucial importance to our many members who are being called upon to engage in this way”, says AIPC President Aloysius Arlando. “As a result of the professionalism, generosity and exper se of AIPC and UFI members – par cularly

those who are members of our Safety and Security Task Force – it incorporates some of the very latest front-line insights that have been and will con nue to be gained in the midst of the crisis itself”.

“Many of our colleagues around the world are having to repurpose their venues to serve key roles in dealing with the fallout from COVID-19, and many others will inevitably follow” said UFI President Mary Larkin. “However, the experience of conversion to emergency use – and the re-commissioning once the crisis has passed – is currently limited. This guide

The guide has been created as a collabora ve project between the two organisa ons to promote efficiency and consistency amongst different types of member venues. It provides both specific guidance and a framework within which centres can organise their ac vi es in order to put to full use the relevant, prac cal informa on and experiences that are accumula ng based on the ac ons of many centres worldwide.

“The reasons for having to become a temporary emergency facility vary, ranging from pandemics to natural disasters. The same goes for the purpose of any par cular conversion – so this guidance has been collected, assembled and presented with mul ple possibili es in mind,” said Arlando. “As challenging as such conversions may be, they will inevitably result in enhanced overall capabili es over the long term, and strengthen centre capabili es for the future”, added Larkin.

Glimpses of

EEA 2019

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Birla Academy, Emami Art Come To Plan Online Exhibi on While, ICCR Holds Pain ng Compe on

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olkata's premier art galleries are organising online exhibi ons, showcasing works of veteran and new ar sts, in order to take great works of pain ngs to the home of art-lovers during the ongoing lockdown.

Private organisa ons such as the Birla Academy and the Emami Art are showcasing works of celebrated painters, while the Indian Council for Cultural

Rela ons (ICCR), a government body, will start a compe on on the theme 'United Against CoronaExpress Through Art'. The Birla Academy, which hosts exhibi ons of pain ngs and other artworks all over the year, is holding an online show of stalwarts like Nandalal Basu, Binod Bihari Mukherjee, Somnath Hore, Gaganandranath Tagore, Ramkinkar Baiz among others. A spokesperson of the organisa on said "everyday you can see representa ve works of two ar sts on our website.

This will con nue ll April 30." "We cannot enable one to feel the joy of walking from one gallery to another, but we can at least make an art-lover watch great pain ngs from home," she said.

Another exhibi on tled 'BLACK WHITE AND MORE can be seen on the website of

the Emami Art. Monochroma c artworks of eminent ar sts Jogen Chowdhury, Rabin Mondal, S G Vasudev, Dashrath Patel, Bose Krishnamachari and Manu Parekh are put on display. "Being confined to the four walls of your house for days on end is not easy, but our minds are free and our imagina ons have no limit.

Beyond the black and white that we are seeing now, we believe and hope that there is more," Richa Agarwal said on behalf of organizers. Meanwhile, the ICCR is organising an online compe on 'United Against Corona - Express Through Art'. The entries can be sent to two ICCR links. "The exhibi on will be in the fields of contemporary pain ng, folk art, tribal art, illustra on, cartoon, digital and new age art. We are invi ng entries ll May 1.

Winners will have their works displayed in big ci es across the world and online," said an ICCR spokesperson.

The Thailand Government And TCEB Announce Measures To Support The Exhibi on Industry

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he government of Thailand and the Thailand Conven on & Exhibi on Bureau (TCEB) have introduced a package of support for exhibi on organisers and industry stakeholders affected by the impact of Covid-19. More than US$3.03bn has been approved to help companies in Thailand combat the temporary suspension of business brought about by Covid-19.

The relief package of has been dra ed by the Ministry of Finance under the heading, ‘Timely, Targeted and Temporary as Necessary’. The measures are designed to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises in par cular and include low interest loans and a cut in tax rates. There are also reduc ons in rental costs for state-owned venues. The government acknowledged that, as forums for trade and industrial development, exhibi ons will play a key role in the economic

under the Exhibit in Market campaign, TCEB says its hope is “to get the industry in Thailand moving again”.

recovery that follows the Covid-19.

Complemen ng the wider government relief plan is TCEB’s own support package, ‘Thailand Extra Exhibi on Plus’ which provides support for exhibi on stakeholders in all dimensions to sustain core tradeshows in Thailand.

Whether it’s waiving some of the criteria required for previous ini a ves, or providing fixed financial support based on show size for domes c and interna onal marke ng and promo on, or simply increasing the space in square metres eligibility criteria for financial support

The measures announced form part of a comprehensive set of measures to accompany the USD1m for immediate term relief for the exhibi on sector and the US$14m first phase of Thailand’s industry recovery plan. “Our thoughts con nue to be with those who are going through very tough mes. TCEB has spoken with exhibi on industry stakeholders and agreed to join hand-inhand, stepping forward for the next chapter of the Thai exhibi on industry, invigora ng our readiness in prepara on to ensure Thailand presents you with an op mal pla orm for your exhibi ons when the markets return and keeping the world connected” said Ms Nichapa Yoswee, SVP – Business at TCEB, while commen ng on the measures.

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More Packages For MSMEs, Big Enterprises Will Come: Amitabh Kant Kant lauded the government’s Rs 1.7 crore welfare package for the marginalized to cope with the crisis, along with the measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India for the same.

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ddressing a webinar on Monday, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant assured that the finance ministry is taking several measures to help the sectors hit the country due to the ongoing pandemic and reflief packages for MSMEs are on the

way. “More packages will come in to address the needs of MSMEs and big enterprises,” he said. A ending the webinar- on COVID-19: India Fights Back – the Strategy and Way Forward with VK Paul, NITI Aayog member (Health), Kant lauded the government’s Rs 1.7 crore welfare package for the marginalized to cope with the crisis, along with the measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India for the same.

The conversa on also veered to the supply chain disrup on during the lockdown and Kant said India needs to iden fy five to six sectors for

manufacturing. “We have opened up mobile manufacturing and API manufacturing in India.

Similarly, we should look at five to six sectors for manufacturing in India,” he said. He highlighted the dire need for healthcare equipment such as protec ve equipment and ven lators during this phase and assured it will be taken care of.

“In the second phase of the lockdown, the en re supply chain will be certainly taken care of,” he said, adding that they will make sure the orders from above are implemented to their full effect.

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Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard, Chanel, Tudor Announce Exit From Baselworld, Establishment Of New Event

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n an unprecedented move, five big watch brands have banded together to make a huge announcement about withdrawing from the Baselworld 2021 show. The big five: Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Rolex sister-brand Tudor. Together they have announced plans to exit Baselworld – heretofore the largest watch exhibi on in the world — for 2021. The announcement (distributed

by Rolex) comes as no surprise – as open le ers about the Fair’s plans and its organizer’s handling of refunds, among other things, have been paramount this past week.

What is intriguing, though, is the fact that Rolex, Patek, Chopard and the other big brands are working with the Fonda on de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) to create a new event in April 2021 for retailers, press and key collectors. That show may be in conjunc on with, or linked to, the Watches & Wonders exhibit slated to take place during the same me frame.

According to the release issued jointly by the brands, other brands may also join this exhibi on. The FHH has not yet issued its formal announcement of plans.

The FHH is the group that organizes what, un l this year, has been known as Salon

Interna onal de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). This year, the show was renamed Watches & Wonders Geneva and was supposed to have an exhibi on presence at Palexpo and a town component (with bou ques and museums in the city of Geneva open to the public). SIHH had long been considered the most pres gious watch exhibi on with the en re Richemont Group exhibi ng there, along with key independent brands. The Watches & Wonders 2020 show, which was to take place later this month, was canceled due to COVID-19.

Similarly, Baselworld, which was slated to run beginning April 29 and into May, was also canceled due to the pandemic.

However, there has been a great deal of conten on between Baselworld fair management (MCH Group) and the big brands, with some of it surrounding refund policies for the canceled 2020 show. The head of the Baselworld Exhibitors Commi ee, Hubert du Plessix, also a Rolex execu ve wrote a le er last week asking for refunds to be issued to exhibitors and indica ng that if they were not, “we fear this will be the end, pure and simple, of Baselworld.”

Apparently, Baselworld management also opted to reschedule Baselworld 2020 for

January 2021 without asking the exhibitors. The dates conflict with a host of other exhibi ons around the world in jewelry and watches.

In the statement, execu ves from four of the brands posted their comments.

According to Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour: “We have taken part in Baselworld since 1939. Unfortunately, given the way the event has evolved and the recent decisions made by MCH Group, and in spite of the great a achment we had to this watch show, we have decided to withdraw. Following discussions ini ated by Rolex, it seemed only natural to create a new event with partners that share our vision and our endless, unwavering support for the Swiss watchmaking sector.

This will allow us to present our new watches in line with our needs and expecta ons, to join forces and be er defend the interests of the industry.”

Patek Philippe has been exhibi ng at Baselworld for decades and has long been a pillar of the show community. The decision to leave was not taken lightly.

According to Thierry Stern, President of Patek Philippe, “The decision to leave

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Baselworld was not an easy one to take for me, being the fourth genera on of the Stern family to par cipate to this tradi onal yearly event. … We constantly have to adapt ourselves, ques on what we do, since what was right yesterday may not necessarily be valid today. Today Patek Philippe is not in line with Baselworld’s vision anymore, there have been too many discussions and unsolved problems, trust is no longer present. We need to answer the legi mate needs of our retailers, the clients and the press from around the world.

They have to be able to discover the new models from Swiss watchmakers each year, at one me, in one place, and this in the most professional manner possible.

That is why, following several discussions with Rolex and in agreement with other par cipa ng brands, we have decided to create, all together, a unique event in Geneva, representa ve of our savoirfaire.” On a similar note, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, CEO of Chopard, recalled the

brand’s history of exhibi ng at Baselworld, reaching back more than half a century. He further underscored the brand’s commitment to crea ng a new show to run concurrent with Watches & Wonders and to con nue to showcase the centuries-old cra of watchmaking.

“Chopard first exhibited at the Basel fair in 1964 with a stand of some 25 square meters. A er careful considera on, our family decided to support the Rolex ini a ve and re re from Baselworld – a painful decision. The crea on of this new watch show in Geneva, in parallel to Watches & Wonders, will allow us to be er serve our watchmaking partners and our customers. ” Frédéric Grangié, President of Chanel Watches & Fine Jewelry said, “Like its partners, Chanel shares the same independence and the same desire to protect and promote the values, knowhow, utmost quality and precision of Swiss Watchmaking. This ini a ve marks a key milestone in the history of Chanel watchmaking and is part of a long-term strategy, which began with the launch of this ac vity in 1987. ”As men oned, the FHH did not formally comment, yet, indica ng that it will make a separate announcement in the weeks ahead. However, Jérôme Lambert, CEO of the Richemont Group, said on behalf of

the FHH Council: “The Fonda on de la Haute Horlogerie is delighted to welcome a new salon which will strengthen the historical Watches & Wonders event in Geneva next year in early April.” In a statement issued by MCH Group, Baselworld Fair organizers, they say they were surprised by the exit of the companies and say the brands were onboard with the new January show dates.

“It is with great surprise and equally great regret that the MCH Group takes note of the cancella on of major exhibitors at Baselworld. The new date for the unavoidable postponement of Baselworld 2020 was defined jointly with leading exhibitors. The objec ve was to find the earliest and best possible date for the industry following the Covid-19 related measures. The companies now ‘migra ng’ – including Rolex – spoke out in favor of a postponement to January 2021.

They are also represented on the Exhibitors’ Commi ee, where the future vision of Baselworld has been discussed on several occasions and has met with a posi ve response, as was also evidenced by countless individual discussions. The inten on to move to Geneva has never been men oned. The MCH Group must therefore conclude that the relevant plans have been in prepara on for some me and that the discussions concerning the financial arrangements for the cancella on of Baselworld 2020 are now being put forward as an argument.”

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The Exhibi on Industry's Resilience

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he ba le against this invisible and sneaky enemy, the numerous losses of human lives and the uncertainty for a future that we cannot foresee have brought a great discouragement to the hearts of the whole world.

But it is in dark moments that the human soul shows compassion, solidarity and desire to get up and fight stronger than before. It is amazing that some field hospitals are being set up in different parts of the world, in places previously used for anything else: football and rugby stadiums, parks, ships. And also, in

fairgrounds. In fact, in many European exhibi on centers, hospitals are being set up to support the structures already in place to fight this ba le. Fairgrounds that previously housed stands and exhibi on material have rapidly become temporary structures with beds, equipment and biocontainment areas. In this context, an Intensive Therapy unit, a branch of the University Hospital that was immediately on the front line against the destruc ve force of the COVID 19 virus, was set up in Hall 2 of Fieramilano City.

The pavilion at the fairground, inaugurated on March 31 by welcoming the first pa ents, was set up thanks to dona ons from private ci zens and companies and has 54 beds and the best diagnos c equipment currently in use.

While works are already running in Hall 1 for the prepara on of another wing with addi onal 104 beds.

Going beyond the data, the se ng up of this hospital is a strong and hopeful signal for the Community of Milan and the Lombardy region, the most affected in the Italian territory. The Italian people responded with courage and pride and made possible what un l a few months ago would have been considered a “mission: impossible”. And it has been realized thanks, above all, to the reless work of 500 labors from different companies who, working 24 hours a day, did it! Even our Expotrans guys were called to give support, both for the prepara on and for the supply of the pavilions. We are really very proud of them, they demonstrated to Italy and to the whole world that WILL IS POWER! Our greatest thanks to them!!!

Stay safe everybody, and we will be able to hug each other soon! #Togetherstrong #Expotrans #Covid-19

Asia Pacific Travel Retail Associa on: Over 320,000 Jobs In Asia Pacic At Risk In Us$36bn Duty Free & Travel Retail Industry

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ver 320,000 local jobs across the Asia Pacific region and a $36bn industry are at risk of being overlooked by poli cians as they devise financial rescue measures to cope with the COVID-19 crisis. The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Associa on (APTRA) is calling on governments in over 45 countries across the region to support 320,000 local frontline employees in the region by including the duty free and travel retail industry in the same financial support packages as airlines, and mari me industries.

The Economic Impact of Duty Free and Travel Retail in Asia Pacic’ (October 2019), details a US$36bn industry providing 320,000 jobs,contribu ng almost US$15bn to GDP across Asia Pacific.

Airport Retail and commercial services, including food and beverage, cons tute a crucial business sector providing up to

60% vital comm income for airport owners, outpacing aeronau cal revenue streams. It is the most significant direct contributor to the investment in Asia Pacific’s avia on infrastructure and ongoing development of world-class na onal gateways, the region’s hubs to the world. Grant Fleming, President of APTRA, comments. “The dynamics of duty free and travel retailing are intrinsically linked to the avia on and industries and its viability is en rely dependent on the return in passenger traffic. This means 320,000 jobs are at risk that could be safe if governments extend financial support packages to the industry.

“The travel ecosystem is mul faceted and, beyond airports, the duty free and travel retail industry integrates deeply with the region’s vita market – directly with operators such as airport retailers,

airlines, cruise-lines and downtown shopping malls and also indirectly with eve from hotels to travel agents and tour guides. We are calling on over 45 governments across the region to recognize the unique economic contribu on of the en re Travel Retail industry and to priori ze support packages to our channel and the many that are, and will be, affect financially by COVID-19.”

Global News

60 Percent Of Events Industry Suppliers Face Collapse, Survey Reveals impact the economy and result in unemployment for a number of the 700,000 people who work in the events industry. The business events sector has seen 74 percent of all conferences and exhibi ons either postponed to the last quarter of 2020, with the remainder cancelled altogether.

Many of those working in the outdoor industry are freelances or self-employed who rely on the summer season for the bulk of their income. With most events this summer already cancelled, many are facing 12 months before they will see further income. The supply line is vital to the con nuity of the industry, including contractors responsible for staging, temporary sea ng and structures, produc on ligh ng, exhibi on stands, marquees, sanita on facili es and security barriers.

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ixty percent of the UK’s events industry’s supplier base is facing collapse within three months, unless event businesses receive further support from the government, according to an online survey carried out by the Events Industry Forum (EIF) and Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) and coordinated by the Produc on Services Associa on (PSA).

Scheme. It has also been revealed that despite the chancellor of the exchequer indica ng in the House of Commons that event organisers and the supply network behind them should be eligible for leisure and hospitality business support grants, according to the survey most which have applied have been turned down by local authori es, which are running the scheme.

Of the 1,490 businesses surveyed from all sub-sectors of the events industry between 3-7 April, 6 percent say they are unlikely to survive un l the end of April as a result of the impact of Covid-19. The results have been published a week a er the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s tourism minister, Nigel Huddleston MP, said that events can “kick start” the economy when the UK emerges from the Covid-19 crisis.

Michael Hirst OBE, chairman of the BVEP, noted the survey indicated that the UK is in danger of losing its capacity and exper se to stage world-class events. He said: “The UK has some of the best companies and contractors in the world supplying the needs of its events industry; an industry which will revitalise the na on’s economy and communi es when the crisis is over. “Hopefully the survey’s findings will underline the desperate need to provide more support to sustain the industry’s suppliers and contractors un l they can start opera ng again.”

According to the survey, only 1 percent of respondents have been successful in applying for the government’s Coronavirus Business Interrup on Loan

The collapse of businesses would both

“With so many events already cancelled and no certainty about when they will be able to start again, our industry is on its knees,” said Jim Winship, secretary of the Events Industry Forum, which represents 26 organisa ons from the outdoor events industry. “We urgently need the government to confirm to local authori es that all event organisers and suppliers to our industry are eligible for the hospitality and leisure grants; that will give an immediate lifeline for many.

“While it is star ng to be recognised by some in government circles that the events industry will be a key player in helping to kick-start the economy again, many will need on-going support un l they can get back on their feet. For this they will need further grants and be er access to loans without having to give onerous personal guarantees. “Our industry is one of the sectors that has been completely annihilated by this pandemic and needs urgent support if it is to survive.”

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Germany Bans Events, Exhibi ons & Gatherings Un l End Of August 2020 the centre-right Chris an Democrats (CDU) agreed with Germany’s 16 states on Wednesday that major events in Germany will be banned in principle un l the end of August 2020.

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oncerts, fes vals, trade fairs, football matches with crowds – these are some of the major events in Germany which will not be allowed to go ahead this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic. Chancellor Angela Merkel of

Some organisers have already started announcing cancella ons, including the Wacken Open Air fes val which was due to take place from July 30th un l August 1st. This also includes events like Parookaville, Oktoberfest, Gamescom and games of the German na onal football

league Bundesliga.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced the first steps in undoing coronavirus lockdowns in the coming weeks, stressing, however, that the measures had only achieved a “fragile, par al success” against the pandemic.

Stores up to 800 square metres (8,600 square feet) will be allowed to reopen once they have “plans to maintain hygiene”, Merkel said on Wednesday following talks with the leaders of Germany’s 16 federal states.

Germany has 132,718 confirmed coronavirus cases to date, including 3,592 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Series Of Emergency Measures By Informa

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he world’s largest exhibi ons organizer, London-based Informa plc, outlined on April 16th a series of emergency ac ons it’s taking to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its events business, which drives nearly two-thirds of the company’s overall revenues.

No ng that the effects have been “significantly deeper, more vola le and wide-reaching,” than was ini ally an cipated, the company says it’s temporarily suspending dividends, cu ng execu ve pay and issuing new shares worth about 20% of its total exis ng capital in an effort to strengthen its balance sheet and reduce its approximately £2.4 billion ($2.9 billion) in debt to £1.4 billion ($1.7 billion).

Further, Informa says it’s engaged in “construc ve discussions” with its U.S.based debt holders over a covenant waiver agreement. “Since the beginning

of 2020, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has become progressively deeper and more far-reaching than ini ally predicted,” said CEO Stephen Carter in a statement. “We have con nued to adapt and respond quickly, always priori zing the safety of colleagues and customers, making decisions for the longterm value of our brands and businesses and seeking to preserve jobs and invest in our intellectual property.”

Informa says it’s achieved more than £130 million ($162 million) in savings in part by pausing company-wide recruitment, salary reviews and merit raises and suspending its sabba cal program.

Addi onally, Carter and CFO Gareth

Wright are giving up 33% of their respec ve salaries, while the rest of the execu ve management team will see their pay cut by 25%.

To date, the company says it’s postponed more than 400 total events in 2020, and canceled 60 others, represen ng more than £610 million ($759 million) in lost or delayed revenues. The company, however, sees a “gradual and phased recovery from Q3 into the final quarter of the year”.

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Global Airlines' Es mated Coronavirus Losses Rise To $314 Billion: IATA

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s mated global airline losses from the coronavirus pandemic have climbed to $314 billion, 25% more than previously forecast, owing to the severity of the economic downturn and a slower than previously expected reopening of interna onal routes.

The latest forecast from the Interna onal Air Transport Associa on (IATA) is up from the $252 billion figure given on March 24 and represents a 55% drop in 2020 passenger revenue compared with last year. Traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres is forecast to be 48% down this year, compared with the previously forecast 38% decline, industry body IATA said at a weekly online news conference on Tuesday.

“The recovery should be slower and the crisis deeper than we expected even one month ago,” Director General Alexandre de Juniac told Reuters TV in an online interview. The pandemic has brought air

travel to a virtual stands ll, with many airline fleets grounded and no visibility on when travel restric ons will be eased.

IATA has urged governments to provide airlines with liquidity urgently to help them to survive the crisis, warning that many will go bust within weeks unless they receive help.

The trade body, which represents airlines such as Lu hansa (LHAG.DE) and Bri sh Airways owner IAG (ICAG.L), said it expects domes c markets to be the first to reopen, as has happened in China, with interna onal routes following gradually.

A phased return of interna onal flights would s ll be problema c for airline finances because most carriers obtain the bulk of their revenue from interna onal routes, IATA said.

IATA urged na ons to co-operate on the li ing of restric ons and said it would organise a series of regional mee ngs to weigh a “restart plan” for the industry.

“These measures that have been implemented unilaterally by each state have to be li ed jointly otherwise it will not work,” de Juniac said. “You cannot say you authorise your ci zens to go abroad without having on the other side a state saying ‘I am ready to welcome them’.”

IATA was embarking on a three-stage plan to boost passenger confidence in flying, restore the confidence of governments and gain approvals from health authori es, he said. IATA has started a survey of passengers in 11 countries to understand the depth of concerns about air travel.

De Juniac told Reuters TV restoring demand would depend in part on measures such as controls and tes ng, and availability of specialist equipment.Once governments decide it is appropriate to li travel restric ons, flying will be safe “provided that these measures are properly designed and properly implemented,” he added.

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Exhibi ons Stopped In Iran Too for pa ents infected with the novel coronavirus in the buildings it owns as part of its social responsibility.

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nterna onal and na onal exhibi ons will remain canceled tenta vely un l June 9, the CEO of Iran Interna onal Exhibi ons Company said.

“This does not mean the canceled exhibi ons will not be held. We have rescheduled all of these fairs to be held later in the year,” Bahman Hosseinzadeh was also quoted as saying by Young Journalists Club. The official noted that the company has set up a recovery center

These centers will again be used for holding exhibi ons once the situa on returns to normal.

“Online spring fairs will con nue their sales un l the end of the first Iranian month [April 19] to provide essen al goods during the outbreak of the new coronavirus,” Deputy Industries Minister Hossein Modarres Khiyabani said. According to the official, all suppliers are required to follow health and disinfec on protocols while offering products to the public, Mehr News Agency reported.

Spring fairs, which were ini ally canceled across the country due to the

extraordinary situa on caused by the spread of the virus, have been running online at www.bahar99.ir since March 13.

Ali Rahbari, the head of Commerce Development Center of Iran, says the decision to run the fairs online is aimed at compensa ng part of losses inflicted on guilds that had planned to offer their products to the public in the runup to the Iranian New Year holidays (March 19-April 3), Fars News Agency reported. A total of 319 online shops and businesses have taken part in this year’s edi on of spring fairs.

Spring fairs are organized every year with the aim of directly supplying locallyproduced goods, including rice, sugar, oil, pasta, tomato paste, red meat, chicken, eggs, milk, bu er, yogurt, pastry, chocolates, nuts, bags, shoes, apparel and detergents, at cheap prices to the public.

IBTM Postpones IBTM Asia Pacific 2020

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eed Travel Exhibi ons has postponed the inaugural edi on of IBTM Asia Pacific 2020 which will be held in Singapore on 13-14 April 2021. The decision has been taken following the latest advice from its partners in view of the ongoing ba le against Coronavirus.

Commen ng on postponement, Shane Hannam, Por olio Director, IBTM Events, said: “This is not a decision we have taken

lightly; our customers, partners and team in Singapore have worked incredibly hard on the event and while it is disappoin ng to postpone, it’s impera ve that we priori se the health and safety of everyone involved. We are extremely grateful for the understanding of our customers, partners and team, and for the strong support we have had since announcing this new addi on to our por olio.

We also recognize that business has to con nue. With this in mind, over the coming weeks, we will be crea ng ways of keeping our community connected to support and collaborate and to keep our world moving during this difficult period.

We are commi ed to Singapore as a host city and look forward to returning to the

region very soon to meet with as many customers and partners as possible.”

And Dr. Edward Koh, Execu ve Director, Conven ons, Mee ngs and Incen ve Travel, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We will work closely with Reed Travel Exhibi ons and our partners to provide the assistance they need during this me.

IBTM is a valued partner, and their Asia Pacific show remains a key highlight in Singapore’s event calendar.”

IBTM, part of Reed Travel Exhibi ons (RTE) is the world’s leading showcase for the mee ngs and events industry with a por olio of 5 global and regional events providing business solu ons on 5 con nents. They include IBTM World, IBTM Africa, IBTM Americas, IBTM China and the recently launched IBTM Asia Pacific. IBTM China is scheduled to be held in Beijing, Aug. 26-27, 2020.

Global News

Germany’s Oktoberfest Unlikely to Take Place This Year

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he annual Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer fes val, is unlikely to take place this year due to the coronavirus crisis, the premier of the southern German state of Bavaria said on Thursday.

Known as the world’s largest beer fes val – Oktoberfest a racts more than six million visitors to Munich every year.

Visitors from all around the world have fun si ng together on long communal tables to swig beer, eat sausages & lavish foods, and listen to jazz bands.

Bavarian premier Markus Soeder told journalists he was very skep cal whether this year’s fes val – scheduled from Sept.

19 to Oct. 4 – could take place and said he would make a final decision with Mayor Dieter Reiter in the next two weeks.

The German government and regional state governors agreed on Wednesday to start relaxing some of the lockdown rules introduced last month to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but said big events would stay banned un l Aug. 31.

The Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest is the world’s largest Volksfest (beer fes val and travelling

funfair). Held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, it is a 16- to 18-day folk fes val running from mid or late September to the first Sunday in October, with more than six million people from around the world a ending the event every year.

Locally, it is called d’Wiesn, a er the colloquial name for the fairgrounds, Theresienwiese. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other ci es across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebra ons that are modeled a er the original Munich event.

During the event, large quan es of Oktoberfest Beer are consumed: during the 16-day fes val in 2013, for example, 7.7 million litres (66,000 US bbl; 1,700,000 imp gal) were served. Visitors also enjoy numerous a rac ons, such as amusement rides, sidestalls, and games.

There is also a wide variety of tradi onal foods available.

The Munich Oktoberfest originally took place in the 16-day period leading up to the first Sunday in October. In 1994, this longstanding schedule was modified in response to German reunifica on. As such, if the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or the 2nd, then the fes val would run un l 3 October (German Unity Day).

Thus, the fes val now runs for 17 days when the first Sunday is 2 October and 18 days when it is 1 October. In 2010, the fes val lasted un l the first Monday in October (4 October), to mark the event’s bicentennial.

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Gamescom 2020 Goes Digital

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amescom is one of the largest fan events for gaming on the planet.

Each year, more than 370,000 people visit the expo in the German city of Cologne.

This dwarfs American events like E3 and PAX, which a ract 50,000-to-70,000 people.

The German government has announced plans to prohibit large events through the end of August. This comes in addi on to its personal lockdown, which it extended through May 3 earlier today. Chancellor Angela Merkel and local governors want to prevent COVID-19 from spreading at spor ng events, concerts, and other fes vals through the summer. These limita ons should also cause Gamescom organizers to officially cancel or delay the massive gaming event.

Till few days ago, the Gamescom group was s ll planning to hold the gathering for August 25 through August 29. However, Gamescom 2020 won’t be happening now, at least not in its tradi onal form. In response to the mandate, the Gamescom team has put out an official statement saying that it will “under no circumstances” move forward with the physical show but says that it’s planning a replacement digital event. It looked likely that Gamescom 2020 would be affected

by Covid-19. A er all, E3 2020 has already been cancelled and Microso is transi oning to “digital experiences” in the run-up to the Xbox Series X launch.

The organizer went onto confirm that Gamescom 2020 will now be a fully digital event, and that it is “working at full speed” to accomplish this massive pivot.

All ckets that were purchased for the original event will be refunded in full as well. It seems the same August window will be used for this online event also, with the organizer asking fans to “look forward to how we will celebrate the best games and gamescom together with you and millions of gamers worldwide at the end of August”. Geoff Keighley also took to Twi er to confirm that the Gamescom: Opening Night Live stream will kick off on August 24.

“It’s official: unfortunately, gamescom will under no circumstances take place on site in Cologne this year. Just like many of you, we are disappointed, because, as the gamescom team, we have been working on a wonderful gamescom 2020 for months, just like the many exhibitors.

However, it is also quite clear to us that, in the face of the corona pandemic, we must stand united.”

Gamescom Asia s ll going on ahead

despite coronavirus concerns, says organisers A major gaming fes val due to take place in Singapore in October will proceed despite the cancella on of its main event in Germany and expecta ons that the coronavirus outbreak will last for more months. The organiser Koelnmesse said on Friday (April 17) that staging the inaugural Gamescom Asia, which is expected to a ract tens of thousands of fans, is s ll on track.

Managing director Mathias Kuepper told The Straits Times: “In all aspects, planning for the event is s ll going ahead but we are assessing the situa on in Singapore and the surrounding region very closely.

“Whether or not we are confident that the global numbers for Covid-19 will tail off by then, we leave that to the projec ons of the health authori es and will do our part to follow the Singapore Government’s advisories on large-scale events.” Singapore’s circuit breaker measures have banned all major gatherings, forcing events like concerts, theatre produc ons and fes vals to be cancelled or postponed. The curbs are due to end on May 4 but may be extended.

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UFI: AI Serving Our Exhibi on Needs

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peaking about AI, Ma hias (Tesi) Baur said "Ar ficial Intelligence (AI) is a digital hot topic that’s sure to dominate discussions in the months to come.

Indeed, in a recent ar cle by Stephan Forseilles, the Digital Innova on Commi ee iden fied AI as a key development to influence the exhibi on industry. Recent research has shown that most C-level managers in the industry see AI as a posi ve development for the exhibi on world.

However, will we make the same mistake with AI as we have with social media, staying largely inac ve and not pushing for developments that specifically serve our needs? In the past, topics such as ‘social media’ and ‘communi es’ featured heavily in discussions, yet no proac ve steps were taken. Too o en, we wait un l a supplier develops digital func onality to enhance our business model for us. As an industry, we should be more proac ve in specifying and inves ga ng which AI func onality could enhance our offering for customers." Stephan Forseilles pointed out “AI is poten ally a revolu on for our socie es. Some think it will impact us as much as the inven on of fire or the wheel. However, AI is not a miracle solu on to all our problems.

We have to make sure we properly educate everyone in our organisa ons

(but par cularly in our C-suite) about the real capabili es of AI. It needs to become another natural tool in their strategic arsenal.” While Peter Tubak said “Every new technology is a poten al source of new services and products. As AI imitates (follows) the processes of human cogni on, it is predes ned to have a game-changing role in industries dealing with human interac ons.

I am sure that, with the evolving power and miniaturisa on of ‘AI hardware’, we will see start-ups growing up and reforming/reshaping (maybe even disrup ng) the event industry.” and Gunnar Heinrich expressed “To make AI a real compe ve differen ator (and it definitely has the poten al to be exactly that), it also needs a data strategy and valid data. In our industry, you o en find at C-level s ll only the vague feeling that data could be somehow beneficial. But then it is lacking a clear idea of how to derive a data strategy from the overall corporate strategy and put it into ac on.”

Maria Drozdova says “AI is an essen al part of technological progress and it will con nue to develop rapidly in the years to come. How will it influence the event industry, with a great degree of human resource involvement and the contribu on of certain personali es playing a significant and determining role?

AI doesn’t have to replace people, but it

can simplify and speed up the processes.

To help arrange mee ngs? Yes. To choose your business partner or to contribute to the dialogue? Not sure at all. AI is a tool and human is s ll human.” and Silke Hoersch said “Every new technology brings with it some measure of fear. When we first saw trains, cri cs said mankind will pay for the hellish inven on. In fact, new technologies have brought to us things that have extended the human experience in some profound ways. AI will support the event industry by reading data streams and interpre ng them to help us get be er at what we are doing. There are many opportuni es where AI can enhance the event experience – by conversing with humans in a natural language, by iden fying emo ons and by recognising objects.

What the providers of such solu ons will have to learn is to build systems that have ethical and moral values. It is clear that AI is important and that it offers huge poten al for us as an industry. We need to combine our exper se to push this topic forward. As the Digital Innova on Commi ee, we are dedicated to providing a pla orm for this topic. Please talk to us and share your thoughts and any best prac ces you’ve seen so that we can share this with the industry as a whole.”

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Hong Kong Expo Now Online

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he Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has announced new innova ve mechanisms for trade exchange for Indian businesses. For the first me ever, buyers from India can provide their sourcing requirements and HKTDC will provide free business matching service, connec ng them with the most relevant suppliers from across the world online. Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), a statutory body dedicated to crea ng opportuni es for businesses in Hong Kong has announced a slew of facilita ons at the Spring Virtual Expo aimed at a rac ng exis ng and other ac ve buyers from India and helping them capture new opportuni es online amid COVID 19 disrup on. HKTDC, which launched its month-long Spring Virtual Expo on 1 April will give Indian businesses a new channel to establish contact and source from quality vendors.

The HKTDC’s online marketplace features

around 130,000 quality suppliers and more than 2 million interna onal buyers, with over 24 million business connec ons made every year. Supplier informa on is verified by third-party organisa ons to enhance buyers’ sourcing confidence.

HKTDC Execu ve Director Margaret Fong said: “To help enterprises de over the COVID-19 outbreak, we are launching a series of digital ini a ves, including webinars and virtual exhibi ons. We are also offering online-to-offline (O2O) promo on packages for companies to par cipate in our physical exhibi ons and conduct promo ons through our online pla orm, offering a double opportunity to expand their customer base and capture orders.” The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted business ac vity and supply chains across the globe, with numerous trade fairs and events around the world being postponed or cancelled, depriving many enterprises of business and marke ng opportuni es.

According to global exhibi on industry associa on UFI*, poten al deals worth at least US$145 billion were not concluded as events failed to take place as scheduled. To help companies rise to the challenge, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is offering number of new pla orms and special packages to capture every business

opportunity available. “Exhibitors can showcase products at the exhibi ons and promote online at the same me. This extends the fair period so businesses can reach more buyers and field orders,” said Ms Fong. Ms. Fong added that the HKTDC will organise a Summer Sourcing Week from 25 to 28 July. Featuring nine fairs located at the same venue, it will provide a one-stop cross-industry pla orm for global buyers to replenish their stocks.

Addi onally, the HKTDC is looking into O2O business-matching services at its fairs so that overseas buyers who cannot come to Hong Kong can locate target exhibitors in advance.

Video conferences will be arranged between buyers and exhibitors to discuss business deals. To further enhance the effec veness of business matching, the Spring Virtual Expo focuses on four themes: technology- ligh ng and electronics; gi s and houseware; lifestyle; and fashion and beauty. Ligh ng, construc on and hardware, electronics and computer accessories; home products, gi s, toys, baby products and sta onery; jewellery, watches and glasses; and fashion accessories, clothing, and health and beauty products are what the 33 groups of products covered under the four themes will include.

Facebook’s Annual Virtual Reality Conference Now Virtual-only

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acebook has announced that it would be shelving the in-person component of its virtual reality-focused Oculus Connect 7 conference due to COVID-19 concerns and would be focusing on a digital format. Facebook hadn’t announced dates for the event, the conference is typically held in late September or early October.

“In light of the evolving public health risks related to COVID-19, we’ve decided to shi Oculus Connect 7 to a digital format later this year,” a company blogpost read.

“This was a tough decision to make, but

we need to priori ze the health and safety of our developer partners, employees, and everyone involved in OC7.” California governor Gavin Newsom said it was “unlikely” that spor ng events with fans in a endance would return this summer.

While the major tech giants had already cancelled the in-person components of their spring and summer developer conferences, this cancella on calls into ques on how realis c melines are for tech events that have been rescheduled from spring to the fall. Conferences have

long been cri cal to the indie games industry with small studios o en using the gatherings to form rela onships with publishers. With many of the virtual reality industry’s major events shu ering over the past couple years as hype has waned, Oculus Connect has remained perhaps the most important event of the year for VR developers.

As with the in-person cancela on of F8, Facebook is making a $500,000 dona on that will priori ze organiza ons serving local San Jose residents, they said.

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UFI 2020 European Conference Cancelled

UFI, the global associa on for the exhibi on industry, has announced the cancella on of its 2020 European Conference. The event had been scheduled to take place in Gothenburg, 35 June. The next UFI European Conference will take place 5-7 May 2021 in Poznan, Poland. The June conference, which was to have been hosted at the Swedish Exhibi on & Congress Centre in Gothenburg, could not go ahead as planned due to the coronavirus outbreak, the associa on said.

The co-located Forum on HR which was due to take place from 2-3 June at the same venue has also been cancelled. “The ongoing pandemic has le us with no other choice. We wanted to run the events as soon as possible, however we could not find suitable dates later this year, when our hosts and the wider industry will undoubtedly have very busy calendars. We thank our hosts at the Swedish Exhibi on & Congress Centre for being so accommoda ng, and we look

forward to bringing the event to Gothenburg at some me in the future,” said Nick Dugdale-Moore, UFI Regional Manager Europe. Registra on fees for industry professionals who have already registered for both events will be reimbursed. “We are of course sad not to be able to welcome UFI and our European exhibi on industry colleagues to Gothenburg this June,” said Carin Kindbom, CEO & President of the Swedish Exhibi on & Congress Centre, “however we will be delighted to and look forward to welcoming everyone back when the me is right.” The 2021 conference in Poznan will be hosted by Grupa MTP in their centenary year. “We are sorry not to be joining our colleagues in Gothenburg in June, however we are happy nonetheless to be confirmed as the hosts of next year’s UFI European Conference.

Founded in 1921, next year marks 100 years of organising tradefairs, a very important milestone for our company and the Polish exhibi on industry.

Please join us in Poznan to celebrate together in style,” said Tomasz Kobierski, Chairman of the Board of Grupa MTP. Although the European Conference will not take place this year, UFI will endeavour to facilitate mee ngs between members at various smaller events across Europe, once restric ons on travel and

mee ngs have been li ed. Informa on and details of these mee ngs will be published in due course. The UFI HR Management Working Group is now also looking at ways to bring the material from the forum to the UFI membership and promises more details to follow. “Once we get through this crisis and shows can open their doors again, all of us at UFI look forward to visi ng as many tradefairs and venues of our members across Europe as possible. We will organise smaller mee ngs where members and others can network and share ideas, both formal and informal. Exhibi ons and tradefairs in the post-Covid-19 era will play a crucial role in the economic recovery at a local and regional level and we will need to work together to support each other, as our industry always does.” said Nick Dugdale-Moore. In the mean me, UFI is suppor ng our global community and the industry at large in many ways. A list of resources including an overview of government support programmes in around 60 countries around the world is available on the website. UFI has also launched ‘UFI Connects, a designated online programme of educa onal talks, panels, and sessions to provide content and dialogue while the regular events and educa onal programmes cannot take place as usual.

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Hoteliers Ask For Tourism Marke ng Plan

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disha hoteliers have asked the state government to prepare a marke ng plan before it eases a lockdown to contain the covid19 outbreak. “The plan can be rolled out instantly without was ng any me. This shall be short-term and longterm. Major thrust areas are to be domes c, Indian corporates with proper guidelines and various incen ves for MICE (Mee ngs, Incen ves, Conferences & Exhibi ons) segment.

All Odisha based corporates can be given direc ves to hold their mee ngs, seminars, conferences and dealers meet inside the state for the next two years”, JK

Mohanty, chairman, Hotel & Restaurant Associa on of Odisha (HRAO) said in a memorandum to Vishal Dev, secretary (tourism, sports & youth affairs), Odisha government. Mohanty suggested that the state tourism department may roll out a massive adver sement campaign post Covid-19, posi oning Odisha as a safe des na on for tourists. Besides, the announcement of a robust tourism policy laced with incen ves can be a major impetus for tourism infrastructure in the state. HRAO has suggested that a Covid task force be cons tuted with five to six members drawn from the associa on with the endorsement of the department of tourism.

The task force members can interact threadbare with the government on all points rela ng to the revival package a er lockdown and monitor the implementa on. The hotel guild has also listed its litany of woes and demanded a revival package to bail the distressed industry out of this unprecedented crisis.

Sta ng that the moratorium of three months on loans announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) won’t suffice, HRAO has demanded that the tenure should be extended to one year on all working capital, principal & interest payments and loans & overdra s.

Moreover, SMEs (small & medium enterprises) should be allowed to avail collateral and interest free loans in tourism to help them sustain and rebuild.

Mohanty has also lobbied for tax concessions considering the plight of the industry. He said “SGST should be waived off ll the me the situa on becomes normal. It will show signs of posi vity from the government side to support tourism and hospitality industry. The state government should also try and convince the central government for a similar step.

Moreover, there needs to be waiver of fees for any upcoming licenses/permits renewal for the hospitality and travel industry across the state ll the me revival happens”.

Conference On COVID-19 Impact On Trade & Industry

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he Jammu Chapter of PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI) organized an interac ve video conference on ‘Emerging scenario and impact of COVID-19 on Trade & Industry of J&K’.

Na onal Principal Director, Ranjit Mehta & Director, Mallika Verma, Jammu Region Chapter Chairman PHDCCI, Rakesh Wazir, Immediate former Chairman, Vikrant Kuthiala, Co-Chairman, Rahul Sahai, immediate Co-Chairman, Kuldeep Gupta, Chairman HRAK, Shyam Lal Kesar, PHDCCI Convener (Head) Reasi District, Virender Kesar, Convener (Head) Patnitop, Kushal Magotra, Execu ve members R.D Anand, Vinodh Sachdeva, Sanjay Aggarwal, Pankaj Jain, Nandan Kuthiala, Sidhant Choudhary, Anil Gupta, Ajay Kotwal, Narender Sharma, Iqbal Fayaz Jan, Aditya Vaid etc were present in the conference.

Ranjit Mehta started the delibera ons

and asked the par cipants for having their view point with reference to Caronavirus crisis and difficul es being faced by trade & industry. Rakesh Wazir elaborated the difficul es being faced by different sec ons of the society and said that Government should realise that increase in the speed of internet is not luxury but necessity.Vikrant Kuthiala said that COVID19 pandemic has presented new roadblocks for Indian economy, causing disrup ve impact on the world of work.Rahul Sahai highlighted transport sector problems.

Kuldeep Gupta stated that bank should come forward to tackle slowdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. Kesar, R.D Anand & Sidhant Choudhary said that hospitality sector is the worst sufferer and requested the Government for deferment of all statutory liabili es including EMIs, to a minimum of 12 months. Sanjay Aggarwal

suggested that Coronavirus Pandemic has been affec ng the livelihoods of almost everyone and it hasn’t spared the Indian automo ve industry either. Vinod Sachdeva said that Tex le units having their labour inside should be allowed to func on. Pankaj Jain stated that it is strange that Central government says that food supplies and supply of essen al commodi es should con nue but on the contrary different district administra on issue different guidelines.

Rakesh Wazir, Vikrant Kuthiala and Rahul Sahai assured the par cipants that the issues will be brought to the no ce of the concerned authori es. Anil Gupta said that Indian Pharma industry has been a world leader in generics both globally and in domes c markets contribu ng significantly to the global demand for generics in terms of volume

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Covid-19 Pandemic Severly Impacts World Exhibi on Industry

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disha hoteliers have asked the state government to prepare a marke ng plan before it eases a lockdown to contain the covid19 outbreak. “The plan can be rolled out instantly without was ng any me. This shall be short-term and longterm. Major thrust areas are to be domes c, Indian corporates with proper guidelines and various incen ves for MICE (Mee ngs, Incen ves, Conferences & Exhibi ons) segment.

All Odisha based corporates can be given direc ves to hold their mee ngs, seminars, conferences and dealers meet inside the state for the next two years”, JK Mohanty, chairman, Hotel & Restaurant Associa on of Odisha (HRAO) said in a memorandum to Vishal Dev, secretary (tourism, sports & youth affairs), Odisha government. Mohanty suggested that the state tourism department may roll out a massive adver sement campaign post

Covid-19, posi oning Odisha as a safe des na on for tourists. Besides, the announcement of a robust tourism policy laced with incen ves can be a major impetus for tourism infrastructure in the state. HRAO has suggested that a Covid task force be cons tuted with five to six members drawn from the associa on with the endorsement of the department of tourism.

should be extended to one year on all working capital, principal & interest payments and loans & overdra s.

Moreover, SMEs (small & medium enterprises) should be allowed to avail collateral and interest free loans in tourism to help them sustain and rebuild.

Mohanty has also lobbied for tax concessions considering the plight of the industry.

The task force members can interact threadbare with the government on all points rela ng to the revival package a er lockdown and monitor the implementa on. The hotel guild has also listed its litany of woes and demanded a revival package to bail the distressed industry out of this unprecedented crisis.

Sta ng that the moratorium of three months on loans announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) won’t suffice, HRAO has demanded that the tenure

He said “SGST should be waived off ll the me the situa on becomes normal. It will show signs of posi vity from the government side to support tourism and hospitality industry. The state government should also try and convince the central government for a similar step. Moreover, there needs to be waiver of fees for any upcoming licenses/permits renewal for the hospitality and travel industry across the state ll the me revival happens”.

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UFI's Webinar On Covid-19 And An Update From Asia

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he latest webinar by UFI provided a welcome link and update to the industry in Asia as it reacts to the coronavirus threat. There were many insights and lessons for those joining remotely. Four senior UFI members offered local updates during an UFI webinar: Covid-19, Update from Asia, for which 360 of their global industry peers tuned in to hear about the impact of the coronavirus on businesses and local markets. It was also an opportunity to ask ques ons and compare experiences. The webinar was part of a series of regional updates from UFI and its Regional Manager Asia/Pacific, Mark Cochrane moderated the 75-minute session from Hong Kong.

First up was Michael Kruppe, General Manager at Shanghai New Interna onal Exhibi on Center (SNIEC) who traced the affects of the coronavirus on China and the exhibi on business in par cular. He painted a vivid picture of 600m Chinese people’s travel plans being ini ally curtailed over New Year as the country locked down to stop the disease spreading, but said that daily life was now returning to something approaching normal in Shanghai.

“Around 80% of office staff are back at work,” he said and described the

government’s stringent ‘traffic light’ measures for disease control. Although internal transmission of the disease is almost negligible, he said foreigners were now not allowed in to China, something Kruppe thought was wise, given that waits of up to 50 hours have been common for entry arrivals via the necessary quaran ne hotels. SNIEC had zero exhibi on business for the February-April period, Kruppe reported, with most shows being postponed.

“We are hoping for something in May maybe,” he said, and welcomed the news that Tier 2 city Shenyang’s exhibi on centre had received permission to start opera ng again. He explained the measure was likely a way of tes ng the waters as few foreigners would be involved, given that pressure on decisionmakers to not give the green light too early was immense. “We are working daily with Chinese local government explaining how we are ge ng prepared for restar ng” said Kruppe. “But we are rigorously implemen ng the government restric ons in order to protect visitors.

We follow protocols and are protec ng our venues, even though they may be empty,” he said. Kruppe also explained the use of mobile technology and QR codes with GPS tracking for keeping tabs on visitors and their health status.

“This system is working very well,” he said. Balasubramanian S Pillai, President of the Indian Exhibi on Industry Associa on (IEIA) asked whether Kruppe expected shows to shrink or grow when the situa on “comes back to normal”.

Kruppe answered the situa on was complex, given that a typical large show could have 30% foreign par cipa on in Shanghai, which meant the domes c stakeholders had to be convinced it would s ll be worth going ahead. It could be that the first shows in the new ‘normal’ had small square meterage, he admi ed.

Elucida ng on the green shoots of good news from Shenyang, Diane Chen, General Manager at Shenyang New World Expo, in Liaoning province, confirmed the centre had been told by authori es the ban on exhibi ons there had been li ed, with the city repor ng no new Covid-19 cases for 28 days.

The first show could be organised by Shanghai Modern on 27-29 April, she believed. Michael Duck, Informa Exhibi ons Asia, took up the theme, gree ng the UFI community and no ng “it seems a long me since Rome and the audience with the Pope!” “I had hoped never to be in a posi on like SARS again,” Duck said, no ng that coronavirus had taken everybody by surprise and anxie es had affected all.” Although professing himself an op mist, Duck did warn that some postponements were spilling over into 2021 because there was no more space available in late 2020. In terms of Informa, he said, the first show now on the books in Hong Kong was a jewellery show in June.

“The industry really wants the show,” he underlined. Duck noted the lack of cash in the system with no ‘lifeblood’ circula ng, although the government was trying to put something back in. He also welcomed the sparks of op mism at Shenyang and noted the situa on in Japan was slowly going back to something like ‘normal’.

Duck reported that his Hong Kong office was now open with a full complement of people, and Informa offices are

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open in Shanghai.

He reported a new Hong Kong government ini a ve for giving approximately USD$1,300 to SMEs towards exhibi ng at a tradeshow in future and noted subsidies were also available for venue costs for up to a year for some organisa ons. He described that as welcome help, with the last fair taking place in December in Hong Kong. Duck also drew a en on to the livelihoods of the stand contractors and other increasing pressures on employers in the sector. Mark Cochrane asked if the situa on was easier for countries oriented predominantly on shows for the domes cmarkets, like Japan. Duck said that with the Tokyo Olympics postponed, there could be opportuni es for Big Sight to move back into exhibi ons, as it had been commissioned as a media centre for the Games. He thought a network of ‘safe’ markets in Asia could soon also be forming. “We will all need to look at different ways of pu ng on new shows.

Maybe some of the security systems might not be needed,” he added. “A er all the problem now is not terrorism, it’s the virus. We don’t want lots of people queuing in future.” Cochrane asked how the organiser landscape might change.

“Some will undoubtedly struggle to carry on and we will see some amalgama ons,” said Duck, who said the more nimble subcontractors without so many fixed costs were most likely to win through. “The fi est will survive,” he said. SACEOS and AIPC President and CEO of SingExpo,

Aloysius Arlando noted that, in Singapore, what had begun as a public health emergency had become an economic emergency over the following months.

support for the broader economy in general, including tourism and avia on, Arlando said that there was 25% government underwri ng of wages and some lifelines to avia on.

“The trillion-dollar ques on is when it will end,” he said. Singapore was now dealing with a rise in imported cases of Covid-19 and anxiously awai ng the return of 200,000 of its students from abroad. New restric ons had been brought in and there was great emphasis, he said, on contact tracing and thermal screening and being generally pro-ac ve in tracking the disease. He contrasted, however, the situa on over SARS, where three months into the outbreak there had been light at the end of the tunnel. With Covid-19, Arlando said, “it was anyone’s guess how long it will last and when a vaccine will come out”. “We cannot be complacent,” he said, “as we just don’t know how the virus will morph.” Arlando added that Plan Bs were needed for all, no ng that while the first postponements in January/February had been for the JuneAugust period, “we are now seeing plans for shows put in the first quarter of 2021.”

He said the exhibi on industry should be ready for any restart and ruefully suggested summer holidays would probably have to be thrown out the window. He acknowledged the industry could face challenges around profile protec on and the whole circuit of events would probably need a global reset.

“There will definitely be a bunching of events,” he said. V. Anbu, CEO of BIEC in Bangalore, India, and incoming UFI President, added that India had been lucky that many large shows had already managed to take place before the coronavirus hit during the quieter me of year for shows. Most were scheduled for quarters three and four, said Anbu. One ques on from the UFI audience that cropped up many mes was whether the virus outbreak was driving virtual events technology. “No doubt some are looking to make it work,” said Michael Duck, who thought it would be far more common alongside future shows. He admi ed such technology could also be “a viable alterna ve” for shows unable to take place at all. Michael Kruppe recommended all interested in future UFI webinars to check the associa on’s website and wrapped up the discussion with some thoughts that the industry would have a “big puzzle” to solve about managing the likely big calendar squeeze

“The ‘new normal’, even if we get out of the woods, must be precau onary measures being taken un l we get a vaccine,” the SingEx CEO added and predicted a broad U-shape curve of recovery, but underlined that, “our shows depend on where the buyers are coming from”. Expanding on a newly announced Singapore government package of

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UAE Par cipates In IAEE- MENA Chapter Forum on "Challenges of Exhibi ons Industry Amid COVID-19" on the local sectors and ac vi es of the exhibitors. We should also count on those who have good experience in video conferencing technology and encourage our clients to use the virtual exhibi ons to promote their business, as well as to stay away from the tradi onal marke ng methods and to use other tools aligned with the current circumstances, added AlMidfa. 'The decision-makers should realize that the exhibi ons and conferences sector is part and parcel of the economic recovery plans like other economic sectors.

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is Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, the CEO of the Expo Centre Sharjah and Member of the Interna onal Associa on of Exhibi ons & Events (IAEE MENA Chapter), called for redefining the exhibi ons through the investment in the new technologies, such as the 5G communica ons, robots, and the AI technologies and the development of a new concept of the conferences, exhibi ons, and events sector, stressing that the exhibi on industry must be an integral part of the economic recovery plans.

The remarks were made on the sidelines of Al Midfa's par cipa on, as a representa ve of the UAE, in the virtual regional forum of the IAEE MENA Chapter en tled 'Challenges & solu ons and its impact on the exhibi ons industry and the future of its employees. The event was a ended by David DuBois, President & CEO, IAEE, Bilal Al Barmawi, Chairperson, IAEE MENA Chapter, Dr. Zuhair Al-Sarraj, Head of the Specialist group-Exicon Interna onal, Saeed bin Salem Al-Shanfari, CEO, Oman Exhibi on & Conven on Center, Abdul Rahman AlNassar, Kuwait Interna onal Fair Company, Tayseer Al-Mallah, Execu ve Director, Saudi Exhibi ons & Conferences Bureau, Mrs. Ikram Makni Hadri, President of the Sfax Interna onal and GM of the Sfax Business Development

Center, in addi on to the par cipa on of 250 members from the MENA region.

The forum discussed the challenges facing the conferences and exhibi ons sector in view of the economic repercussions of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, underlining the importance of providing governmental support programs and packages for the exhibi ons sector. The par cipants also urged the competent authori es to open the licenses for the events of the year 2021, in addi on to backing the virtual events for the me being prior to its adop on as a supporter for the future events and calling for enhancing the merges and partnerships between the organizers of the various events and fairs. Further steps should be taken. In his remarks, Al Midfa highlighted the impac ul role of conferences and exhibi ons sector in the economic life of the countries and in raising the na onal income and in achieving the sustainable economic development, underlining the importance of taking serious steps form all the states to come up with qualita ve ini a ves to help the exhibi ons industry restore its influen al role in reinforcing the economic sectors.

'In order to resume the events and ac vi es worldwide, we have to make use of the smart and digital pla orms to organize virtual exhibi ons while focusing

He also shed light on the s mulus package adopted by the UAE government to support the government and private agencies and the individuals, as well as the economic s mulus package adopted by the Sharjah government for the economic ins tu ons, including the Expo Centre Sharjah, poin ng out that these efforts would help enhance the confidence of the business community and local and interna onal companies in the exhibi ons industry. Al-Midfa concluded his remarks with the call for enhancing the communica on between the various economic sectors and launching interac ve webinars and sessions dedicated to decision-makers to come up with innova ve and quick solu ons. Diverse solu ons and proposals.

The discussions also included a number of proposals and solu ons, including the importance of communica ng with the clients to determine their future needs, as well as crea ng a joint pla orm for the conferences and exhibi ons organizers in the Middle East and North Africa. Among the recommenda ons made were calling on the exhibi ons organizers to put their own house in order to join the interna onal organiza ons and bodies to make use of their exper se and the importance of training the employees on the current stage technologies.