June 2020

Rs. 125

June 2020 Vol 7 Issue 11 Asia’s Most Read Magazine On Exhibitions

ITPO Submits SOP To Govt.

Exhibitions Begin To Get Clearance In Europe

“Exhibition industry is an

enabler of trade and economic development. As we move towards Covid-19 unlock, exhibition industry is ready with new SOPs and guidelines to restart and set the economic cycle rolling” Balasubramanian S Pillai ED & COO, IMTMA & BIEC President, IEIA

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Dear Readers, These are unprecedented mes for our industry. COVID 19 is one of the biggest disaster mankind has ever faced in recent mes, bringing disrup on to the human life worldwide. There is no denying to the fact that our Trade Fair industry, being a face to face sector, is among the worst hit amidst this pandemic. With the effect of Covid-19 the global exhibi on industry has seen significant damage with nearly 10,000 trade fairs and exhibi ons being cancelled or postponed globally, and India is not spared from this. But every crisis has a silver lining. The Exhibi on & Trade fair industry is resilient and is ever evolving. Trade fairs are the lifeline of MSMEs and the catalyst to every na on's economic growth. Trade fairs are irreplaceable for the value that they provide in connec ng the buyers with the sellers. In-fact we are confident that for our economy to re-open and revive, the exhibi ons will play a very significant role.

M I C E Showcase &

PSU BUZZ

We are confident soon the exhibi ons will be allowed to re-open. It is because of the fact that exhibi ons are not general mass gatherings. They are indeed, organised business events which are held in a controlled environment. Countries like Germany, China, Korea, Greece have been prudent of this fact and have made way for the exhibi ons to re-open. This is the kind of significance that the trade fairs have and i can say that they can never be replaced.

Having said that, virtual & AI will be our important friends at this me. This Crisis shall spur the adop on of new technologies, business models and move towards further digi sa on in the trade fair industry. For the par cipants who cannot travel, going hybrid can generate business opportuni es from the safety of their homes/ offices in their homecountries. Eventually, normalcy shall prevail and we can contemplate virtual being an added element in the armoury. It can be a hybrid model complemen ng the Physical events. Face to Face events are here to stay and it's something which can't be replaced.

Germany`s federal government has announced that B2B trade shows may resume as early as June. No longer classified under mass gatherings, such as Octoberfest, spor ng events or pop concerts where physical distancing is not possible, B2B trade shows have received the go ahead. Koelnmesse, which hosts Anuga, the world's largest food & beverage trade fair, said its special task force has been working on a comprehensive ac on plan to meet all special requirements issued by the federal, the state and the local governments but most importantly, keep all exhibitors, visitors, partners and colleagues safe.

UFI, the global associa on for the exhibi on industry, has welcomed the German government's move. “We are advoca ng that not all types of events are equal, and it is encouraging to see that this message has reached the government of one of the world's most important exhibi on markets,” said Mary Larkin, UFI President. “Every exhibi on is an organized event – as an industry, we know how to create condi ons where a endees can go about their business while taking the necessary precau ons in the age of COVID19.”

For any market looking for support, we recommend going through the “Good Prac ce Guide: Addressing COVID-19 Requirements for Re-Opening Business Events” that has been jointly produced by UFI, the Global Associa on of Exhibi on Industry, AIPC, the Interna onal Associa on of Conven on Centres and ICCA, the Interna onal Conven on and Congress Associa on. In India too, industry leaders and associa ons have been delibera ng on the re-opening of exhibi ons. It was impera ve that we reflected a collec ve voice for our industry to make a meaningful impact. For this reason and for the revival of our industry, a special campaign called 'India MICE Alliance' was launched by Exhibi on Showcase Media.

Headed by ITPO (Mr. Rajesh Agrawal, Chairman, India Mice Alliance & ED, ITPO), and ac vely supported by ICPB & IEIA, the IMA campaign reflects collec vely all voices of the Indian exhibi on and conven on industry.

A dra of SOPs was prepared by ITPO in close consulta on with various industry associa ons and trade bodies.

Notable contribu ons came in from FICCI, IEIA, IESA, FAITH, AIEO, EEMA and NIMA. A er collec ve review and feedback from the Advisory Commi ee, the final SOPs were approved by ITPO. The framework provides a comprehensive checklist for re-opening exhibi ons safely in India. It encompasses essen al guidelines for various stakeholders of the exhibi on eco-system including: 1. Measures to be adopted by Venue Provider(s) 2. Measures to be adhered to by Fair Organisers 3. Measures to be adhered to by Service Providers 4. Measures to be followed by Exhibitors 5. Measures to be followed by Business Visitors / Delegates The document also enlists addi onal SOPs for holding conference/seminar during the exhibi on. The framework concludes with an essen al Incoming Check Protocol. As of today, these SOP's have been duly submi ed to the Government by ITPO on behalf of the IMA ini a ve. We are hopeful for the early re-opening of exhibi ons in India.

Should you like to receive a copy of these SOPs, please feel free to write to me at raghav@exhibi onshowcase.com.

Exhibi on Showcase has been striving earnestly for the interests of our industry. As you aware that our MICE (Exhibi on and conference) industry is badly hit and being industry media, we are coming up with the world's first of its kind - Interna onal MICE Showcase 2.0, on 11 September 2020. It is a virtual event to showcase the preparedness of our sector. As industry begins to open up across the globe gradually, this event will be a useful pla orm to know about the new age solu ons for our sector. It will also bring thought leaders together to engage in construc ve dialogues, via the parallel day-long conference sessions. The event will close with a special awards ceremony – Interna onal MICE Icons, to honour the achievers of our industry at a global level. Entry to the event will be free for the benefit of our fraternity at large. We will also invite Govt. Officials to check out the level of professionalism and preparedness of our sector. Various industry associa ons and bodies like NSIC, TPCI, EEMA, FAITH, SITE, IESA, PATA, ADTOI, TAFI etc. are ac vely suppor ng this unique ini a ve for our industry. Over 2500 MICE industry professionals, Exhibi on & Conference organisers, global des na ons, venues and interna onal bodies will a end the event.

Check out this issue to know what's happening across the globe in the world of exhibi ons. And do not miss out on the exclusive interviews! Do subscribe to Exhibi on Showcase on your social media.

Exhibi on Showcase will con nue to serve you earnestly with passion and commitment.

Stay Safe and Take Care, Raghav Khosla Group Editor, Exhibi on Showcase, MICE Showcase, Associa on Buzz Founder, India MICE Alliance

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Germany

United Kingdom

State and local authori es in the German state of Hesse have given the "green light" for the Frankfurt Book Fair to be held at Messe Frankfurt and other loca ons in the city in October, based on a health and safety concept, the organiser of the show reports. This means that, a er Cologne, Düsseldorf, Munich, and Nuremberg, another leading German organiser/venue will host major shows this fall. The Frankfurt Book Fair is organised by the German Publishers & Booksellers Associa on. In 2019, it a racted more than 320,000 visitors.

The London Concours, organised by Thorough Events, will go ahead on 19-20 August. The event has been given approval to go ahead by the venue The Honourable Ar llery Company (HAC) providing it adheres to physical distancing guidelines. This will be the UK’s first major automo ve event to take place since the outbreak of Covid-19.

United States Good to see US states now moving ahead with opening conven on centres and conven ons, giving clear lists of measures to be i m p l e m e n t e d t o ke e p people safe. UFI's "Global Framework for Reopening Exhibi ons" and " U F I /A I P C / I C C A G o o d Prac ce Guide" provide global guidance for these.

America JMIC is sorry to hear about the cancella on of IMEX America for this year, but we fully support the decision Ray and Carina had to take. Our industry is losing a flagship show for this year yet again a er the cancella on of IMEX in Frankfurt. Yes, we will meet online - but eyeballs don't discuss deals, they don't sign orders, and they don't deepen connec ons. So we look all the more forward into 2021. The task for us as the industry right now is to stand united, and to do what we can to re-open the mee ng places and the market places of the world in a safe way for our colleagues and customers to be there. Kai Ha endorf, MD/CEO, UFI and President JMIC.

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Vietnam Vietnam plans to allow a resump on of flights to and from countries that have had no cases of coronavirus for 30 days, state media cited the prime minister as saying. with priority des na ons including Japan, South Korea and Cambodia.

Dubai Dubai soon to be open for #events as authori es adopt new regulatory standards for safe exhibi ons and conferences. We can’t wait!!

June 2020

Europe Across most countries on the European con nent, exis ng travel restric ons for are about to be li ed on June 15, allowing for business travel to resume as well as private tourism within Europe. "I believe we will return to the full func oning of the Schengen Area and the freedom of movement of ci zens no later than the end of June - both the health and poli cal situa on allows it," said the European Commissioner for home affairs Ylva Johansson.

Qatar Qatar has announced a phased meline to reopen businesses a er COVID-19, se ng a preliminary date of September 1 for businessrelated mass gatherings like trade shows, conferences to take place again. Like weddings and entertainment-related mass gatherings, exhibi ons are grouped in “Phase 4” of the reopening plan. The plan, presented by the government, foresees specific guidance and tailored precau ons for the implementa on.

“Qatar are the first country in the region to publish a re-opening plan, referencing many successful elements from other countries around the world”, says Naji El Haddad, UFI Regional Manager MEA.

Thailand

Singapore Authori es have established regula ons to enable essen al business travel between the city state and China in a bid to gradually encourage trade as Covid-19 comes under control. The Singapore-China ‘fast-lane” agreement will start on June 8 and will see business travellers on both sides exempt from strict quaran ne periods, the Straits Times reported.

As the number of ac ve cases of COVID-19 has declined further, Thailand is set to reopen exhibi on and conven on halls fromon June 1. Ini ally, ac vity space at every venue will be limited to 20,000 square metres. The move is part of a wider easing of restric ons, that includes a list of 14 areas, as reported by the Bangkok Post. TCEB has confirmed the measures. "Lis ng exhibi on and conven on venues right at the top of this list, together with shopping malls, is an indica on of the importance that decision makers in the country are assigning to our industry", comments UFI MD Kai Ha endorf.

"Our industry builds and operates the mee ng places and the market places that are key to rebuilding economies hit hard by the pandemic."

New Zealand New Zealand has li ed all restric ons on events as the country has lowered the COVID-19 risk level to 1, but will keep its borders closed. The Government's COVID-19 website says level 1 means "the disease is now contained in New Zealand", and the risk assessment says isolated household transmission "could be occurring" in the country. As part of this, restric ons on gatherings has completely li ed, as are restric ons on na onal travel. The country will con nue to keep its borders closed s ll, though, so interna onal events will s ll not be possible.

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June 2020

News Buzz

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

CII Outlines 10 Point Roadmap To Target Inclusive And Sustainable Growth COVID-19 has changed the status quo of the World and we need to focus our energies to manage growth, lives and livelihoods while considering the challenges associated with life a er COVID Mr Kotak said, while presen ng the following 10-point roadmap to revive growth in the post Covid world. “We are in uncharted territories and are grappling to find new ways to brave the changes.

But we are confident of the resilience of Indian industry and its innova ve skills to beat every such challenge,” he said.

1. Protec ng lives and livelihoods India, like many countries, is facing the challenge of saving lives and livelihoods.

As India restarts, Centre, State and local authori es must work together to ramp up tes ng infrastructure along with robust iden fica on of containment zones and an agile health and safety response to control the spread. As 80% of the employment is in unorganised sector with no social security, addressing the protec on of livelihoods will need measures to increase formalisa on of employment through labour and regulatory reforms which would also encourage businesses to move towards formal sector.

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he Confedera on of Indian Industry (CII) has laid out a 10-point road map to revive growth and navigate the challenges of loss of lives and livelihoods posed by the global pandemic Covid 19 that has forced countries across the world to reset their growth paths. CII’s new theme for 2020-21 Building India for a New World: Lives, Livelihood, Growth was unveiled by the newly elected president Mr Uday Kotak at a press conference held on a virtual pla orm.

Emphasising on the impera ve to bring back growth, the CII President said,

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“Growth is a necessity that should lead to crea on of more jobs while CII works as a knowledge partner with the Government for building self-reliant and compe ve India that is deeply engaged with the World”. CII’s press conference comes a day a er its special Annual General Mee ng held, for the first me, on a virtual pla orm, as CII commemorates and celebrates 125 years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the chief guest, inaugurated the AGM and laid out his expecta ons from CII and industry to get back growth.

June 2020

The government has announced that labour reforms would be brought in the coming days. Some states have already announced new labour laws in the states.

Industry will need to work in partnership to help create more jobs while bringing in more of the workforce under formal sector.

2. Priori sa on of Healthcare and Educa on: The pandemic heighted the need for a robust healthcare system on the same strategic priority as defence. India’s public health spending at 1.3% of GDP calls certainly for higher investment in public health. A long-term strategy of dealing with future pandemics through high

News Buzz quality preven ve healthcare, focus on nutri on, sanita on and hygiene needs to be established. India has tremendous shortage of healthcare professionals at all levels. Educa on plays a key role in achieving the required levels of standards in delivery of healthcare, nutri on and hygiene.

Given the vast expanse of India and penetra on of broadband connec vity, the e- healthcare and e-educa on interven ons alongside the tradi onal methods of delivery, can play a very vital role.

3. Mother nature The increase in the incidence and the intensity of natural calami es, locus a acks, and spread of disease calls for maintaining harmony with nature. COVID has shown us that the climate change is for real and that industrial ac vity is an important contributor to climate change.India has been at the forefront of climate change mi ga ng measures; however, we would need to deepen our work and accord a en on to sustainability in all our economic ac vi es. This is one area that CII has been engaged in deeply in many of our ac vi es as we have helped industry adopt sustainable business opera ons be it in energy usage and conserva on, water use and emissions through our Centres of Excellence.

4. Fiscal deficit and financial stability Government spending has been suppor ng the economy over the last few years. For substan ve economic recovery, government spending would be crucial.

However, this would mean higher fiscal deficit and rising public debt which would run the risk of ra ng downgrades and flight of capital besides leaving the currency vulnerable. Financial stability should also be an important factor while deciding the fiscal stance. Finding the fine balance will be of utmost importance at this crucial juncture as various stressed sectors of the economy will look for relief and s mulus packages.5. Distribu on of economic pain The pandemic has caused significant loss

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

to the economic systems including individual & businesses, Governments and the financial sector. While the first loss is taken by individuals and businesses, the government will need bear the heavy burden of losses by stepping in as a key buffer. A ba ered industry will need support from government in many forms, including investment friendly policies that will drive demand and measures to help de over the liquidity crisis.

6. Role of digital and physical The shi to digital during COVID from physical will have a las ng impact in the post COVID mes in terms of consumer behaviour. As industry find new business models, the role of Science and Technology becomes important. This lt in favour of the digital, also has the poten al to widen the rural versus urban divide.

The rural popula on is less skilled to par cipate in an economy with higher digital component and bringing digital skills to rural India is key to enhance rural jobs. The bright side is that connec vity to hinterlands through the telecom and digital services is growing significantly and this can be built upon to work on a more inclusive agenda.

7. Future of jobs and social security The post COVID world is likely to see some transforma onal changes in the context of jobs in the typical sense.

CII will work closely with Government to provide incen ves and facilita on to companies wan ng to shi their manufacturing opera ons out of China as part of their de-risking strategy. This will help India develop as manufacturing hub for the world. In addi on, front loading of the Na onal Infrastructure pipeline will not only create demand for industries like steel and cement but will also provide jobs. Government’ focus on enhancing agriculture infrastructure, linking farm produce to markets by APMC reforms will also help increase farm incomes and livelihoods.

8. Rural-urban re-balance For the first me in India, reverse migra on was experienced with migrant workers going back. Industry should be June 2020

encouraged to set up opera ons in the rural hinterland. The reforms announced in the minerals and mining sector should be expedited as most mining projects are in rural areas. Similarly, development of agro based clusters could be expedited in rural areas. A vibrant rural industrial sector will also de-risk the impact of COVID on economic ac vi es as spread of COVID is far less in rural areas.

Further, industry and government should make available ameni es in terms of housing, educa on and healthcare for workers who chose to come to the ci es to work.

9. Four levers for growth Out of the four engines of growth – consump on, investment, net exports and government spending, the economy has been primarily growing on government expenditure. This is not sustainable as the fiscal situa on is under pressure. Hence, it is essen al to re-start the other engines of the economy. Given demand uncertain es, private investment remains a challenge. Exports need a quantum jump and to achieve this integra on with global and regional value chains is important besides being compe ve.

In this scenario, CII will con nuously deliberate on how the private sector can play a role in igni ng the growth engines of private investments, exports and the forces of entrepreneurship.

10. Ge ng growth back is nonnego able Ge ng growth back is essen al to protect as well as generate jobs and livelihoods.

CII will work intensely and closely with all stakeholders to bring back investments.

Government spending in public infrastructure and direct benefits cash transfers may help boost demand ini ally but we need to find ways to sustain demand par cularly in such uncertain mes when consumers tend to save and get risk averse. The need of the hour is for government and industry to work together to return to a sustainable growth path.

INDIA

Exhibitions Think Tank Working together to redefine the industry

LET’S FIGHT THE CRISIS! REDEFINE THE EXHIBITIONS INDUSTRY

RAVINDER SETHI

SUDEEP SARCAR

SATYENDRA MEHRA

NABJEET GANGULI

CMD, RE ROGERS INDIA

CEO, INDIA EXPO MART

GROUP DIRECTOR, NÜRNBERGMESSE INDIA

Chief Marketing Ofcer, Informa Markets India

SAMEER KHEDKAR

HIMAKSHI SINGH

RAGHAV KHOSLA

Head - New Business Opportunities , Messe München India

Managing Partner, SHIVOM Enterprises

Group Editor, Exhibition Showcase, MICE Showcase, Association Buzz

News Buzz

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Frankfurt Fashion Week: Frankfurt Am Main To Become The New Hotspot For The Interna onal Fashion And Lifestyle Scene The two leading tradeshow organisers Messe Frankfurt and Premium Group are joining forces to launch Frankfurt Fashion Week.

From summer 2021, the Rhine-Main metropolis will be the new home of a forward-looking fashion and lifestyle community. The vision of a Fashion Week in Frankfurt am Main is now being turned into a reality with tradeshows, conferences, runway shows and events set to take place throughout the en re city. At the focus: the two overarching themes of digitalisa on and sustainability

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rankfurt Fashion Week will be making its debut in summer 2021. Joining forces to get the event off the ground are the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibi on grounds – Messe Frankfurt – and the organiser of Europe’s biggest fashion fair – the Premium Group – as the ini ators, as well as the City of Frankfurt am Main and the German state of Hesse as hosts.

Together they aim to create a brand-new ecosystem for tradeshows, conferences, runway shows and events for professionals and consumers in Frankfurt am Main.

“This will transform the financial centre of Frankfurt into a new hotspot for the interna onal fashion and lifestyle scene and create a new, interna onal fashion metropolis. Organising a Fashion Week in Frankfurt presents a unique economic opportunity for the City of Frankfurt am Main. We are expec ng posi ve knock-on effects with the genera on of more than 200 million euros per year for our hometown and the region,” emphasised Peter Feldmann, the Senior Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, at today’s press conference.

“Five pla orms, three tradeshows, two conferences, over 2,000 designers, brands and fashion companies – Frankfurt Fashion Week will become an extremely a rac ve and relevant des na on for the interna onal fashion business. We believe in the concept of a physical Fashion Week, but one that is different to anything we 17 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

have seen before. Frankfurt Fashion Week will enable us to fully play to our tex le strengths gained from over 50 tex le tradeshows worldwide. And it will result in new synergies along the en re supply chain”, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Execu ve Board of Messe Frankfurt.

From skyscrapers, exhibi on and concert halls and bars to clubs and off-loca ons – the whole city will become a stage for long-las ng business connec ons.

Fashion, design, media, art and music – the runway shows and events of Frankfurt Fashion Week bring together Frankfurt’s crea ve scene with the interna onal fashion community. Progressively curated and presented, closely interwoven with local and interna onal key players.

“Frankfurt Fashion Week is purposely aimed at a forward-looking, digital-savvy fashion and lifestyle community. B2B, B2C, B2P, P2P – all avenues are open. A synthesis of fashion, lifestyle, digital innova ons and sustainability is always guaranteed to result in something new and unexpected. And that is exactly our aim. Unveiling the unexpected. Frankfurt is a fresh, new loca on for this. We’re looking forward to it,” says Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group.

THE INDIA OPPORTUNITY “Messe Frankfurt’s Texper se strength combined with the vision of Frankfurt Fashion Week will create an exci ng ecosystem for a cross-integrated tradeshow and fashion event format. The coming mes will see fashion and sustainability take new meaning and the content of FFW focused around digi sa on and sustainability will be reflec ve of that – a space where transforma on will take shape and an opportunity that India's tex le, fashion and design community can simultaneously leverage.” said Mr Raj Manek, Execu ve June 2020

Director & Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd. NEW TECHNOLOGY MEETS APPLIED SUSTAINABILITY “Unveiling The Unexpected” is a promise: Frankfurt Fashion Week pools fashion, design, sustainability and technology, giving rise to unexpected coopera ons and showing what is already possible today. ‘Applied Sustainability’ and ‘Applied Digi sa on’ form the strategic pillars of the event. Frankfurt Fashion Week will make innova ve, more sustainable products, collec ons and business models accessible to the wider market. At the same me, it also promotes the futureoriented interconnec on of fashion and technology as part of the real-digital reality. With leading interna onal fairs like Techtex l, Texprocess and Texworld – and over 50 tex le fairs worldwide – the Texper se Network of Messe Frankfurt will open up further synergies. For a networked and more sustainable way of doing business in the tex le supply chain.

“Messe Frankfurt's Texper se strength combined with the vision of Frankfurt Fashion Week will create an exci ng ecosystem for a cross-integrated tradeshow and fashion event format.

The coming mes will see fashion and sustainability take new meaning and the content of FFW focused around digi sa on and sustainability will be reflec ve of that – a space where transforma on will take shape and an opportunity that India's tex le, fashion and design community can simultaneously leverage.” - Raj Manek, Execu ve Director & Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd.

News Buzz

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Spielwarenmesse eG Revamps Business Opera ons In India; IGCC Becomes Company’s Representa ve

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pielwarenmesse eG has been opera ng on the Indian market for the past eight years. During this period, the exhibi on organiser and marke ng services provider has successfully launched Kids India which has established itself as India's biggest B2B toy fair. It also enables interna onal exhibitors to par cipate through the World of Toys Programme. In response to the situa on surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers have introduced new strategic measures.

On 1 June, the Indo-German Chamber of

Commerce (AHK Indien) became the company's representa ve in India.

Spielwarenmesse eG's global network already comprises 58 interna onal representa ves serving 104 countries. In the future, AHK Indien will provide companies, trade visitors and media representa ves with all the informa on they need to par cipate in a trade fair “ from exhibitor and visitor registra on to organising travel.

extended to July 31, 2020. By contrast, Kids India will not be opening its doors in Mumbai this year. The unpredictable situa on linked to the coronavirus in India is making it impossible to stage the autumn fair in a safe and efficient environment. Spielwarenmesse eG is placing its trust in AHK Indien's highly experienced team. Having worked with AHK Indien during its first steps onto the Indian market, Spielwarenmesse eG is confident that this partnership will be as successful as before.

The next major project on the agenda is the Spielwarenmesse. Taking place in Nuremberg from January 27 to 31 2021, the world's leading industry event is already in the planning phase and is making allowances for the current situa on. The booking deadline for exhibitors, for example, has been

Commen ng on the change, Ernst Kick, CEO Spielwarenmesse eG, stated, "We are delighted to be able to rely on the professional support of AHK Indien. We s ll see a bright future and great poten al in this country, which is synonymous with advanced urbanisa on and a rapidly growing, well-educated middle class

First Virtual Fair On Indian Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair Successfully Concluded By EPCH

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he first virtual fair on Indian Fashion Jewellery & Accessories show concluded successfully with the visit of 1200 overseas importers from about 81 countries besides 500 buying agents and wholesalers and retailers said Shri Ravi K. Passi, Chairman – EPCH. The serious enquiries worth Rs. 150 crores were generated. Shri Rakesh Kumar, Director General – EPCH said that more than 200 member exporters of fashion jewellery & accessories par cipated in the show from all parts of the Country on the virtual pla orm reposing faith in EPCH's ability to provide a viable alterna ve marke ng pla orm to the exporters.

The fashion jewellery, semi precious jewellery, stoles, scarves, shawls, hand bags, clutch, purses, belts, wallets, neck es, beads, stones, crystal, hair accessories, fancy fashion footwear, ta oes and bindies were on display by the par cipants. As Covid pandemic has 18 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

compelled everyone to stay distanced and away from physical ac vi es, to remain in touch, digital pla orm is playing a pivotal role to transact businesses as well as personal lives ac vi es. Looking at the importance of digital pla orm, a webinar was also organised on last day in which Mr. Anuj Khanna, co-owner & CEO of Sava Interna onal was the speaker during the webinar and apprised the par cipants to use digital pla orm to enhance their reach.

Shri Ravi K. Passi, Chairman – EPCH said India has a wide range of raw material and also wide variety of fashion jewellery & accessories to offer to the world market.

Indian fashion jewellery is compe ve in prices, exclusive in designs and is a reflec on of our culture and tradi ons.

We s ll have lot to do as far as precision, finish and presenta on is concerned and we need to match our capabili es with our compe tors in China, Thailand, June 2020

Indonesia and other countries. Shri Kumar, DG – EPCH further elaborated that this first virtual fair has been a great learning experience for everyone including exhibitors, buyers and organisers and will surely help in organising further virtual shows on IHGFTex les to be held from 15 – 18 June, 20 and 49th IHGF Delhi Fair - Virtual 2020 to be held from 13 – 18 July, 20 and will also encourage many more exporters to onboard to the virtual pla orm thus paving way for successful future events.

It is expected that going by the successful organisa on of first virtual show on Indian Fashion Jewellery & Accessories, a large number of member exporters of the Council will be par cipa ng in shows to be held in on IHGF Tex les from 15- 18 June and 49th IHGF Delhi Fair - Virtual 2020 from 13 – 18 July, 2020.

News Buzz

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

IHE2020 Prepares To Go Virtual in Response To Post-Covid 19

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repara ons are in full swing to make the 2020 edi on of the India Interna onal Hospitality Expo (IHE), a 100 per cent online experience that will both facilitate maximum buyer-seller interac on and adhere to the physical distancing norms of the 'New Normal' world. “The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged us to keep coming up with new ideas and create new opportuni es out of adversity, so instead of deferring IHE2020, we opted to make it a click-andnavigate experience accessible from anywhere in the world,” the Chairman of India Expo Mart Limited (IEML), Mr Rakesh Kumar said while inaugura ng the new format. “We have succeeded in insula ng our show from travel advisories and health emergencies,” he added.

IEML organises IHE, which has been scheduled this year from August 5 to August 8. Last year, IHE2019 a racted over 21,000 visitors and 650 exhibitors showcasing more than 25,000 products across 38 categories, from kitchen equipment, tableware and glassware to furniture and fixtures, to wellness, housekeeping, laundry, food processing and cold storage, at the IEML Expo Centre in Greater Noida (U.P.).

To prepare for a smooth transi on to a virtual show, IEML has organised 14 webinars, including one virtual showcase of Covid 19-relevant products for the hospitality sector, and three more are in the pipeline. Over the past six weeks, these webinars have a racted the best19 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

regarded names in the hospitality sector from key ver cals that including hotels, restaurants, food processing, events, MICE, weddings and banque ng. Sharing an exhibitor's point of view, Hari Dadoo, Fair President, IHE, and owner of a na onal award-winning po ery company, said: “Using virtual technology, we at IEML can connect people separated by thousands of kilometers. Even though lockdowns are being li ed, people are reluctant to travel because of the long shadow of the pandemic. Online shows therefore are going to be important in a world where people today are reluctant to step out of their homes.” Explaining how the virtual showcase will work, Mr. Kumar said anyone anywhere in the world interested in accessing the show would have to log in and click on the appropriate bu on to go to the exhibi on zone, or to the masterclasses or sommelier training sessions, or a end the virtual food and hospitality conclave, or even watch the IHE Excellence Awards live.

Supported by a user-friendly naviga on system, visitors to the virtual IHE2020 can access the product catalogues of exhibitors, watch their corporate films, exchange virtual calling cards and even conduct follow-up conversa ons on WhatsApp – all without stepping out of their workplaces, or flying out of their ci es. Industry bodies, meanwhile, have responded posi vely to the move to make IHE2020 go virtual. “There could not be a be er me than this to make the move,” declared Anil Malhotra, President, Hotel June 2020

and Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Associa on of India (HOTREMAI), and Founder-CEO of the hospitality solu ons provider, HSMC Asia. “IHE2020 promises to be the right pla orm to take Indian products to a global audience. It will take the idea of Make in India to hotels beyond India,” he added. Malhotra also added a caveat: All exhibitors may not be equally online-savvy, or may not have the bestlooking catalogues, so some of them may require some hand-holding. Malhotra's HOTREMAI colleague and Chairman, FCML Distributors Pvt. Ltd., Nirmal Khandelwal, shares the general sense of op mism.

“This was the only way forward for IHE2020,” he said. Addressing the issue of physical verifica on of the products on display, Khandelwal, who's also on the IHE2020 advisory board, said the virtual showcase would give poten al buyers “a good idea of who's doing what and then check out the products at the opportune me”.

Rajat Pandhi, President, Associa on of Resource Companies for the Hospitality Industry of India (ARCHII), and Managing Director of the Panban Group, a hotel furniture and equipment company, also struck a posi ve note when he said: “IHE2020 has the poten al of becoming the hospitality industry's Amazon or Flipkart – a global online marketplace for hotel and restaurant products and services.”

The virtual show could also successfully reach out to untapped audiences in Tier-II and Tier-III ci es and towns with the right marke ng push, Pandhi added. And it will be much less expensive for exhibitors, who wouldn't have to spend on elaborate physical set-ups and on flying out their execu ves. Responding to the posi vity with which the announcement has been greeted, Rakesh Kumar said: “There's a lot happening at IHE2020 as we go about our plan to rewrite the business paradigm of trade shows in the post-lockdown world.

Our calendar ahead looks busy and we will keep upda ng you about the developments.”

News Buzz

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Tefla's Flagship Event Globoil India Goes Hybrid than 2000 delegates and 100 exhibitors from all over the world par cipate in GLOBOIL. With COVID-19 completely changing the dynamics of the business ecosystem, re-inven on has become a new normal.

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ow in its 24th year, Tefla's Globoil India has evolved into an independent and unified pla orm providing a meaningful interface amongst the various facets of the Edible Oil & Agri Industry. Globoil – a Path Finder to Edible oil & Agri Industry has evolved as a treasure trove of knowledge. Globoil, the Premier Interna onal Conference and Exhibi on has grown as an excellent forum, where the en re Global Edible Oil & Agri Industry meets, trades & celebrates.

Every year a large no. of Companies from all over the world including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Pakistan, China, Middle East, Germany, European & La n American countries par cipate in Globoil & over the years this forum has been successful in forging close rela onship with various cons tuents of the Interna onal Edible Oil & Agri trade. More

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Globoil has shown a spirit of op mism.

According to Mr. Kailash Singh, Managing Director, Tefla's “Tefla's creates global business pla orms through conferences, exhibi ons & awards and its planning of events is based on intensive research and in depth understanding of various industries in the current scenario.

The present situa on needs fresh thinking and reinven on. We believe that our physical / regular event will further grow in strength as things stabilize. But to accommodate a large number of stakeholders a hybrid format with online and offline complimen ng each other is being developed.”

Globoil announced the introduc on of a hybrid model where Globoil India 2020 will be a blend of physical & virtual event.

Mr. Aadil Singh, Events Director, Tefla's said “We want to make our flagship event even bigger and be er than before. We believe we can make that happen. We are shi ing Globoil 2020 to COVID free Goa at the brand new Taj Conven on Centre rescheduled during 30th, 31st October & 1st November 2020.” Tefla's also announced shi ing its other popular events Global Grain, Food & Feed (G2F2)

June 2020

& Sugar Summit in its 11th Edi on concurrently, at the same venue in Goa. This will have a mul plier effect of converging almost the en re Agri Business & Sugar Community under one roof, thus harnessing immense synergies. Both these events will also be following the Hybrid Model. Tefla's is also happy to announce its two new mul city events in 2020 2021.

1. Health Economy (Healthcare Resources & Technology Innova on Summit) 2. Glokal India (Showcasing the Unique Power of India For World Products, Services & Brands) As the world has awakened to the poten al risks of COVID-19, there has been a massive effort to add capacity to the healthcare system rapidly. An ini a ve

by Tefla's, Health Economy, has been planned as a mul -city event over the year which will be the preferred mee ng point for Indian Healthcare Providers and Global Healthcare Stakeholders. 'Go Vocal for Local' – A self reliant India, Glokal India is a Mul city event ini ated by Tefla's , showcasing the Unique Power of India For World Products , Services & Brands through Conference, Exhibi on & Awards.

“Tefla's has been one of India's dis nc ve players within the gambit of conferences, exhibi ons, and awards. Having catered to niche industry segments through an array of focused ini a ves, Tefla's has played a pivotal role in expanding the knowledge sphere and networking landscape for the na onal as well as the interna onal industrial congrega on. I am sure that Teflas will evolve itself to secure its posi on as primary pla orm for networking, sharing of knowledge and informa on amongst the industry par cipants by adop ng the right technology and understanding the behaviour aspects of people in the changing mes” said Mr Mr. Kailash Singh, Managing Director, Tefla's.

News Buzz

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Good Prac ce Guide: Addressing COVID-19 Requirements for Re-Opening Business Events Released A Le er from the Presidents: ”

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uilding on UFI’s “Global framework for reopening exhibi ons and B2B trade events”, a new Guide has been released that iden fies and promotes emerging standards, protocols, and good prac ces across the globe. The “Good Prac ce Guide: Addressing COVID-19 Requirements for Re-Opening Business Events” is jointly produced with UFI, the Global Associa on of Exhibi on Industry, AIPC, the Interna onal Associa on of Conven on Centres and ICCA, the Interna onal Conven on and Congress Associa on.

This joint AIPC – ICCA – UFI guidance document is an addi onal valuable resource for the exhibi on industry as many countries enter the post-pandemic phase and prepare for the future. The guide combines emerging examples of best prac ce from our industry, and also good prac ces from other industries and organisa ons.

What you can do now?

The Guide and the framework are there to support you as our industry opens up again. Please share and use this guide with your teams, colleagues, and partners.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has stopped our industry in its tracks. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this, around the world. As socie es and economies suffer from the fallout, we have a very important role to play for the recovery. Our industry builds and runs the market places and the mee ng places of the world. We connect experts, sectors, and industries. We are the fastest of all fast tracks to drive the much needed economic recoveries around the world.

We can do that! Conven ons, conferences, exhibi ons, and trade shows are not generic “mass gatherings” – they are organised industry gatherings. We have shown me and again already that we can put health & safety measures in place to provide the right environment for people to meet. This guide is here to assist you in doing so again now.

On behalf of our respec ve associa ons – AIPC, the Interna onal Associa on of Conven on Centres, ICCA, the Interna onal Congress and Conven on Associa on and UFI, the Global Associa on of the Exhibi on Industry – we are pleased to provide members with this resource. We have worked together, collabora vely, around the world to address the urgent need for guidance around re-opening the industry.

These considera ons are not just important to helping you and your clients – they are also the key to securing the permissions required to sa sfy the

June 2020

regional and na onal health authori es who will ul mately decide when and how the industry can re-engage. In engaging on this project, we are collec vely recognizing a need for clarity and consistency in a me when so many materials are being generated that has become challenging for those trying to chart a way forward. By collec vely endorsing the content of this guide we provide an integrated approach to a common issue – a central depository of solu ons, ready to be used by industry members.”

Aloysius Arlando AIPC President | James Rees ICCA President | Mary Larkin UFI President The good prac ce informa on in this document is divided into six main chapters: 1. Framework 2. Personnel and Personal Safety 3. Physical Distancing 4. Health & Safety Measures 5. Implemen ng Crowd Control 6. Encouraging & Enforcing Measures These six chapters are meant to structure the informa on provided according to the UFI 5 May 2020 framework – which was produced through and in collabora on with a range of exhibi on, event, congress and conven on stakeholders – and cover areas of mainstay opera ons as comprehensively as possible.

Chapter 4, Health & Safety Measures, has a large body of general knowledge as well as material focused in part on five specific areas, namely: a | Communica ons b | Crisis Management c | Food and Beverage and Banque ng Services d | Transporta on and Logis cs e | Third Party Suppliers

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Mr. Rajesh Agrawal, Chairman, India Mice Alliance & ED, ITPO

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

SOP/Guidelines For Re-Opening Exhibi ons In India Duly Submi ed To The Government

Headed by ITPO (A govt. of India Enterprise), IMA reflects the collec ve voice of Indian Exhibi on & Conven on Industry The SOPs duly submi ed to MHA, MSME, Ministry of Commerce by ITPO on behalf of IMA IMA is a special campaign for the survival and revival of the Indian exhibi on and conven on industry

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hese are unprecedented mes for our industry. COVID 19 is one of the biggest disaster mankind has ever faced in recent mes, bringing disrup on to the human life worldwide. There is no denying to the fact that our Trade Fair industry, being a face to face sector, is among the worst hit amidst this pandemic. With the effect of Covid-19 the global exhibi on industry has seen significant damage with nearly 10,000 trade fairs and exhibi ons being cancelled or postponed globally, and India is not spared from this.

But every crisis has a silver lining. The Exhibi on & Trade fair industry is resilient and is ever evolving. Trade fairs are the lifeline of MSMEs and the catalyst to every na on’s economic growth. Trade fairs are irreplaceable for the value that they provide in connec ng the buyers with the sellers. In-fact we are confident that for our economy to revive, the exhibi ons will

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play a very significant role. We are hopeful that soon the exhibi ons will be allowed to re-open. It is because of the fact that exhibi ons are not general mass gatherings. They are indeed, organised business events which are held in a controlled environment. Countries like Germany, China, Korea, Greece, Austria, U.S., Italy etc. have been prudent of this fact and have made way for the exhibi ons to re-open under guidelines/SOPs. In India too, industry leaders and associa ons have been delibera ng on the re-opening of exhibi ons. It was impera ve that we reflected a collec ve voice for our industry to make a meaningful impact. For this reason and for the revival of our industry, a special campaign called ‘India MICE Alliance’ was launched by Exhibi on Showcase Media.

Headed by ITPO (Mr. Rajesh Agrawal, Chairman, India Mice Alliance & ED, ITPO),

June 2020

and ac vely supported by ICPB & IEIA, the IMA campaign reflects collec vely all voices of the Indian exhibi on and conven on industry. A Core Advisory Commi ee had been formed to have a collec ve assessment of tasks ahead for the revival of our industry.

The first mee ng of IMA (India Mice Alliance) Advisory Commi ee was held on 20th May 2020 on Virtual Pla orm. During the mee ng it was deliberated that the foremost thing is to get the exhibi ons sector re-started in India under a set of guidelines/SOP. Excerpts from Mr. Rajesh Agrawal, Chairman, India Mice Alliance (IMA) & ED, ITPO comments at the IMA Advisory Mee ng; “Support and ac ve par cipa on of all the stakeholders will be required for making a strong case for opening up of the MICE sector at an earliest date.

News Buzz To survive and revive our industry we need to outgrow all external challenges & reboot ourselves with one set of framework/ protocol.

ITPO (being under the Department of Commerce, Govt. of India) can be in a good posi on to express and ar culate the voice of the industry to the policy makers.

A standardized SOP for organizers, venue providers, exhibitors, Visitors and service providers as per interna onal standards will be prepared by IMA and ITPO will submit the same to the government to put up a case for re-opening of exhibi ons in India under those guidelines/SOPs.” Later a dra of SOPs was prepared by ITPO in close consulta on with various industry

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

associa ons and trade bodies. Notable contribu ons came in from FICCI, IEIA, IESA, FAITH, AIEO, EEMA and NIMA. Special thanks to IEIA for pu ng dedicated efforts towards feedback and guidance.

A er collec ve review and feedback from the Advisory Commi ee, the final SOPs were approved by ITPO. The framework provides a comprehensive checklist for reopening exhibi ons safely in India. It encompasses essen al guidelines for various stakeholders of the exhibi on ecosystem including: Measures to be adopted by Venue Provider(s) Ÿ Measures to be adhered to by Fair Organisers Ÿ Measures to be adhered to by Service Ÿ

Providers Measures to be followed by Exhibitors Measures to be followed by Business Visitors / Delegates

The document also enlists addi onal SOPs for holding conference/seminar during the exhibi on. The framework concludes with an essen al Incoming Check Protocol. Click here to view/download the SOP document – SOP (Guidelines) for re-opening exhibi ons in India As of 17 June 2020, these SOP’s have been duly submi ed to the Government by ITPO on behalf of the IMA ini a ve. We are hopeful for the early re-opening of exhibi ons in India.

getherWeC o a T Conferences Exhibitions Events

Meetings

n

#

Ÿ Ÿ

India Convention Promotion Bureau

India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) (A Government of India Enterprise) Department of Commerce

Sponsored by Minister of Tourism, Government of India

India's leading Media for MICE

GLOBAL MICEALLIANCE ALLIANCE INDIA MICE A Unifying Campaign For The Survival & Revival Of Indian Exhibition & Convention Industry

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June 2020

India Convention Promotion Bureau

India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) (A Government of India Enterprise) Department of Commerce

therWeC e g o an T Conferences # Exhibitions Events

Sponsored by Minister of Tourism, Government of India

Meetings

India's leading Media for MICE

INDIA MICE ALLIANCE

A Unifying Campaign For The Revival Of Indian Exhibition & Convention Industry

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR RE-OPENING OF TRADE EXHIBITIONS IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19

Please email to raghav@exhibitionshowcase.com if you wish to receive a copy of this framework

News Buzz

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Jimé Essink, Former President And CEO Informa Markets In Asia, To Join The Board Of jwc

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imé Essink, the former President and CEO of UBM Asia and Informa Markets in Asia, will join the Board of jwc GmbH in Germany as of June 01, 2020. Jimé has an excep onally successful career in the global trade fair and conference industry.

He has worked for nearly 30 years in leading B2B media businesses in emerging and developed markets throughout Asia, South America and Europe, amongst others as CEO of VNU Exhibi ons Europe and President of VNU Exhibi ons Asia.

In November 2007 Jimé was appointed CEO of UBM Asia, where he was responsible for the transi on of the company to become the leading exhibi on organizer in Asia.

A er the merger of UBM with Informa in 2018, Jimé led the integra on of the opera ons and became President of the combined business; he re red from Informa end of 2019.

Jimé´s responsibili es within jwc will be to support jwc’s clients in the areas of growth strategy, product development, M&A and divestures, strategic partnerships and organiza on. Jimé will also be involved in talent development, coaching and training as well as risk-, crisis and interim management. jwc is a globally leading consul ng company for the trade fair and conference industry with a focus on growth strategy, venue development

and management, marke ng and pricing. jwc’s clients are organizers, venue owners/managers, associa ons, governments, private equity and service providers. Jimé Essink said.

“I am very happy to join jwc; the company is the leading consul ng firm for the global exhibi on and conference industry.

It offers a unique combina on of outstanding long term prac cal experience and consul ng know how, which perfectly fits with my own ideas”.

Jochen Wi , President & CEO of jwc, said: “A er knowing Jimé for more than 20 years it is a great pleasure for me and everybody at jwc to welcome him as a new Board member of the company. Jimé is one of the most successful senior execu ves in the global events industry and with his know how, experience and network he will add tremendous value to our clients”.

German Media Reports €80m State Cash Infusion For Messe Berlin

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ith coronavirus leading to some major tradefair casual es in 2020 in Berlin, poli cians are now calling for a new plan for the Messe amidst a proposal to inject €80m of government money into the venue, according to reports in the German media.

Interna onal travel show ITB was cancelled in early March (150,000 had been expected to a end) at Messe Berlin and the city also lost the Berlin Air Show, ILA, from the tradefair calendar. It was due to run on May 13-17,2020 at the ExpoCenter Airport, a facility located at the yet-to-open new Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

Now, in the wake of these and other tradefair and conference cancella ons, a poli cal spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Chris an Graef has called on the German Senate to come up

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with a new concept for the future of the state-owned company, Messe Berlin.

The Berliner Morgenpost reported Graef as saying, “There are 250,000 jobs directly related to tradefair business and tourism, if nothing happens soon, many companies and jobs will disappear. We are demanding a massive adver sing campaign and the possibility to be able to hold events for up to 200 par cipants again from summer.”

The IFA is hoping to return with a new concept in September, although Berlin s ll has a ban on events with more than 5,000 par cipants un l the end of October.

According to Morgenpost, the Senate and the Messe have agreed that the state will

June 2020

now provide an €80m financial injec on to the tradefair facility. The government is also said to be working intensively with Visit Berlin to prepare further op ons to help the tradefair and congress industry.

The newspaper also reported that a search for a successor for fair boss Chris an Göke was also being conducted, with the CEO wan ng to give up his post at the end of the year.

News Buzz

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Tourism Industry Should Not Lose Heart: Vinod Zutshi The government incen ves can come in different steps and shapes. These do not start or end with the s mulus package, said the former secretary Tourism, Government of India

ministers of all states and representa ves of the trade associa ons and industry apex bodies as members. He said that the purpose of that body is to handhold the industry.

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inod Zutshi, former Secretary to the Government who served as Secretary Tourism for the Government of Rajasthan as well Secretary Tourism to Government of India has said that the tourism industry should not feel disheartened nor lose pa ence as the s mulus package announced by the government didn’t spell out anything specific for the sector.

The government incen ves can come in different steps and shapes. These do not start or end with the s mulus package, he said. “How can you presume that the s mulus package was the end of everything?” Zutshi asked. In a interac on with ET (TW) (*interview source), the former bureaucrat said from his experience that the government has cons tuted a na onal Tourism Task Force with the Tourism Minister of the Country as the Chairman and with tourism 28 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

government has also changed the scale and defini on of the MSME. Bulk of the travel and tourism industry can derive benefit out of it, Zutshi men oned. “The RBI has extended the moratorium on term loans for three more months. It will also help the travel and tourism sector,” he stated. Government and the RBI has also nudged banks to be liberal in helping businesses with working capital requirements, Zutshi said.

He said that he is not sure whether the Tourism Task Force has met and discussed the issues of the sector in detail and given a final verdict. “Now the states are preoccupied with other issues related to health and well-being of the people. So I think the tourism industry should be er wait and watch ll the na onal tourism task force meets and comes out with a final verdict,” Zutshi said. The role of the task force does not end with the s mulus, he added.

A lot of people in the travel, tourism and hospitality business are ignorant about various things and therefore, the industry leaders should analyse and disseminate the informa on to the grassroots, he stated.

Zutshi said that it is not prudent to expect everything to come in a monetary format from the government. Support can also be fiscal in nature. He also said that lot of reliefs can also come from the States in the form of reduc on in electricity tariffs, licence fees of different nature, etc. for the sector. At the same me, the tourism industry should not lose sight of the various incen ves that the government has announced for the MSME sector. The

When asked about the challenges before the Indian tourism and luxury hospitality which thrived on interna onal travel, Zutshi said that everybody has to learn to live with the domes c for the me being as interna onal leisure would take at least six months to revive. He said that Indian domes c travel is 200 mes more than the inbound tourist and there is a segment within it which can pay at par or be er than the interna onal travellers.

June 2020

Glimpses of

EEA 2019

Cover Story

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

In Conversa on With Balasubramanian S Pillai, ED & COO, IMTMA & BIEC and President, IEIA

“

The crisis caused by the outbreak of coronavirus has made sweeping changes to the world including the exhibi on industry which signiďŹ cantly has been disrupted. Industry workforce is locked in their homes and economic ac vi es have come to a stands ll. Over 100 shows have either been cancelled or postponed to a later date with an es mated loss of Rs. 3,570 crores to the en re exhibi ons sector as reported from March 2020.

Globally, UFI, the associa on for global exhibi on industry, has es mated the global economic damage for exhibi on industry at 81.6 billion euros of total output loss for exhibi ons only"

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June 2020

Cover Story ES. How will this pandemic change the dynamics of our industry? What will be the future of our industry?

Bala. Covid-19 will have a long las ng impact on the way we were conduc ng exhibi ons with more thrust on health and safety of exhibitors, visitors and various stakeholders. With the advent of social distancing exhibi on format is likely to undergo changes with temperature checking, wearing of masks, usage of sani zers, having a quaran ne area within exhibi on premises, vehicle sani za on, and registra on and adhering to health and safety norms in serving of food and beverages during exhibi ons, etc. becoming new norms.

Venues are also likely to operate a safety and health management system to display strong safety and health considera ons over all other ma ers of business. Event organizers will also share live data, provide resources to enhance knowledge about events, risks and opportuni es. Organizers may also explore possibility of virtual exhibi ons for those who cannot par cipate due to travel restric ons, and pre-registra on will become mandatory.

ES. As an industry associa on, how have you served your members during these disturbing mes? What have been the key ini a ves? What kind of support has IEIA appealed for from the government?

Bala. In these difficult mes IEIA has been working strenuously every day. We ini ated many membership support

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

ac vi es along with advocacy ini a ves for suppor ng our member companies.

IEIA has been working round the clock to keep track of developments and bring accurate informa on and ac onable insights to protect businesses, finances and investments. A Covid sec on was set up on IEIA website featuring latest developments and government advisories, a daily news bulle n was also launched to keep members updated along with a series of knowledge webinars with exhibi on industry stakeholders.

To support exhibi ons sector in its prepara on for bouncing back strongly, we set up a special 'ExhiBits dashboard', as a daily capsule for news briefs, ar cles and informa ve stories. On the advocacy front, we submi ed a COVID exit strategy for the exhibi ons sector and also published the Standard Opera ng Procedures for conduc ng exhibi ons during the opening up phases post lockdown.

ES. Open Seminar that was due to be held in BIEC this year got postponed. Will we see Open Seminar happening this year?

Bala. IEIA Open Seminar is IEIA's annual flagship event where Indian exhibi on industry converges together with its members, associates and interna onal delegates to deliberate on the developments in exhibi on industry and build on business presence and network.

IEIA Open Seminar 2020, scheduled to be held in May 2020 was postponed due to coronavirus outbreak. We will take stock

June 2020

once the industry opens fully and decide the next course of ac on.

ES. What according to you can our industry learn from this crisis? Any silver lining in this?

Bala. Although the pandemic has created several disrup ons in exhibi on industry with many shows being cancelled or postponed globally, we have had several learnings. Exhibi on organizers are likely to adapt a new way of marke ng and communica ons in terms of: Digitaliza on and Technology: Event organizers have been relying on technology for enhancing their events for quite some me now. This will be intensified further with event organizers op ng for live streaming their events to enable par cipants follow the events remotely. Virtual exhibi ons may be offered as an addon supplement to conven onal exhibi ons. Ÿ Health and Safety Norms: Some prac ces such as social distancing, wearing masks, etc. may become a rou ne in any exhibi ons. Over the long-term there will be more thrust towards organizing eco-friendly exhibi ons for maintaining green norms which will bode well for our environment. Ÿ Focused Visitors: Exhibi ons are likely to witness focused business visitors which will help in genera ng be er enquiries and orders. Ÿ

Cover Story ES. What is your message to the industry?

Bala. Exhibi on industry is passing through a difficult phase and has seen some big disrup ons in terms of revenue. However, at the same me it has thrown up new opportuni es to reinvent itself and connect with customers more strongly and closely through technology. This shows that nothing can stop us from moving ahead and break the bond between two human minds. I am sure that we will definitely navigate to safer shores soon and once again live freely as in pre-Covid days soon.

ES. How is your venue (BIEC) planning support the industry going forward? Have you announced any measures/policies for cancella ons, postponement, waivers etc. that you can share with our readers?

Bala. Customer service is the most important aspect of our business. As a venue provider BIEC is in constant touch with exhibi on industry stakeholders and used every opportunity to be visible to its clients, Indian as well as foreign ones, and offer helping hand and suppor ng them in best possible ways. We are also coming up with standard opera ng procedures for venues, organizers and vendors.

ES. Please share with us your professional journey. What have been the major milestones and most amazing achievements and moments in your career? Any memories which stand out in reflec on of your glorious past?

Bala. I have been associated with IMTMA since 2007, heading the trade fairs division which organizes IMTEX and regional machine tool shows across various ci es in the country, besides being the COO of BIEC - India's leading green exhibi on facility.

Prior to joining IMTMA, I was associated with Informa Group, Intech Trade Fairs &Wisitex Founda on. With over 2 decades of experience in the exhibi on industry, I consider myself s ll a student as the learning never ends. I consider being part of BIEC 10 years and IMTEX 50 years as some of the big milestones in my career.

Iden fying my associa on with exhibi on industry, Indian Exhibi on Industry Associa on (IEIA) elected me as its President. I am heading IEIA in one of the 34 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

toughest mes generally for exhibi ons and it is a challenge to take it back to its glory levels. I have been ac ve in IEIA for many years now, suppor ng its mission and driving developments and serving as an Execu ve Commi ee member. I will always remain thankful to IMTMA and IEIA for placing their trust in me and giving me this opportunity to take up the mantle and serve the exhibi on industry and developing it to greater heights.

ES. Given the Covid-19 challenges how important it is for exhibi ons to restart?

Bala. Exhibi ons are key to the development of trade and economy in any country. It not only helps industry but helps government to generate huge amount of revenue from tourism, hospitality and many other aspects. With the effect of Covid-19 the global exhibi on industry has seen significant damage with nearly 10,000 trade fairs and exhibi ons being cancelled or postponed globally, and India is not spared from this. Industries are opening their business and it is now me for exhibi on industry also to restart.

IEIA has come up with SOPs and guidelines for all stakeholders of exhibi ons, be it exhibitors, visitors, suppliers, contractors, venues, so we have all the confidence to restart the exhibi ons immediately so that we can once again start contribu ng to the economy of the country. We can support industries as well as the government.

ES. How exhibi on venues have been impacted by Covid-19?

Bala. Beginning this year when the pandemic affected our country exhibi on industry was the first to get affected because the organizers faced difficul es in ge ng the exhibitors and visitors from overseas and then post that the lockdown affected the shows. Given this tough situa on, organizers postponed the shows scheduled in many venues across the country, this happened not only in India but the en re world. This situa on has had a great impact on the venues as many shows which were lined up in the venues were either cancelled or postponed. The uncertainty loomed and the exhibi on venue revenues got a hit which severely impacted the opera ons of these.

June 2020

However, we would see that by the 3rd and 4th quarter of this year exhibi on industry would revive and venues will see shows coming back with rescheduled dates.

ES. What s mulus measures are needed?

Bala. IEIA has placed recommenda ons in front of the government to provide s mulus to the exhibi on industry and several measures were proposed and a few of them are listed here: a. Deferment of income tax liabili es (advance tax milestones of June and September be deferred to December 2020). b. Release of all income tax refunds with immediate effect. c. Deferment of the CGST/IGST liabili es. d. Reduc on in GST for all exhibi on services from 18% to 12% with full input credit. e. Collateral free working capital loan facili es for exhibi on organisers, service providers and venue owners (for payment of salaries, wages, fixed costs, etc.) to be made available at zero rate of interest so that they don't become non-performing assets. f. Moratorium on term loans for exhibi on industry organisa ons for FY 20-21. g. IRDA to consider covering risks for pandemics together with other natural disasters for the events and exhibi ons. h. 30% venue rental support to all purpose-built exhibi ons venues to accommodate rescheduling of events postponed / cancelled due to coronavirus for a period of 12 months.

I. 100% subsidy through MSME / NSIC for Indian exhibitors for par cipa on in exhibi ons organized in India to boost economy. j. Financial support to exhibitors to par cipate in all exhibi ons to be scheduled post relaxa on of advisories on ban of events by way of direct funding. k. Encourage shows in India by providing a 10% incen ve to Indian exhibi on organisers under a scheme “Exhibi ons in India” and boost 'Make in India' products. l. Offer interest rate equaliza on to Indian exhibi on industry for making it globally compe ve and make India the sourcing hub for MSME products. m. Offer incen ve package to exhibi on visitors

Cover Story for discounts on air travel and accommoda on.

ES. What is your take on Virtual events?

Bala. Virtual exhibi ons will be useful during mes of crises like this as it would help event organizers to plan their schedules. It will act as an add-on to the regular trade shows, it will enable visitors to see and examine the features of a par cular product before the show actually begins. However, virtual events cannot completely replace live events as exhibi ons offer opportuni es that simply

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

cannot be reproduced electronically.

Anyone who has ever a ended an exhibi on understands the excitement of being part of a 'live' event and a likeminded group of human beings. Face-toface mee ngs will con nue as visitors would like to talk to exhibitors and see, touch, and try out a product or service and arrive at a right decision to buy those.

ES. What is your perspec ve on air travel and business tourism opening up?

Bala. People travelling will see a dras c change post-Covid since Covid has affected

June 2020

the en re world and then the development of vaccine is s ll in the nascent stage. People will have a different opinion on travelling within the country and outside the country. This would adversely affect air travel and tourism sector, however, the domes c tourism would probably open up soon as people would start travelling within the country following all safety norms and that would probably begin by the end of this year. The opening up of air travel is good news as it would help in exhibi on industry development.

Interview

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

FICCI announced the launch of ‘Virtual Healthcare and Hygiene Expo 2020’ (VH&H Expo 2020) – a virtual exhibi on and conference to be held from June 22-26 2020. This is the first me that an event will be organised on the virtual pla orm by FICCI and digitally accessed by buyers from across the globe.

The first edi on of VH&H Expo 2020 will consist of five-day comprehensive virtual exhibi ons on sectors like AYUSH & Wellness, medical devices, medical tex les and consumables, pharmaceu cals and sani za on. VH&H Expo 2020 will be a unique experience for the par cipants to interact at the ease of their office or home in these difficult mes and get business. The expo will consist of a dedicated virtual exhibi on showcasing products and services of over 100 manufacturers. During the virtual exhibi on, buyers can visit the expo, check exhibitors’ profile, products and can fix mee ngs and meet them during ‘Live Hours’ from 12 noon-9 pm.

“It is important for the industry to REIMAGINE, REINVENT AND REBOOT themselves”, Balvinder Singh Sawhney, Asst. Secretary General, FICCI, talks about their 1st ever virtual exhibi on Q : FICCI is known for organising exhibi ons and tradefairs for various sectors. Can you tell us about what led to the birth of Virtual Healthcare and Hygiene Expo 2020 (VH&H Expo 2020)?

Ans : As you are aware that COVID 19 is one of the biggest disaster mankind has ever faced in recent mes, bringing disrup on to the human life worldwide.

With no vaccine or treatment currently in place, social distancing, containment and restric ons are the only way forward in the me being un l the curve fla ens and normalcy prevails. In the scenario, when no large gatherings and physical event can take place, there was a void to be filled, so we decided of going virtual as the new normal or interim solu on.

The idea is to transport the user into life 36 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

like simula on of an actual brick and mortar space with all the elements which are physically there at any expo and providing a vantage pla orm for networking, building linkages and capitalising the business opportuni es.

Q : Please share with us the premise for selec ng this topic for your first ever virtual exhibi on Ans : In the wake of this global pandemic, which has caused a massive global disrup on and put businesses under severe distress including the health infrastructure, we wanted to opt for the segments which have been the part of the essen al goods or supply chain. The idea is to facilitate a unique avenue for networking, building linkages, integra ng the supply chain and exploring the June 2020

business opportuni es as the global demand is high with exports bound to gain momentum.

Q : Buyers from 120 countries is a very robust sta s c that will mesmerize every exhibitor & sponsor. Do you think this is a wonderful thing because ge ng such a trac on from physical event is quite difficult?

Ans : The world grapples with the unprecedented challenge of Covid-19, we at FICCI are commi ed to support and help the Indian industry navigate the crisis, plan for the future, and generate business including exports. We are trying to build an immersive interim solu on which can counter the current restric ons, travel embargos and fear psychosis pertaining to

Interview

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

actual events but yes, there would be limita ons in templates. We can possibly have 2 – 3 templates for now to begin with. Just to add the there would be basic stalls (which we call shell stalls) and customized stall will also be available for sponsors and large exhibitors.

travel. We have organised larger buyer seller meets and bigger expo’s in recent mes, yes it is challenging but extremely gra fying. Virtual does have the benefits of transcending me and distance!

Q: Please tell us about the pla orm / technology and various features that will be there in your first ever virtual exhibi on for the visitors and exhibitors?

Ans : We would be building an exclusive pla orm through our tech partners and user can access the expo centre through possibly all handheld devices, desktops, laptops etc.

The idea is to transport the user into life like simula on of an actual brick and mortar space with all the elements which are physically there at any expo. We would be having Exhibi on, Conference, Webinars, sessions, webinars and buyer seller meets, registra on counters, networking lounges etc. to best replicate the actual scenarios.

Q : Will this event result in on-spot orders for exhibitors or it is essen ally a marke ng tool for them?

Ans: Definitely, it will lead to on spot business and offer an innova ve marke ng avenue. This would be a life like simula on of any conven onal expo. The core, process and objec ve remains same.

Q: As a curiosity, are all stalls of similar size in the virtual exhibi on or the sizes vary just like in actual events?

Ans : The sizes would vary just like in

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Q : How will this event change the dynamics of our industry?

Ans : Crisis shall spur the adop on of new technologies, business models and move towards further digi sa on. This could be spring in the steps of the business community wherein they would be able to network with their peers, meet prospec ve buyers and generate business opportuni es from the safety of their homes/ offices in their home-countries.

Once the normalcy prevails, we can contemplate virtual being an added element in the armory un l travel restric ons are imposed. Also, it counters the cost challenges, travel embargos and fear psychosis for the community to travel freely. Few more significant advantages which I can gauge are that sky is limit in virtual, maximises outreach, no a endance cap, heavily customisable and it gives wings to your imagina on like never before.

Cons: See, going virtual is an unchartered terrain which we are exploring, I would not like to count the chickens before they hatch but yes nothing can be compared to the magnitude, aura and grandeur of physical events. They are not going away.

Q : Your comments on the future of our industry. Will virtual exhibi ons eventually take over our physical events?

Ans : In the scenario, when no large gatherings and physical events taking place, going virtual is the new normal or interim solu on. Eventually, normalcy shall prevail and we can contemplate virtual being an added element in the armoury. It

June 2020

can be a hybrid model complemen ng the Physical events. Face to Face events are here to stay and its something which cant be replaced. We hope to be back next year, we at FICCI have shi ed most of our calendar events between Jan – Mar 2021 and I am given to understand that’s the strategic shi being considered by all major organizers.

Q: As exhibi ons will gradually open, what do you foresee will be the future SOPs of our industry? What will be the new normal?

Ans: In order to rebound, it is important for the industry to REIMAGINE, REINVENT AND REBOOT themselves. It is impera ve for the industry to have robust planning with utmost focus on health and safety.

Few SOP’s could be:Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Enabling physical distancing Increased health and safety measures Crowd control strategies Ensuring personnel and personal safety Encouraging and Enforcing measures Health screening Broader aisles No contact policies Be er sani sa on A endee cap or restricted entries

Q: What will be the fate of large scale purpose-built venues who have star ng bleeding money already?

Ans : The outbreak of the Novel COVID-19 is impac ng the global exhibi ons and events industry, as events of all kinds are being postponed or cancelled. India will not be unimpacted, these are challenging mes and will definitely have short term impact on events and revenues due to cancella ons, postponement of events and skimmed budgets for our patrons. We do foresee a short term impact, al least for this financial year and we are bullish once the normalcy prevails and embargos are li ed. We are op mis c that we will see a turnaround in the coming months and venues will back basking in the sunshine.

China has already paved the way for physical exhibi on and once the curve fla ens or a vaccine is built, it would be business as usual.

Interview

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

In Conversa on With Sunil More, Director, Fairact Exhibi ons & Events LLP & President, IESA ES. How our industry has been affected? What is the es mated loss to exhibi on services fraternity / IESA members?

Sunil More. Before we take a look at what is happening to the Indian exhibi on services industry, let us take a broad outlook of what has happened in the Event Industry around the world since January 2020, i.e.; a er the outbreak of COVID 19. The Tokyo Olympics are postponed so are three premium tennis tournaments, football championships and the Indian Premier League. On the exhibi ons front, Mother of all fairs, Hannover Fair is postponed as also Dubai World Expo, Consumer Electronics Show, Shanghai, Mobile World Congress, Barcelona and CONEXPOCON/AGG - the Construc on trade Show, Las Vegas. The Geneva Interna onal Motor Show which was to open in March 2020, was cancelled just 3 days before opening of the Show Looking at India, I understand from various reports that close to 100 exhibi ons have either been cancelled or postponed by this me resul ng into an es mated loss of about Rs. 4,000 Crores.

Given that the expenditure towards exhibi on services cons tutes (which includes all services like, construc on, logis cs, security, housekeeping etc. but excluding Venue rentals) about 30 to 35 % of the total expenditure of an exhibi on, the Indian exhibi on services industry has lost between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,200 Crores.

ES. How will this pandemic change the dynamics of our industry?

What will be the future of our industry?

Sunil More. The dynamics of the industry has totally sha ered during the past couple of months. The Indian exhibi on services industry in fragmented and has cyclical nature with a large manpower temporarily engaged during the exhibi ons. This manpower is mostly migrant workers coming to larges ci es in expecta on of employment. Though the Governments and the social organiza ons are doing their best to help, this sec on of the people is the worst hit in this pandemic as you can see from their anxiety to reach their homeland traveling in inhumane condi ons.

The exhibi on services industry on the other hand is run mostly by small and medium size enterprises, who are facing financial difficul es on various fronts, unused assets, rents, electricity charges, interest payments etc. They have also lost their labour force, which has either already reached or is in a process of reaching their homelands. To mobilize them back once the exhibi on start happening will be a major challenge for them.

Given the scenario as explained above, we feel there will be a paradigm shi in the way we work at the exhibi on sites. The future of the industry is very pessimis c on the short term of say, 9 to 12 months on this year with a possibility of opening up of some small exhibi ons in the third quarter of financial year 2020-21 and normalcy returning only from or a er 2nd quarter of financial year 2021-22.

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June 2020

Interview

ES. As exhibi ons will gradually open, what do you foresee will be the future SOPs for service providers?

Sunil More. All Associa ons and also other organiza ons are working on the SOPs, which will be applicable to all including venue owners, organizers as well as service providers. The interna onal apex body, UFI has already issued an advisory on this subject. We will also have to wait for the Government direc ves in s regard to arrive at any process. I believe, the SOPs will be concerning social distancing, hygiene, safety etc. Apart from these standard procedures, we will also have to look at changing our prac ces of stand construc on, improving hygiene by mechanized processes and stricter security measures.

ES. As an industry associa on, how have you served your members during these disturbing mes? What have been the key ini a ves?

Sunil More. A er the Government announced the 1st lockdown, IESA ini ated dialogues with its members exchanging informa on, understanding status and examining possible remedial measures.

However, severity of the pandemic was clearly understood during the first fortnight of the lockdown. IESA then started engaging its membership through knowledge sharing webinars on various topics of interest to its membership and they will be con nuing ll the situa on is improved.

ES. IESA organized several webinars ranging wide array of topics. Can you share how well were they received from the industry?

Sunil More. The webinar topics include sales and marke ng, taxa on, safety, new product technologies and processes etc.

The webinars were well received by the members and the non-members alike with most of the webinars having an a endance of 200 to 250 par cipants.

ES. IESA Expo Shop that was due to be held in BIEC this year got postponed. Will we see the event happening this year?

Sunil More. Though no formal decision has been taken in this regard, there is a remote possibility of IESA Expo Shop 2020 happening as everything is uncertain at the moment. We will take an appropriate decision once there is clarity on the situa on.

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

ES. What according to you can our industry learn from this crisis? Is there any silver lining in this?

Sunil More. I must say that there is always a silver lining to any crisis. And it depends to a great extent on how you look at the crisis.

There are two ways of looking at the crisis.

Wait ll somebody normalizes the situa on for you or to start working oneself how to address the crisis and prepare and get ready for the opportuni es emerging a er the crisis. As you may have no ced during the present pandemic, many are learning new skills like sales and marke ng, finance, new technologies etc. whereas many have started marke ng or making products like sani zing equipment, cubicles tec. required in the present situa on. The new learnings from the present crisis depend on the type of industry sector you are in. Broadly for all of our members, we need to be a leaner and meaner organiza on, user of modern technologies, professional in managing our cash-flow etc. In case of specific industries like logis cs, use of mechanized equipment, for stand contrac ng, use of modular structures, for housekeeping, use of automa c cleaning machines etc. etc.

ES. What is your message to the industry?

Sunil More. I believe that the present crisis will be over though it may take 6 to 18 months as opinioned by many. However, the business may start by 3rd quarter of the present financial year. So my message to the industry to learn new things during this period, keep connect with your stakeholders – clients, business partners, vendors and workers, explore possibili es of business and most importantly, stay calm and do not panic.

ES. What kind of support has IESA appealed for from the government? If you yet appealed, what measures would you like the government should take for your industry?

Sunil More. We have approached the Government with 3 basis requests: Ÿ To issue clear guidelines on the processes and procedures to be followed a er the lockdown is li ed and exhibi ons business starts. Ÿ Offer so loans to small and medium enterprises on very low rate of interest to manage their cash-flow and Ÿ Providing s mulus to the industry by re-

June 2020

star ng Government spending on the events ES. Lot of small companies are facing difficul es in paying salaries to their staff.

What are your comments on this?

Sunil More. This is a major problem. Usually the small companies are cash starved and with no business in hand, it is very difficult for them to pay salaries to their staff. The way forward in this situa on as I see is either to cut or hold back part of the salaries, no increments or bonuses ll the situa on improves, improve produc vity, get rid of unproduc ve assets, staff etc. I see no other measures in ding over the present situa on.

ES. How have you u lized this me to engage with your clients?

Sunil More. Yes at IESA, we are communica ng with our clients at different levels, through emails, messages and direct communica on also.

ES. As FairAct is into exhibi on management, what are your clients (organisers) saying about the situa on? Do you think exhibi ons will shrink?

Sunil More. Our interac on with clients is con nuing but unfortunately nobody is certain of the future at this point of me as the pandemic spread is con nuing without any indica ons of slow down or fla ening of the curve. Some of the very large exhibi ons planned during the last quarter of this financial have already been postponed. The organizers of medium size exhibi ons planned in the same quarter are s ll holding on to the decisions hoping that the situa on will improve in next couple of months and business starts normalizing.

The exhibi ons are likely to shrink as exhibitors, who are also with no business at present, will spend less. Also there will be a tendency to select fewer good exhibi ons for par cipa on thereby reducing marke ng budgets.

ES. When do you feel exhibi ons will reopen?

Sunil More. Absolutely no guesses at this stage. However, I have a feeling that some smaller exhibi ons may be held in the last quarter of this financial year. There is a chance that er-2 and er-3 ci es may see some exhibi ons happening.

Interview

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Exhibi on Showcase Talks To Ronjon Lahiri, Ex. Assistant Director General At Ministry Of Tourism, Govt. Of India decision. It was a 12 day trip to India in the month of January, 2000 with full hospitality from India, i.e. the Ministry, Air India, Taj Group of Hotels, Oberoi Group of Hotels and IATO.

ES. Please share with us your professional journey. What have been the major milestones and most amazing achievements and moments in your career?

Ronjon Lahiri. I have worked in the Govt. of India Tourism Department for a li le more than 35 years. For a short period a Tourism Investment Cell was set up in 1994. I was given the charge of the Cell as a Deputy Coordinator. Adver sements both Na onally and Globally was made to a ract private investment into the various sub sectors of the Tourism and Hotel Industry. Several thousand private players both domes c and foreign showed interest. The details of land and project availability prepared by the various State Governments were sent to them. Investors meet in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai was organised. It was appreciated in the investors circle the way and the roadway had been devised which made it easier for the investors to meet their probable Indian partners and start a project.

When I was posted in New York (19972000), I approached the United States Tour Operators Associa on (USTOA) to consider having their Out of Country Mee ng in India. A few months later it was put under the considera on of their Board of Director. Three countries name came up, Turkey, Morocco, and India. India was chosen and Mr. Robert E. Whitley, President of the USTOA informed of the 40 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

Mr. Robert E. Whitley wrote to me a er the trip that the he thought that the mee ng was a great success and that all of their members were impressed by the des na on and new programmes would be ins tuted because of this trip. The tourist arrival figure showed that there was 22.5% jump in 2000 from USA and li le more than a year later it overtook UK as the largest tourism genera ng market for India.

ES. Please share with us your take on this situa on Ronjon Lahiri. The situa on does not bode well for tourism. Countries which have kept their borders shut like Taiwan and New Zealand have been able to contain the virus through contact tracing. In India, due to the lockdown measures, the spread of the disease has been slowed down. The curbs in inter-state travel has remained in place. Railways have commenced running trains but these are mostly directed at migrant workers who wishes to reach their home state. It also includes others who got stranded before 25th March in various parts of the country as they had gone for business, and mee ng friends and rela ves. There has been a percep ble loss in the economy with all the sectors taking a big hit. Time will tell when the economy starts bolstering by itself and how much was due to the s mulus by the GOI. ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead for MICE Tourism?

Ronjon Lahiri. At the first instance, MICE June 2020

Tourism service providers could a ract Pharmaceu cal Companies to have their Conferences and Conven ons and Exhibit their products for those who are interested in knowing the latest breakthroughs in various areas of medicinal research and also to prospec ve buyers. Secondly, the Medical Fraternity and Prac oners and the Hospital Chains could be brought together for having mee ngs, seminars, presenta on, workshops to talk about various fields of medical research and breakthroughs which are taking place and which are likely to happen.

The companies who manufacture medical equipment could be the exhibitors in these forums. Thirdly, there are various Government Laboratories and major Private Laboratories that can hold mee ngs, seminars, presenta on, workshops to talk about various fields of scien fic research and breakthroughs in various fields of Bio, Chem, Physics, and Geo which will have profound effect on the growth of science for the benefit of mankind. We have the IIT's to be par cipants in MICE Tourism. Fourthly, there might be Chemists and Medical representa ves who could be reached out to be par cipants in the above three segments. Fi hly, IIM's could be reached out to hold mee ngs, seminars, presenta on, workshops to talk about 'Resilient Leadership' for the senior management of the corporate firms and also MSME. Sixthly, there are many Agricultural Research Ins tutes both at the Union as well at the State level who could be approached to hold mee ngs, seminars, presenta on, workshops to talk about 'Supply Management by Farmers in case of disrup ons through

Interview intermediaries'. Seventhly, approach the en re Indian banking industry to organise mee ngs, seminars, presenta on, workshops and invite the top Indian Economists from India and Abroad as speakers and speak about the changes that this pandemic has brought to the world and Indian economy and its an dote for recovery.

ES. What can be the recovery guide for MICE. How to deal with 'Business Disrup ons'?

Ronjon Lahiri. The MICE industry would need to review the findings of their own Goals and Strategy in mind. a. Review your benchmarks and reevaluate your performance. b. Assess how compe tors' ac ons and your marke ng ideas correlate with your ini al strategy c. Get a fresh view of the market and be prepared for changes d. Adapt the best new prac ces and avoid other companies' mistakes. e. Filter out any ideas that don't comply with your company's offering, posi oning, ul mate goals and strategy. f. Compe ve intelligence is the key indicator for your future performance g. Encourage and ini ate changes in your marke ng plans and strategy.

ES. What do you see as the upcoming trends of MICE? Ronjon Lahiri. MICE Tourism service providers could reach out to GOI Ministries/ Departments their PSU's to hold Conferences and Conven ons. State Governments and their State PSU's could also be approached. This would not be difficult as MICE Tourism takes place in major Urban areas of this country.

2) Large Corporates who were able to maintain their profits during this pandemic could also be invited to hold mee ngs, seminars, presenta on, workshops on the subjects of Corporate Management during a crisis. And, talk about 'How to run a Family Run Business'.

ES. What is the silver lining of this pandemic?

Ronjon Lahiri. It has highlighted how vulnerable 'Capitalism' is in the face of such global disrup ons. Governments have to rethink as to how to blend various sectors to rejuvenate the economy.

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Overdependence on the private sector or the public sector can cause such disrup ons. The economic s mulus by the various Governments suggests that they have recognised this and in the coming days measures will be in place to prevent re-occurrence of this type in the future.

Even China has not been able to prevent the nega ve effects of this pandemic, as per news report there unemployment figure as of now is approximately around 80 million.

MSME's and Family businesses are the worst hit, they would require to invest more into proper management of finance and put aside funds for Business Corporate Insurance and also into management prac ces to deploy safeguards to prevent business disrup ons by ensuring adequate and daily sensi sa on of employees and management.

ES. What do you suggest to entrepreneurs who are facing stress in these mes?

Ronjon Lahiri. 1) Focus on dealing with the situa on to manage con nuity.

2) Focus on adap ng to the changing circumstances with proper financial safeguards in place.

3) Focus on preparing for the worst scenario and you will not be caught off guard and will have systems in place to counter the external nega ve factors. a) Quan fy opera onal data: Businesses need quick ways of making sense of a variety of opera onal data which is peculiar to the industry as well as the firm. b) Ascertain risks: by challenging business assump ons, cross checking financial parameters, reviewing unit costs, and summing up strategies in an effec ve manner. c) Understand business trends: Business decisions are adap ve to changing opera onal and external elements that need adap ve informa ve insights for business trends, revenue impact assessments, trends of opera onal Key Performance Indicators, etc. d) Monitor: the magnitude of loss/ damage to business due to failure to meet obliga ons or otherwise. e) Simulate business decisions: by looking at past experiences using historical and recent data of the industry and firm to June 2020

arrive at seemingly informed decisions. f) Periodically assess outcomes: to make the necessary course correc on. g) Gain business transparency on process and transac on areas for effec ve customer engagement. h) Adopt technological innova ons: wherever possible to make the business process more efficient and resilient. i) Gain opera onal and process insights: Con nuous business process evolu on is only possible through proac ve assessment of improvement areas, process devia ons, and bo lenecks.

ES. Please share with us your personal assessment of the situa on?

Ronjon Lahiri. Businesses are experiencing unprecedented disrup ons. One of the dominant disrup ons that is now becoming visible is the inability of organisa ons to meet their obliga ons arising out of contractual rela onships or otherwise. However, the opera onalisa on, efficacy, and the associated risks for each sector or business would vary. Governmental interven on have also resulted in many companies having to implement working models in haste, or not at all while deferring broader business risk and downstream regulatory risk considera ons. Therefore, the financial impact of disrup ons to businesses will extend beyond losses as it will also impact the mental health of the management professionals who will adopt a 'Risk Averse' policy in contrast to the 'Risk Taking Policy'.

ES. What has been the impact of this pandemic on Indian Tourism industry?

Ronjon Lahiri. More than the financial loss, it is the mental health of family run businesses which is most worrisome. In a perfect world, family businesses which most firms are in the Indian Tourism Industry have a transi on leadership from one genera on to the next along a predictable and well-planned process — whether that's determined within the business, the ownership group, or the family itself — passing the baton a er years of prepara on. And this, of course, can leave family members with a false sense of security as the business would thrive in the old financial model.

Interview Pandemic scenarios can leave leaders u erly unprepared for the job.

An unprepared next genera on o en defaults to backing away, either op ng to leave employment in the business or trea ng it purely as a financial asset without engaging in leadership. Both op ons tend to lead to selling the business altogether — an outcome that the previous genera on may not have an cipated or wanted. It is an cipated that small business firms will either declare themselves insolvent or will be swallowed by bigger corporates.

ES. Your 3 takes on how to cope these mes?

Ronjon Lahiri. 1) Slow Down to Make Be er Decisions in a Crisis: The best way to resist the siren call of ac on is to slow down. Panic makes people want to act right now to avoid a threat, but most of the ac ons people are likely to take will not be prudent in the face of a poten al pandemic. A fast and intui ve reasoning system that responds to one's current mo va onal state which leads to those fast judgments are generally biased toward ac on so one needs to slow down to be sure that whether quick reac ons are actually warranted. It is best to take me when making decisions rather than ac ng on gut feelings. Those quick ac ons may reduce some of the anxiety in the short-run, but they are likely to create more problems than they solve. By slowing down, one can use delibera ve reasoning with data to influence one's conclusions.

There is a lot of informa on out there right now about the virus and how to react.

Take the me to read and digest it before making important personal and business decisions. There are many ac ons people should take over the next several weeks and months, but the decision to act should be based on delibera on, sober reflec on on reality, and discussion with experts not in reac on to a headline or a tweet.

2) Be Tough in the Face of a Crisis A focussed, calm and presence of mind will keep it from wandering and ge ng lost, and helps reduces the pits of stress and worry that we can easily get stuck in. Even more importantly, the con nued prac ce 42 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

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of unhooking and focusing our minds builds a muscle of toughness that will serve us me and me again. When we prac ce bringing ourselves back to the present moment, we deepen our capacity to cope and weather all sorts of crises, whether global or personal. The en re process begins with compassion and not self-pity. Compassion is the inten on to be of benefit to others and it starts in the mind. Prac cally speaking, compassion starts by asking oneself one ques on as how to go about one's day and connect in person with others. This helps the mind to expand, the eyes to open to who and what is really in front of us, and we see possibili es for ourselves and others that are rich with hope and ripe with opportunity.

3) Bad Times Bring Out the Best in People A truly dire situa on, as tragic as it is, “drags us into emergencies that require we act, and act altruis cally, bravely, and with ini a ve in order to survive or save someone, no ma er what our poli cal inclina on are or what we do for a living or living in a more affluent neighbourhood, that does not change our basic humanity.

Business strategy should be reinforced by gestures of service and trust. The bo om line is prac cal, useful acts of kindness are good for humanity, and good for business.

Acts of kindness are also good for the people who do them and the more tangible the act, the be er. Actual disaster liberates a clogged mind, since it gives each of us the chance to express the best in ourselves in mes of crisis, rarely achieved under normal circumstances.

ES. What will be the future of tourism?

Ronjon Lahiri. So far we have been dealing with 'Over Tourism' where des na ons are overcrowded, very high carbon foot prints that its natural resources are under great strain with very high consumerism. India will have to work out a mathema cal logarithm to create system of 'Tourist Dispersal' movement. Tourists will not be able to converge in large numbers in a popular tourist des na on. They will be encouraged to go to lesser known des na ons. This dispersal will mean that money will rev up the local economy with

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a greater mul plier effect. reaching the grass root level. It will also reduce high foo alls in a rac ve monuments and natural habitats. Therefore, a study has to be conducted as to the tourist movement from one des na on to another and which des na on is being le with li le or no tourist. The lockdown had opened our eyes that nature can self-heal without the interven on of man. Tourism is the best way to educate a tourist on sustainable tourism. Less foo alls, less carbon footprints, less garbage and waste, be er for the environment. Let tourists pay for the upkeep of the surroundings, make them feel responsible.

ES. How do you see tourism gradually opening up and what are your sugges ons in this regard?

Ronjon Lahiri. Encourage tourism from source markets which are close by like Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia to begin with and then spread out to Japan and Taiwan, and ensure that it is not cost prohibi ve as it was before the pandemic.

ES. What is your perspec ve on Air Travel opening up?

Ronjon Lahiri. Wait and Watch. The Avia on industry has suffered massive financial losses, ll they become financially viable, if they do, tourism and general travel will all be at tenterhooks. It is reported that more than 40% of their fleet will remain on ground. Pilots also needs to focus as they have not flown for two months. The airlines will have to adhere to the Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Civil Avia on on 21st May, 2020.

ES. Your message to the industry?

Ronjon Lahiri. The Buddha once asked a student: “If a person is struck by an arrow, is it painful? If the person is struck by a second arrow, is it even more painful?” He then went on to explain, “In life, we cannot always control the first arrow.

However, the second arrow is our reac on to the first. And with this second arrow comes the possibility of choice.” The Tourism Industry has a second chance, they should redeem it.

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Exhibi on Showcase Talks To Ma hias Tesi Baur, CEO, MBB Consul ng Group & Founder, Exhibi ons Think Tank ES. Please share with us your professional journey. What have been the major milestones and most amazing achievements and moments in your career?

Tesi. I started my career at Messe Frankfurt in 1999. Before that I was running a small online agency and Messe Frankfurt was one of my clients. This was the first link to the exhibi on industry. In 2000, I moved to Reed Exhibi ons German and was responsible for the online department. Six years later, I became the global e-business director of Reed Exhibi ons and moved to the company’s HQ in London.

A er another 6 years, I le Reed and the online sector, and became group por olio

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director of the food ingredients por olio at UBM (today Informa). Since five years, I run the consul ng company MBBConsul ng Group. My agency is specialised in consul ng the exhibi on industry in strategy, commercial approach, due diligence and digital. We also offer training courses and workshops to the exhibi on industry.

ES. Please share with us your take on this situa on: Tesi. We have been surprised by the situa on. The current crisis is forcing our industry to reinvent our offer to our clients, take digital seriously and rethink our value proposi on. It will be fundamental to go through this process of

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redefining our industry in a deep and meaningful way. If companies take this process of renewing our industry seriously, we can come out stronger. Companies who won't take it it seriously might be in trouble soon.

ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead for Exhibi ons Tesi. The roadmap is to firstly rethink the value proposi on, then define a strong concept of hybrid events, and finally execute this new concept in a very user friendly and business crea ng way.

ES. What can be the recovery guide for exhibi ons?

Tesi Baur. We launched a crisis recovery guide some weeks ago as a free of charge

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service for the industry. Everybody who wants to have a copy should contact us.

The recovery guide goes into details of how a new sales strategy can help to come out of the crisis. It also provides insight of se ng up a collabora ve strategy and how to create a post-crisis USP.

with slides presenta ons, breakout groups and feedback rounds. We did a first set of this type of courses in April which was a great success. We received extremely posi ve feedback from the courses' par cipants, and we are looking forward to the new courses in June.

Finally, the guide provides insights about the concept of hybrid events. It is very important that companies start now to prepare the post-crisis phase, and our guide gives hopefully some inspira ons to do this work.

ES. What do you suggest to entrepreneurs who are facing stress in these mes Tesi. Try to stay in business as long as possible and work on brand building. Also be helpful with your partner and clients.

This is a me to s ck together and build trust. It will pay back a er the crisis.

ES. What do you see as the upcoming trends of Exhibi ons & Conven ons Tesi. Definitely a different use of digital and upcoming hybrid events. Digital will be apat of our USP and users have to enjoy benefits also through digital channels.

ES. What is the silver lining of this pandemic Please tell us about Exhibi ons Think Tank.. What led to its forma on and what is the objec ve? Can you share some of its findings yet?

Tesi. Around 4 weeks ago we launched the Exhibi ons Think Tank. The idea is to go through a structured crowd-intelligence process in which people from all over the world discuss what needs to change in the industry and how the new changes can benefit our customer. We have 20 working groups and more than 140 people working on this key mission in the Think Tank. The outcome will be a clearer picture of the sanitary crisis' impact on our industry, and how we need to change to make the industry fit for the future.

ES. Please share with us about your new online educa onal courses? Who are they meant for? What value do they promise to the professionals?

Tesi. For many years, we have been offering face-to-face educa on courses, but following COVID-19, we are now offering our courses online. In June, we will be running the online courses “How to create a post-crisis USP” and “How to create a hybrid event concept”. Each course include three interac ve modules

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ES. Will our industry remain the same as before? What are the areas which will see dras c changes?

Tesi. No, our industry will be different. We have to develop a new business model in which hybrid and digital will play a totally different role. Our services need to move to hybrid.

I think our value proposi on will be build through the physical events by 60% and through digital services by 40%. That means that physical events will play a dominnt role, but we need to invent and launch completely new services. Another poten al change could be that new companies will come on the market as event organiser.

ES. Do you think that even if exhibi ons open, the exhibitors and visitors will like to return? What is your assessment on the dynamics of this scenario?

Tesi. That will depend on the trust we are able to build. We need to review our cleaning, safety and security measures and it needs to become a part of our USP in a transparent way. If we do this the right way, people will be happy and confident to join events again.

ES. What has been the impact of this pandemic on UK exhibi on sector? How has the UK government supported the industry so far?

Tesi. The UK government lost a couple of weeks in crea ng a concept and the

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approach is s ll not very clear today which unfortunately affected the industry and the en re country in a non-favourable way.

Our industry does not enjoy as much a en on by the government as this is the case for example in Germany. This explains why the UK currently stands a few weeks behind other countries in terms of COVID19 response and post-crisis business developments, including the exhibi on industry.

ES. Your 3 takes on how to cope with these mes?

Tesi. Stay at home, stay brave, stay in business. That means in real terms: nurture your network and help your industry friends wherever you can. Be entrepreneurial and pivot your business offer. Your offer and your network will bring you out of the crisis.

ES. What is your take on Virtual events?

Tesi. I like the term hybrid event more than virtual events as the defini on makes more sense to me. At this point, the concern is not about whether you offer your services in a physical or virtual set up.

It is the business benefits which truly count.

I see a big opportunity to do matchmaking, product introduc on and online educa onal content to lead the industry back to physical events. It would then be a proper hybrid concept, and even greater widen our audience.

ES. How do you see business tourism gradually opening up and what are your sugges ons in this regard? What is your perspec ve on Air Travel opening up? Your message to the industry?

Tesi. Start innova ng now! The innova on cycle in our business is a long term cycle which means innova on is compared to other industries such as for example the so ware industry not our strongest asset.

This fact carries the duty for each company to start an innova on process which pushes boundaries beyond what we normally do. Start doing this now – it is me!

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Exhibi on Showcase Talks To Nichapa Yoswee, Senior Vice President of Thailand Conven on and Exhibi on Bureau (TCEB) ES. Please share with us your professional journey. What have been the major milestones and most amazing achievements and moments in your career?

Nichapa. Every step of my professional journey has cra ed and sharpened my professionalism.

Star ng my career in 1988 as an execu ve secretary of the Chairman of CP Group which has been an elite conglomerate in the food and IT industry, I absorbed the art and science of coordina on and priori za on which has shaped my character ever since.

• My second career was at an exhibi on company, Reed Exhibi ons Thailand. My 23 years with the company with a humble start in marke ng communica ons un l becoming Managing Director, I breed my cri cal professional traits and found my love for this industry. And I proudly led the company’s exhibi on por olio into the top rank of the Southeast Asian region with double digit growth each year.

• Then I was invited to serve the country at large with Thailand Conven on and Exhibi on Bureau or TCEB, spearheading the MICE Capabili es Development. I ini ated the establishment of MICE Academy to incubate MICE future leaders; enforced interna onal standards to upskill professionals and supplier; introduced sustainability to Thai MICE operators, food waste preven on, and.guideline on carbon-neutral events and ISO event sustainability.

• Now I am in charge of Strategic Marke ng and Business Development to make Thailand a preferred MICE des na on in South East Asia.

ES. Please share with us your take on this situa on Nichapa. I would like to share my empathy with all MICE entrepreneurs facing the unexpected and unfortunate situa on. But at the same me I would like to urge all to use this crisis as an opportunity to forge stronger collabora on in finding crea ve solu ons and maximise this harsh uncertainty as a means to repriori ze our por olio which can be cra ed into new and future business opportuni es.

We need to prove the strength and resilience of the industry.

• I believe every government is working strenuously to strike a balance between infec on preven on and economic breath. One of their priori es is to assist SMEs, which include MICE entrepreneurs. We can assess to what extent such assistance can be u lized for our business plan and our por olio repriori za on that can contribute to the recovery of the industry.

• In the end, I think we should be thankful for all medical professionals and staff for their dedica on to keeping the infec on under control and saving lives of the infected. If our MICE industry makes a strong recovery, they are undeniably the one whom we must sincerely feel grateful. If possible, we should look into how MICE industry can

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the mee ngs.

• Meanwhile we have also worked out the support schemes for overseas markets so that we are fully prepared to a ract them once more lockdown measures are li ed for interna onal travel to resume.

contribute to the development of medical and health sciences in order that the whole society can benefit from such development in the future.

ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead for MICE Tourism?

Nichapa. The economy will.shape scenario.

Hygiene, safety, ROI, Content, Technology will play key elements as new norm in business events. Clients will be health conscious so exclusiveness, chartered flight, hotel and restaurant buy-out can be sought-a er. MICE operators need to be flexible and adap ve.

ES. What can be the recovery guide for MICE? Nichapa. As long as interna onal travel is constrained by health and safety measures, the primary focus to boost the recovery is domes c market. As of now the government has allowed internal corporate mee ngs at the outside venues.

Of course, under these circumstances, incen ves to a ract domes c mee ngs must be made available. Hygienic procedures must be put in place, content must be crea vely designed to deliver strong return on investment and unique experiences, technology must be u lized to safeguard safety and save me. All in all, such available elements will lead to sustainability of the market which is the key for recovery. On the part of TCEB, we have designed the support schemes to a ract domes c mee ngs by lowering some criteria so that the planners and organiza ons become mo vated to hold

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ES. What do you see as the upcoming trends of Exhibi ons & Conven ons?

Nichapa. The domes c market will become a primary market this year and possibly next year due to less barrier of travel, especially if the domes c situa on can be recovered for business reopening. On a wider scale, global rota on of conven ons is disrupted by the pandemic. It is, therefore, possible for regional conven on to make a stronger presence. Technology will play a strong role in upgrading customer engagement and generate touchless experience.

Hybrid or virtual events can be the answer as long as guarantee on safety cannot be firmly established. For exhibi on, it is possible that show can be smaller, virtual pla orm will be used for match-making, thus, crea ng exclusive community for the show. One key trend is the sustainability of the event under the new normal environment which can be achieved by addressing hygienic concern in a strong manner.

ES. What is the silver lining of this pandemic?

Nichapa. The silver lining is the ongoing development of vaccine. Once available, it will elevate the confidence of business travelers to travel overseas. Let’s encourage those dedicated to vaccine development. While wai ng for such breakthrough, we should make the silver lining ourselves by making prepara on for the new business landscape. As I said, it’s me we repriori ze our por olio, focus on

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the real core, streamline our business, reflect more strongly on the purpose reskill or up-skill ourselves and our manpower. At least when the lockdown is eased, we can restart opera on with fresh and new strength. For Thailand, one silver lining is the government will be considering the fourth phase easing of the lockdown measures in June. We expect more room will be opened by that me for MICE business. TCEB and the stakeholders have dra ed MICE Venue Hygiene Guidelines for the fourth phase easing and that will ensure the government that our industry is ready to deliver service with safety.

ES. What do you suggest to entrepreneurs who are facing stress in these mes?

Nichapa. The crisis will come to an end finally. Stay posi ve and be future-focused.

Become a thought leader making new crea vity so that we can enjoy the sunshine. Since the impact of the crisis escalated, TCEB has been working closely with the stakeholders in finding how to develop new products and more a rac ve incen ve program that will fulfill the emerging concerns and requirements.

ES. Will our industry remain the same as before? What are the areas which will see dras c changes?

Nichapa. I believe everyone in the industry accepts that the pandemic is the first phenomenon shaking the industry at the extent we have never experienced before.

Of course the landscape will change as long as health concern is not yet completely tackled. To keep business alive under the new environment, we must exert more crea vity on content, how to produce stronger ROI when we are bound by higher hygienic standards, touchless experience and crucial role of technology.

All in all it is the redesign of the events.

And the redesign will of course incur higher cost so it’s possible we will witness marke ng partnership among suppliers and related par es to deliver package that can appeal to the clients.

Interview ES. Do you think that even if exhibi ons open, the exhibitors and visitors will likely to return? What is your assessment on the dynamics of this scenario?

Nichapa. They will return! Based on research of a number of organiza ons, they dearly miss live events, face-to-face interac on. But this will come true when they are assured of heath safety, no travel restric on, and more facilita on for their travel and par cipa on in the event.

Organisers themselves need to change their mindset, sharpening their focus on how to accommodate the clients’ needs and concerns. I think exhibi ons are pure business and are desperately in search of business con nuity. They will resort to more tools and technologies that can maintain their blood under the new constrained environment.

ES. What has been the impact of this pandemic on Thailand's MICE sector?

Nichapa. Like everywhere, the pandemic has caused the postponement and cancella on of TCEB-supported events. 29 cancella ons and 88 postponements, a loss of over 126,000 overseas travelers.

Due to our experiences with past crises, TCEB has been, however, opera ng in crisis mode since January and set up COVID center in February to update the situa on in Thailand for our clients. We are aware of the importance of assistance for the industry when they are facing with harsh uncertain es that cut their revenue stream. We have set up fund for venues to set up health and hygiene procedures, addi onal fund for both domes c and overseas events.

We have eased up support criteria for events and are now working with the government to secure more funding to shore up the industry. All are aimed at compensa ng for their loss of business.

Besides TCEB is launching the project to support organizers to hold webinar for mee ngs, use virtual pla orm for exhibi ons and upskill their workforce with our e-learning pla orm. All measures are implemented under our 3Rs plan; response, recovery and restora on.

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

have launched economic s mulus packages since March, providing so loan, extending credit line, tax relief, higher tax deduc on, wage compensa on for business sector. And they have just passed the law on borrowing to inject fund into the economy. Travel industry is one of their targeted sectors because travel industry has been one of our major sources of income and has contributed to our GDP. ES. TCEB and industry associa ons are working hand-in-hand to spearhead Hygiene Discipline for Thailand business Event Industry. Please elaborate this statement and can you share with us the new checklist and measures in prac ce?

Nichapa. TCEB and our stakeholders in the private sector are acutely aware of health, hygiene and public safety issues. They are a decisive factor for the con nuity of our business and industry. We have collaborated to produce the industry guidelines that conform to the government’s overall preven ve measures.

• Under the guidelines, the 5 key measures on hygiene and public safety established by the Ministry of Public Health must be strictly adhered to as follows: 1) limit the number of a endees (1 person per 2 sqm space), 2) body temperature screening (a system, such as applica on, is required for looking a er, transferring and following-up the pa ents), 3) distancing prac ce within business premises, such as mee ng room, elevator, restroom, canteen, 4) tracking system in case a delegate becomes ill a er visi ng the premise, and 5) queuing system with the separa on of wai ng areas before entering the premises • MICE Venue Hygiene Guidelines have 3 key prac ces: pre-event, onsite and postevent.

1) The pre-event prac ces include preparedness of staff, transport, se ng up of screening point, self-screening applica on or website for a endees to feedback within 24 hours before the event, manual on permi ed number of a endees, instruc on on holding large scale ac vi es, hygiene instruc on for June 2020

a endees, etc. 2) The onsite prac ces focus on use of IT to mi gate risks, arrangement of venue to reduce touch points and regular cleaning of touch points and QR code for registra on and sa sfac on survey to ease the conges on, room layout for be er ven la on, 2-meter apart sea ng, microphone set up at different points and regular cleaning a er use. In case of speakers invited from loca on outside the host city, the a endees must be informed of safety measures taken to reduce incoming risks, such as shu le service for speakers or providing accommoda on near the venue for the speakers, etc. For exhibi on, advance booking technology for visi ng exhibi ng booths to lower gathering crowds or virtual exhibi on technology should be employed to create experiences for those wai ng in the queue. Online pla orm should be developed for product booking or purchase, 3) The post event prac ces include the employment of waste management system that can prevent the infec on, producing a report on event organiza on for concerned authori es in accordance with the orders and announcements of the government’s Center for COVID-19 Situa on Administra on (CCSA).

ES. Can you share about exhibi ons opening up in Thailand? Like the way in Korea and Hong Kong.

Nichapa. Now the exhibi on center is allowed to reopen for business but the used space is capped at 20,000 sqm. The government will in June consider the fourth phase easing of lockdown measures which I think will open more room for business events to operate. At least the venues in Thailand have so far been inves ng in pu ng health procedures and protocols to ensure the safety of all involved in the events. I think their enthusiasm and precau on responses will win the confidence of the government for more opening up. With the prospect of more relaxed measures, the MICE landscape of Thailand will become vibrant in the second half of this year. We have now a list of 47 TCEB-supported shows and non-support events scheduled to open in August un l December.

Interview Many of them are ASEAN edi on trade shows. The industrial sectors represented are varied from medical, agri-business, infrastructure, energy, food, retail, industrial manufacture.

ES. Germany has also classified exhibi ons separate from Mass gatherings. What is Thailand's take? Do they acknowledge the role of exhibi ons and classify them differently from mass gatherings.

Nichapa. Yes we have taken it as a key issue for the industry, differen a ng between business event or MICE and social gatherings. We have iden fied them as a separate sector. Thanks to the clarifica on, the Thai government has taken different approaches towards the two sectors. In May the government allowed the internal corporate mee ngs at outside venues but limited the number of par cipants to 50 under the second phase easing of lockdown measures. In June under the third-phase easing of lockdown measures, conven on and exhibi on centers are allowed to reopen for business but the maximum space used is capped at 20,000 sqm and ac vi es genera ng large crowd gatherings are prohibited. Other mass gathering events, such as concert and sport, have remained closed and will be considered under the fourth phase of lockdown easing.

ES. Your 3 takes on how to cope with these mes?

Nichapa. • Stay posi ve, stay open and be humble

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• Have Pa ence, wisdom • Don’t waste the crisis (it’s opportunity to create something new and sustainable) ES. What is your take on virtual events?

Nichapa. It is undeniably an essen al pla orm of mee ng as long as we are not yet ready to fly and travel to a end the event. All of us in the industry must embrace virtual technology to deliver service and be crea ve on how to use the virtual pla orm in producing impac ul content and strong engagement at least to the extent that they can make up for the lost opportuni es of physical mee ngs.

With the possibility of stronger presence of virtual pla orm, we need to access, acquire and sharpen the exper se in managing such virtual pla orm in an efficient and effec ve manner.

sky because our economies are inseparably connected and business events are one key tool to drive the economy and interna onal collabora on.

Prolonging air travel ban will wreak havoc on all countries. Vaccine is being now developed and progress has been reported, so I believe confidence in safety, including air safety, will soar and that will unlock the travel ban finally. At least as of now Thailand has removed four des na ons from the list of a high risk zone: China, Hong Kong, Macau and Korea.

One possible scenario “Travel Bubble” which has now been the subject of much talk is the countries with low risk or where the situa on is put under control can make a deal to open the sky with each other or with one another first.

• At TCEB, we have Virtual Mee ng Space (VMS) project to support organizers to hold their webinar for mee ngs and a virtual pla orm Offline to Online or O2O for exhibi ons.

Then other countries can join if they can control the infec on and ready to restart business. This is a posi ve signal for our industry and the airline must exhibit strong or solid proof that flying is safe. There will always be a way out of crisis.

ES. What is your perspec ve on Air Travel opening up?

Nichapa. Yes air travel restric on is a real shock for our industry. But we have to acknowledge that the avia on authority has been working strenuously to prevent and control the pandemic at the first touch point, pu ng in place strict health protocols to ensure safety for all. Anyway when the situa on improves, each country, I believe, will gradually open the

ES. Your message to the industry?

Nichapa. MICE is a resilient sector. It always comes back stronger. The pandemic has given us extra knowledge on how to treat and focus on safety issues. The situa on shall pass and we should be be prepared to bathe in the sunshine again.

For our living, the pandemic has taught us about work-life balance and sustainability is the key and core of how we live our lives.

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ABEC - all set for the new era !

Trade Exhibi on Sector with global annual business turnover at par with important segments such as medical and surgical equipment is playing a cri cal role in developing, nurturing and contribu ng directly to na onal and interna onal economies.

The constant focus on innova on, brand building and buyer-seller interac on at trade fairs has acted as a catalyst in boos ng growth of the MSME sector in India and has had far-reaching impact on several other industries. One of the leading homegrown exhibi on company in India, ABEC plays an important role in spearheading thought leadership for shaping up the industry.

However, with trade ac vi es plunging in the a ermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended global economies and industries, the past months have also witnessed devasta on of the MICE industry of which exhibi ons are part. Cancella ons owing to safety concerns and with centers being appropriated for pandemic contagion control isola on facili es, this industry has definitely been impacted to a great extent all over the world. When one talks about exhibi ons and trade events in India, one can recall sharply the blitzkrieg campaigns of Acetech expos India's leading exhibi on on architecture, construc on and design, which has a racted a en on of all the major megapolis. The credit for this goes to the Gandhi Brothers who have mastered the art of pu ng focus on an industry showcase like no other trade conven on. In the last two decades, the Gandhi Brothers, Sumit and Manish Gandhi, have been synonymous with trade shows in India. Their proud heritage of organizing an ensemble of high-energy and highly influen al expos which include, elite bridal and Lifestyle expos and expos in other forte segments like real estate, travel, educa on, safety & security and professional audio visual, besides the flagship Acetech expo, has cemented their company, ABEC/ITE, as one of the leading exhibi ons organisers in the country.

SUMIT GANDHI Chairman & CEO

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Exhibi on Showcase spoke to the infallible duo who has been working round the clock, assessing the current situa on and spearheading meaningful dialogue and interac on with government bodies and industry stakeholders alike, to understand why they remain op mis c despite the impediment and what vision and mission they can share to assure that expos and shows will go on.

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MANISH GANDHI COO & ED

Interview ES. The expo biz or rather expos are on a all- me low; given the bleak environment do you see them doing a phoenix rise?

SG: In all my years, empathizing with the building materials manufacturers and providing them their most important need – interac on with the trade on a neutral, independent, reputed, robust pla orm, which is Acetech, I cannot imagine any replacement for the annual expo exercise. At trade gatherings manufacturers experience first-hand impression of new products, which are verified immediately, conver ng to business done on the shop floor. For ABEC/ITE as a company, there is only one eventuality, for us it's only a ma er of pa ence un l the present environment turns around 180 degrees. I truly believe that this industry is exceedingly resilient and will definitely recover in me.

MG: I couldn't agree more; the return of face-to-face trade expos is the only eventuality. Our group provides life-blood to the building materials industry and other industry segments the world over under the HYVE ITE brand. We have constant contact with our exhibitors and the industry for all sectors, be it Acetech in building materials sector or the PALM AV-ICN expo in pro sound audiovisual sector or Secutech in the security sector or Glamour in the Lifestyle sector, and industry feedback is overwhelmingly unanimous in that, expos are their life-blood and they will return to expos.

In order to ensure the phoenix rise, we at ABEC ITE have adopted and adapted aggressively to the new paradigm of working remotely during the lockdown. The transi on to “work from home” has been smooth and seamless. In fact, we have been a lot busier, working 24x7 as we are now urged to propel harder than ever before. We have used this situa on to our advantage, keeping our workforce at ABEC ITE engaged and providing produc ve business con nuity to our clients. My home has been transformed into my office HUB, this is the new normal and I am loving the challenge that has been unwi ngly thrust on me. In the last three months, since the lockdown was announced in March, we have analysed the full spectrum of our strengths and weaknesses, have iden fied areas of improvement and charted out an effec ve CRM strategy to meet goals, which are in tandem to the new normal. ABEC ITE will be at the forefront of the 180 degree turn around that we are envisioning for the exhibi on industry. It is just a ma er of me.

This turnaround will subsequently play a cataly c role in resurgence of MSME sector and the overall economy. We are also proud to be contribu ng towards a highly cri cal campaign for the survival & revival of the Indian exhibi on industry, called India MICE Alliance. With ITPO heading this ini a ve, the en re stakeholders of our industry have got together to whether this storm.

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

our diverse por olio of expos. We anyways have always employed and spared no expense in providing safety standards, hygiene and emergency response to any eventuality; it could be fire or a natural act.

Coming back to your ques on, as pioneers in the exhibi on field, we are well posi oned to quickly adapt to a new way of organizing expos. ABEC ITE boasts of a gamut of shows, which a ract huge numbers and it is this experience of more than two decades, which will help us adapt to the new normal. We have already ini ated steps towards preparing a roadmap, which will meet all social distancing requirements mandated by the government. We have prepared a detailed checklist of dos and don'ts which chalks out every minute organiza onal aspect, right from how to prepare a coherent floor plan to providing a safe experience for exhibitors and visitors, to streamlining the onsite registra on process through contactless check-ins for visitors, visitor screening and management. Altruism is our ethos, for the larger good of industry, we intend to circulate this list via the CIEO & IEIA to other expo organizers as well.

We are in fact looking at doing a unique pilot project. We would be the first movers in this space and this project certainly adds a new dimension to ABEC ITE as a leading exhibi on organizer in India.

We are already in talks with ITPO and a number of other venue authori es and nodal Government bodies and are sharing blueprints for this pilot expo, which will be a first of its kind a er the pandemic, wherein contagion control design for crowd control and foo all flow will be executed. We will be announcing this project very soon. The pilot project by ABEC ITE is sure to

ES. How do you imagine the gathering of such humungous crowds, as witnessed at your expos can be organized to contagion free events?

MG: I'm happy to note your percep on that our expos are dis nguished by populous a endees. Yes, a endee turnout as large as 25,000+ is a challenge. ABEC/ITE however is already well dis nguished for se ng high standards in produc on values. Our expos are posh and employ best prac ces of global standards, which is why diverse industry segments support without hesita on 50 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

June 2020

Interview ins ll confidence back into the market and back into exhibi ons.

With this project, we will be playing a leading role in advancing the Indian exhibi on industry to a new growth model, which will be safe for everyone. The project will lay the path for the en re industry to follow. This is just the beginning! It is a ma er of a few trials and we shall soon possess the wherewithal of a endee safety. We are confident, as I believe that our vision and mission is to get expos back on track.

ES. How is it that all your expos enjoy unprecedented support by marquee manufacturers?

SG: We invest strongly in our trade shows, in terms of produc on, publicity, content and features and we iden fy with the trade. Our philosophy is to belong to the trade – Mind, Body and Soul. We are guided by the needs of the trade, which is primarily me and place to develop their industry and professionals. Our teams operate in tandem with professionals and actual users in such manner wherein the industry knows for sure that we work for their ends and purposes. We take our role as industry pla orms very seriously.

This leads to meaningful expos, which provide solu ons at every level to the trade, therein a rac ng marquee manufacturers in every expo segment. This is as much the guidance of our interna onal parents ITE UK. MG: ABEC ITE events stand out from other expos because of the fresh and vibrant approach to branding and marke ng. The strong visual appeal of our colorful and lively hoardings and eye-catching brochures and marke ng collateral are industry benchmarks, which other expo organisers, both na onal and interna onal strive to emulate. ABEC ITE are pioneers in enhancing brand equity through celebrity endorsements. We are the first expo organisers to get superstars like Amitabh Bachchan, Sharukh Khan, Ranveer Singh and AR Rahman, to name just a few, to support our shows.

I believe that the advent of social media marke ng for trade shows in India was also prompted by ABEC's increasing use of digital marke ng and social media pla orms for all our shows. Even during the lockdown our team was improving communica on channels with key exhibitors by ac vely engaging with them, while also connec ng them to influen al buyers through webinars and live social media interac ons. To summarize, ABEC ITE has been a trendse er in the exhibi on domain and this is reason why we have always enjoyed excep onal support from our exhibitors.

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ES. The exhibi on industry is all about people interac on, exchange of ideas and hands-on experience of technology and solu on. The current situa on has put this in peril. What is your advice to the exhibi on industry fraternity going forward?

SG. Undoubtedly, the exhibi on industry is severely impacted, but it is impera ve that we recognize and embrace this as the new normal and focus our energies and resources in pa ently organizing expos in tandem with SOPs laid out by the government, while also iden fying content and new growth opportuni es, which could expedite the 180 degrees turnaround, as men oned earlier.

MG: Safety at our events has always been of great importance to us, this ethos validates our commitment to sustainability. Unfailing systems and safety of people is a priority at ABEC ITE and we con nue to be commi ed to improve and enhance safety and sustainability of our events. We are pioneers in this field and we will aim to remain at the forefront of driving change within the events industry. Our advice to the exhibi on industry is to stay focused and determined in finding ways to ensure safety and sustainability of events. If we provide addi onal benefits to our exhibitors and visitors and make them feel safe and secure through pla orms that are sustainable in the current situa on, once the number of Covid posi ve cases plummet and the disease wanes, our industry will be in a good posi on to kick start and mi gate the damages we have incurred so far.

ES. How are you pu ng new safety ideas and guidelines in place and being part of the actual change?

MG: Besides all the efforts we are taking to put new safety ideas and guidelines in place and test these measures through our pilot project men oned earlier in this interview, we are also a part of the core advisory commi ee of India MICE Alliance Campaign. This ini a ve has brought together all segments of MICE industry to collec vely review the situa on, iden fy opportuni es for future, propose protocols in a structured manner and prepare the industry to open up post the pandemic. The foremost aim of this ini a ve is Survival & Revival of the industry and guidelines being proposed by this commi ee will be soon circulated as a government advisory.

IMA has now finalized the SOPs that contains a list of measures for the re-opening of exhibi ons in India. ABEC ITE will con nue exploring innova on and excellence in achieving effec ve solu ons - from concept to comple on.

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getherWeC a To Conferences Exhibitions Events

Meetings

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ES. Considering that ABEC has been ac ve on the use of digital and social media marke ng, what is your opinion of Virtual expos?

MG: The emergence of online formats does not eliminate the need for physical expos. Trade shows will always remain important as they generate new business connec ons, networking and interac on. Exhibi ons are tangible, and offer prospects that simply can't be recreated online, even in the most accurate VR world. The value of face-to-face mee ngs and the value of seeing and feeling products along with hands-on training are crucial and irreplaceable.

Though we do not strongly believe in virtual expos as a standalone solu on, we do think that they can be greatly leveraged as a valueadd to the physical expo.

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

India Convention Promotion Bureau

India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) (A Government of India Enterprise) Department of Commerce

Sponsored by Minister of Tourism, Government of India

India's leading Media for MICE

GLOBAL MICEALLIANCE ALLIANCE INDIA MICE A Unifying Campaign For The Survival & Revival Of Indian Exhibition & Convention Industry

June 2020

Interview

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

In an interview with The New Indian Express last week, Minister of Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel emphasized that encouraging domes c travelling will be the key to reviving the tourism sector. We put here some excerpts from the interview: arises. The protocols for travel agents, tour operators, tourist transport operators, tourist facilitators/ guides have been prepared with a primary focus on iden fying and mi ga ng risks for the service provider.

Q. What is the level of preparedness of the Ministry of Tourism to open hotels, restaurants and accommoda on units a er the Centre approved opening of hotels, restaurants from June 8?

A. Safety and hygiene will be the priori es for travellers who will travel to a des na on only if they are assured that the place they are visi ng, ea ng and staying at is virusfree. The ministry has used this lockdown period to dra new protocols for hotels and other accommoda on units, including conven on centres and exhibi on spaces.

Protocols have been dra ed based on consulta on with stakeholders and state governments, and we have received feedback from various sectors.

Q. What will be the new protocols that would be followed in order to provide safety to occupants?

A. The new protocol aims to minimise contact between staff and guests at hotels keeping government’s guidelines of maintaining social distancing at all mes in mind. It also aims to make the traceability of guests easier, in case such a situa on

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Q. Is the ministry planning to conduct an assessment of the es mated job loss and revenue loss that the hospitality and tourism industries have suffered amid the pandemic?

A. Our focus is on reboo ng the tourism economy by reviving demand. Efforts will be put to promote domes c tourism through the campaigns of Dekho Apna Desh and Incredible India. We are making efforts to engage with our stakeholders and ci zens of our country to sustain their interest in travelling within the conduct an assessment of the es mated job loss and revenue loss that the hospitality and tourism industries have suffered amid the pandemic?

Our focus is on reboo ng the tourism economy by reviving demand. Efforts will be put to promote domes c tourism through the campaigns of Dekho Apna Desh and Incredible India. We are making efforts to engage with our stakeholders and ci zens of our country to sustain their interest in travelling within the country once travel restric ons are li ed. In line with the Atmanirbhar call given by the Prime Minister, thrust should be given for holidays in rural India.

Q. What will be the primary responsibili es of the Na onal Tourism Task Force?

A. The Ministry of Tourism has set up a task force comprising its officials, at the Central level, regional level and representa ves of the state tourism June 2020

departments to address the issues being brought forward on a real me basis.

This task force will help in assessing the needs of the tourism sector at na onal and regional level. I am sure that the task force will come out with effec ve recommenda ons for the revival of tourism sector.

Q. The tourism and hospitality industries had expressed their disappointment on the s mulus packages announced by the Centre. What do you have to say on this?

A. We should understand that demand has collapsed across the world due to this pandemic. The travel industry will be revived when people are no longer afraid of the pandemic and has sufficient money to travel.

Tourism is a func on of several factors.

This is where we should see the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for special economic and comprehensive package of Rs 20 lakh crore - equivalent to 10 per cent of India’s GDP on May 12.

The overall s mulus given to economy by this special economic and comprehensive package will have a posi ve impact on tourism industry.

Q. How do you think interna onal and domes c tourism will change in the a ermath of Covid-19?

A. We are heading towards a ‘new normal’.

Many business models including that for tourism have to be re-wri en. In future, tourism will totally change. We believe domes c travel will be to beat down the ‘lockdown fa gues’, as short travel is believed to be the an dote to ‘stress’.

Travel in the coming days will have facets of responsible consump on and tourism.

Global News

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

China Clears Way To Restart Exhibi ons And Conferences restaurants should be all opened, reserva ons will be used for parks and tourism scenic spots, and indoor areas and closed entertainment places, such as libraries and cinemas will be allowed to hold conferences and exhibi ons if necessary. Key areas, such as nursing ins tu ons for the aged, charity houses, prisons and mental health ins tu ons, should adopt strict preven on measures.

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hina’s State Council announced new guidelines for Covid-19 preven on that give the go-ahead to hold conferences and exhibi ons again, in indoor areas and closed entertainment places. The Joint Preven on and Control Mechanism of China’s State Council published the new guidelines on its official government website, saying the move “intends to prevent imported cases and domes c resurgence, ensure rapid response to an epidemic outbreak, provide effec ve treatment, and ensure overall recovery of the social and economic order”.

people entering China should all be tested. The qualifica on is likely to mean no quick return for interna onal events but it does give a green light to its domes c MICE events. Big data should play a more important role, the circular said. It means that more impetus on AI and Analy cs and organisers will need this to ensure “right people” at the events.

The na onal ‘health code’ network should be popularised and tes ng results should be shared online in a mely manner. The exhibi on held in Hunan last week ran for its scheduled tenure of 5 days successfully.

The document highlighted preven on as the primary task and stressed the importance of face masks and hygiene. It also called for solid implementa on of early detec on, rapid handling, accurate control, and effec ve treatment measures. The document went on: “With strict preven on measures in place, shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants should be all opened… and indoor areas and closed entertainment places, such as libraries and cinemas will be allowed to hold conferences and exhibi ons if necessary”. The tes ng range should be further expanded, the document added, with key groups, such as close contacts of confirmed cases and

UFI’s Regional Manager for Asia/Pacific Mark Cochrane, who was the first to report this development , commented: “In essence, this means that MICE events will be able to go ahead as necessary all across China. The document does not spell out specific terms and condi ons for this. As usual here, this means that the regions and ci es will be in charge of the ac vi es under their respec ve jurisdic on.”

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It also called for solid implementa on of early detec on, rapid handling, accurate control, and effec ve treatment. With strict preven on measures in place, shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels and

June 2020

Vulnerable groups, such as the aged, children, pregnant women and those recovering from childbirth, the disabled and pa ents with severe, chronic diseases should be offered more help in personal protec on and psychological counseling.

Meanwhile, epidemic preven on measures should be intensified in medical ins tu ons, schools and residen al communi es. Early diagnosis and daily registra on and repor ng are necessary for pa ents and students.

The tes ng range should be further expanded. Key groups, such as close contacts of confirmed cases, people entering China, pa ents with a fever, new inpa ents and those accompanying them, medical workers, port quaran ne staff, prison staff and workers in nursing houses should all be tested. Qualified commercial tes ng ins tu ons are encouraged to provide tes ng services. Big data should play a more important role, the circular said. The na onal “health code” network should be popularized and tes ng results should be shared online in a mely manner.

The circular also called for more scien fic research and interna onal coopera on.

Studies on vaccines, medicine, virus muta on, and immunity strategy should be promoted. Various regions should dynamically adjust the risk level and emergency response level according to the local epidemic situa on. Precise preven on and control should be carried out for any outbreak, it said.

Global News

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Are Virtual Events Killing FOMO? Julius Solaris is the editor of EventManagerBlog.com, he is an interna onal speaker, author and consultant

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emember that me you used to check your social media feed and you spo ed that event you really wanted to a end? Remember the frustra on you experienced because, for whatever reason, you could not a end?

FOMO, or the 'fear of missing out,' was the origin of your frustra on. Event marketers jumped at the opportunity to make you feel that discomfort. Happy faces of a endees having fun while you were stuck at home -- or worse, at work.

Well, it feels like ages ago but it was just three months. FOMO was the biggest tac c of modern event marke ng to sell ckets and to make your event brand look awesome. Then a killer virus came and shut down events in the space of two weeks, forcing us all to stay at home.

What nobody expected was the rise of virtual events. All of a sudden, we could a end dozens of events from the comfort of our living room. To top it off, these events were in most cases free to a end.

A dream come true for a endees, or a nightmare for an industry in pain.

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Whether We Like or Not, FOMO is Dying Or at least it is not doing well. Virtual events opened up the gates of admission to everyone around the world. For once, I have no stats or research to back the next statement up, but I feel there has never been a me when so many people a ended so many events. Events with very high cket prices were suddenly accessible. Event professionals looked at each other in disbelief. In the most incredible turn of events, the value that event professionals fought to build for many years through exci ng speakers, tantalizing mini-burgers, and a flare of experience design was gone.

This is because all those barriers we created to make people excited about the decision to a end dissolved.

No more high cket price. No more travel to the other side of the world. No more ha ng on someone else's Instagram feed.

FOMO is Gone, and it's Bad News The great accessibility of virtual events is exposing the flaws of live events to event

June 2020

owners, a endees, and sponsors. It is also slashing barriers to entry to the market.

Anybody can plan a virtual event; it just takes a free zoom account. Right?

In the same fashion, those that plan one event a year now feel en tled to be event gurus and spend their me wri ng endless 'how to' posts on Medium. We are experiencing a strong devalua on of the event planning profession. This is of course out of ignorance. If you a end a virtual event planned by a professional or by someone who has been doing it for a while, you can tell the difference. But is it enough of a difference to jus fy a endance?

As an industry, we are experiencing what happened to music with Napster, to movies with Ne lix, and to newspapers with blogs. Virtual events are becoming the event industry killer.

Jus fying a cket price for virtual events is not easy. It's quite a challenge. Coming up with ideas, other than content, that make the experience truly special is a struggle.

If you combine that with our percep on

Global News that spending money for digital items always comes with some sort of cheapness bias, we are in for quite a ba le. Many events exist thanks to cket sales and sponsorship. Both are incredibly tough to pursue in a virtual environment.

Sponsors are running their own events with crazy a endance numbers. Why should they bother inves ng in your event?

FOMO is Coming Back Events are reopening and FOMO will be back. Poten ally with a vengeance. The lack of FOMO we are experiencing today is also a wake-up call about the importance of live events. Maybe the opinionated tech enthusiast on Twi er will ditch live events forever. Good

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

riddance. The truth is that billions of individuals who experienced something very close to imprisonment for several months are finally apprecia ng the power that events have to connect a endees. At least good events. What this incredible virtual experiment has taught us is that virtual event pla orms SUCK at connec ng a endees, despite what their salespeople tell us. We all hope that will change, because virtual events are here to stay. Because they are incredible tools of inclusion. Because they are a panacea for a suffering planet that could do without unnecessary travel.

game. We need to bring back FOMO to virtual events. When you plan an event, you have a budget and a revenue objec ve. Somehow, we feel that this logic does not apply for virtual events.

Zoom is free, so no budget. Spending to create a be er experience should be a priority if you want to truly deliver something different. Your spending could go to a more sophis cated pla orm, to digital event produc on, to professional speakers, to good moderators. If you are thinking zero budget, you will get zero revenue.

The lack of FOMO and its eventual comeback call for immediate ac on, at least if you are a clever event owner or planner who loves to be ahead of the

Inves ng in virtual event produc on should give you the kick to be able to put up more barriers, whether they are paid for or freemium cket op ons. The industry is in need of barriers to entry.

Bailout Neglect: TAAI Seeks Urgent Representa on With Government

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he Travel Agents Associa on India (TAAI) has expressed its dejec on at the complete neglect meted out to the travel & tourism industry in the bailout package of INR 20 lakh crore by the government.

The leadership of the associa on has sent a formal le er expressing their disappointment and is seeking urgent mee ngs with the government to avoid the complete collapse of the industry that

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is dominated by small- and medium-sized players.

Expressing shock at such a treatment meted out to the industry despite their con nuous dialogue and requests, Jyo Mayal, President, TAAI & Vice Chairperson of FAITH said that the actual pandemic in the true sense has impacted the travel & tourism industry. “We are at a loss and feel sad that a country where the industry has been inves ng by paying taxes, collec ng GST and contribu ng to 10% of the country’s employment along with being one of the highest foreign exchange generators has not even been granted a men on in the huge confusing bailout package of INR 20 lakh crore.

“The government needed to bail the industry to prevent mass unemployment.

The infrastructure the government is inves ng in will be of no use if the industry does not survive. We have not even got our wish of ease of doing business, implemented,” Mayal says. She cited the problem of cash flow as advances and refunds are stuck with the airlines. In her fi h and last tranche of relief and reform package, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman concluded her speech with no men on of relief for the tourism and hospitality industry, despite the industry being a cri cal contributor to the country's GDP and foreign exchange earnings.

We were looking for a small bailout to survive and be able to revive with some statutory relief and rebates in the broader sense.” Mayal said that with extensions of lockdown their businesses are impacted to the maximum, and now the industry will witness large-scale bankruptcies and an increase in unemployment.

Sharing his views on this, Jay Bha a, Vice President, TAAI, said, "We have sent a le er as formal communica on, and are also seeking an appointment on a war foo ng with the respec ve ministries. As the situa on gets grim, members will have no op ons but to take harsh steps that shall be detrimental."

June 2020

Global News

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Events Industry Council Appoints APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force

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he Events Industry Council today announces the appointment of the APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force, an inclusive body that will work to develop recommenda ons, guidelines and resources needed to support the industry’s recovery globally. The APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force will be led by Co-Chairs Michael Dominguez, President and CEO, Associated Luxury Hotels Interna onal (AHLI), and Kris n Horstman, Senior Director, Strategic Events, Salesforce.

“The strength of our industry has always been in our ability to work together,” said Dominguez. “There has never been a greater need to give confidence to the mee ngs and events community that we are working together to ensure a safe environment for a endees that considers the en re journey.” Horstman added, “The events industry has always been about bringing people together to educate, celebrate and entertain. In our new abnormal, we need to focus on stabilisa on and recovery.

The task force will guide our industry on how we will gather again in safe and healthy environments.” The full task force membership, which represents mul ple segments across the events industry ecosystem, will be announced in the coming days.

“This is a pivotal moment for all of the

companies, associa ons and organisa ons that form the global mee ngs and events industry,” said Paul Van Deventer, Chair, Events Industry Council. “We are not only looking at how we operate in the nearterm given this new reality, but also what kind of legacy we are leaving for the future of our industry. The APEX Commission and COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force will help us do this with a global approach and understanding.”

“Our industry is adap ng to the reality that face-to-face, in-person mee ngs are not an immediate op on, but we have 26 million people with direct and indirect jobs who are ready to get back to work,” said Amy Calvert, Events Industry Council CEO. “Now, more than ever, we need this global task force to aggregate, develop and implement our industry prac ces moving forward.”

UFI Welcomes Move By German Authori es To Separate Trade Shows From “Mass Gatherings”

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FI, the Global Associa on for the Exhibi on Industry, has welcomed a decision by the German government to pave a way for exhibi ons and trade shows in the country to reopen. In its list of measures on dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic, Germany has taken the step to segment “mass gatherings”, explicitly highligh ng out trade shows and exhibi ons as types of events that can be allowed again.

While most types of mass gatherings remain banned in the country un l the end of August, the 16 German states now have authority to give the go ahead for trade shows and exhibi ons, based on a number of precondi ons being met – like a limita on of par cipants, and approved

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health and safety measures.

As the first German state, North RhineWestphalia has decided that it intends to allow topical (i.e. B2B) trade shows and congresses to run from May 30 if (yet to be specified) condi ons are met.

“We are advoca ng that not all types of events are equal, and it is encouraging to see that this message has reached the government of one of the world’s most important exhibi on markets”, says Mary Larkin, UFI President. “Every exhibi on is an organised event – as an industry, we know how to create condi ons where a endees can go about their business while taking the necessary precau ons in the age of COVID19.”

June 2020

Earlier this week, UFI published a “Global Framework guidance for the safe reopening of exhibi ons and B2B trade events”. Put together with a global task force represen ng all parts of the exhibi ons ecosystem, the document delivers the guidance towards both poli cal decision makers and health authori es about how we as an industry as able to provide a safe environment in the age if COVID-19.

Globally the exhibi on sector generates €68.7 ($81.1) billion in direct GDP and contributes a total economic impact of €275 ($325) billion. This ranks the sector as the 56th largest economy in the world, larger than those of countries such as Hungary, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, and Ecuador.

Global News

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Dubai World Trade Centre To Resume Events, Exhibi ons In Second Half Of 2020

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ubai World Trade Centre is gearing up to resume events and exhibi ons in the second half of the year, said Helal Saeed Almarri, director-general, Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) and Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marke ng. "We are working aggressively towards restar ng and accelera ng the return to normalcy of business events - a cri cal goalpost. Yet, safety of our visitors and assuring a wellrounded experience for every domes c and interna onal par cipant supersedes all other priori es," Almarri said during a virtual mee ng with stakeholders.

Abdul Salam Al Madani, chairman of Index Holding; Geoff Dickinson, CEO of DMG Events; Peter Hall, president for Europe-Middle East-Africa at Informa; Dawood Al Shezawi, chairman of Strategic Marke ng; David Beguely, managing director for Middle East at Terrapinn; Simon Mellor, managing director for Middle East at Messe Frankfurt; Vasyl Zhygalo, managing director for Middle East at Reed Exhibi ons; Trixie LohMirmand, EVP, Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC); and Mahir Julfar, EVP Venue Management, DWTC.

Dubai is slowly, but cau ously, reopening its economy following the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. Restric ons on some other key sectors such as retail, hospitality and avia on have already been eased to some extent and MICE will be the next major industry that will welcome local and foreign visitors and investors.

"Upcoming events will be conducted in a highly-controlled manner to ensure adherence to the strictest health and safety protocols for public wellbeing. As a result, new regula ons will be deployed and announced over the coming weeks as discussed with mee ng a endees," DWTCA said in a statement on Wednesday. "We, at Index Holding, are

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June 2020

preparing for the next phase as we have already started to return to our normal ac vi es inside the country and abroad, and we are fully prepared to launch our recent strategic plan equipped with op mism and trust," said Dr. Al Madani.

Simon Mellor said Messe Frankfurt Middle East postponed two of its largest shows, Automechanika Dubai, and Beautyworld Middle East, which will now take place in the fourth quarter of 2020.

“Dubai is a big focus in Q4 as we make prepara ons for our largest event in the region, Arab Health, taking place in February 2021," Peter Hall said. "Whether through the introduc on and amplifica on of technology-specific ini a ves; con nuing to priori se and boost our customer sa sfac on and experiences; or by eleva ng our sustainable value proposi ons, we look forward to hos ng and organising the upcoming events scheduled to take place in Q4 2020," concluded Almarri.

Global News

Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Global Exhibi ons Day 2020 Focuses On Importance Of Exhibi ons

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tradeshows and events are eligible to apply to a €25bn fund set up to assist with Covid-19 related revenue loss. Fresh news is also in from the US state of Texas, which was declared that exhibi ons and conven on centres can reopen now at 50% of their usual occupancy.

he fi h edi on of Global Exhibi ons Day (GED) 2020, 3 June, has become the single largest day of awareness and advocacy for the exhibi on industry ever, with par cipa on from 114 countries and regions. The key message of GED 2020 was “exhibi ons are key to rebuilding economies” and it is one that con nues as the industry re-opens for business.

From videos to mee ngs with policy makers, webinars to hybrid events, webcast to social campaigns, bingo, cakes, virtual running par es, and more, people and organisa ons fully embraced the GED2020 campaign as never before.

Governments around the world revisited polices towards exhibi ons, while GED ac vi es and messages were being spread across the world.

Over the course of its GED campaign, the global associa on of the exhibi on industry UFI was able to track* 8,376 men ons, through unique posts and messages, that had a poten al reach of 715m people. Thousands of people par cipated live in at least 21 webinars and hybrid events, and on 3 June, as well as in the lead-up, many more ac vi es, celebra ng the people and power of exhibi ons, took place throughout the industry.

In the run up to the big day, the New Zealand decided to allow events of all sizes to take place again beginning the second week in June and and the Greek cabinet took the decision to let exhibi ons and conferences restart from 1 July. Germany announced event logis c companies and companies connected to

Mary Larkin, UFI President & President of Diversified Communica ons, said: “I am astounded with the par cipa on in this year's Global Exhibi ons Day. Our unique industry took up the challenge to make sure we were seen and heard by policy makers and by our customers. As exhibi ons begin to restart across the

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June 2020

world, we will reconnect and rebuild businesses. As an industry, we must take the momentum and awareness we've generated into the next phases of our advocacy work.”

Much like the exhibi ons and events that the industry hosts, GED was a day for showcasing our industry, as well as having a bit of fun and sharing our stories.

Some of the most prominent ac ons during GED2020 were the 'voices of the exhibi on industry' quote cards, the GED celebra on videos, and the memorable moments in exhibi ons added to the map on globalexhibi onsday.org.

“This year's GED put into the spotlight both the size and passion of our industry and the importance of exhibi ons in economic recovery. It was also an opportunity to see the diversity and mul cultural nature of exhibi ons and our industry,” said Kai Ha endorf, CEO of UFI. “There are important movements going on now to fight racial injus ce.

Exhibi ons, and those in the industry who run them, should reflect the best of our socie es, diversity, equality, openness, and a curiosity of what's beyond our own sphere. As an industry that brings people together, we condemn racism and we stand in solidarity with those who fight it,” Ha endorf added.

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

UFI Releases Updated Global Assessment Of The Escala ng Economic Impact That COVID-19 Is Having On Trade Shows And Exhibi ons -At least €134 billion (USD 145 billion) of contracts not concluded as events do not take place as planned through Q2 2020 - €81.6 billion (USD 88.2 billion) of total economic output will not be generated related to the exhibi on industry by the end of Q2 and the lack of business is pu ng these at immediate risk of bankruptcy.

As the industry’s global trade associa on, UFI is working with many na onal associa ons to help secure government and regional support for the companies that are badly affected. From Hong Kong to Denmark, there have been several examples already of economic relief for our industry. “We call on every government to secure the future of our sector through imminent subsidy and credit programmes. Their investments now will pay off extremely well.

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FI, The Global Associa on of the Exhibi on Industry, is today releasing updated global numbers that reflect the impact that trade show postponements and cancella ons are having for both the exhibi ng companies as well as for the trade show industry around the world.

Based on UFI data, the orders that exhibi ng companies will not secure will add up to €134.2 billion (USD 144.9 billion) globally, projec ng to the end of the second quarter of 2020. This is an increase of almost 5 mes the figure reported last week (€23 billion) which took into account cancella ons only up to the end of the current quarter.

“Right now, the marketplaces that industries rely on to trade are closed around the world. This is

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unprecedented. Mass closures of events in rela on to COVID-19 have now also reached North and South America, meaning the en re global exhibi ons and events industry is grinding to a halt”, says Kai Ha endorf, UFI Managing Director / CEO. Related to the exhibi on industry, €81.6 billion (USD 88.2 billion) of total economic output will not be generated by the end of Q2. Broken down into regions, the respec ve total economic impact that will not be generated is: - €21.8 billion (USD 23.6 billion) and 378,000 FTE jobs for Asia/Pacific, - €28.8 billion (USD 31.1 billion) and 257,000 FTE jobs for Europe, - €29.2 billion (USD 31.6 billion) and 320,000 FTE jobs for North America.

The backbone of the exhibi ons industry are many micro and small enterprises, June 2020

We will build and operate the marketplaces and mee ng places for all the sectors and industries to meet and do business a er the pandemic - our industry provides the fastest of all fast tracks to any economic recovery”, says Ha endorf.

No stranger to adapta on, exhibi on venues around the world are meanwhile offering their support to the respec ve health sectors. “Many of our members are suppor ng the emergency response to the crisis in their respec ve ci es, building temporary shelters and installing beds in case local hospitals are unable to cope with demand.

It is always humbling to see how our industry comes together in difficult mes”, says Ha endorf

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

WHO Issues Guidelines For Mass Gatherings

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s the MICE industry con nues to lobby with authori es around the world to consider business events separately from ‘general mass gatherings’ and that MICE events are 'organised business events', the WHO has issued new guidelines for outdoor events and ‘mass gatherings’. The document, published on 29 May, is an update of the interim guidance document en tled ‘Key planning recommenda ons for mass gatherings in the context of Covid-19’, published by WHO on 19 March 2020.

economic implica ons”. The document is good at sta ng the obvious, that authori es should “assess the importance and necessity of an event and consider the op on that it may take place, provided all associated public health risks are adequately addressed and mi gated”.

Although there are some clarifica ons and posi ve points to clutch at by the global event industry as it struggles to recover, the guidance largely fails to dispel the general confusion around terms. Although countries like Germany, Korea, China have been clear and even led the way on defining exhibi ons and business events as a very different category to ‘mass gatherings’, the situa on is very different in many other countries and it is clear that ground s ll needs to be covered in this regard. Til that me, things are going to be difficult to move for our industry.

Much should depend when considering holding ‘mass gatherings’, the WHO report says, and on whether a country is implemen ng strict movement and physical distancing measures. The WHO gives a list of risk factors to be assessed for allowing ‘mass gatherings’, in addi on to placing considera on on a country’s record in containing the spread of the disease.

That includes considering the type of venue, a endees, dura on of event and local healthcare infrastructure and ability to detect Covid-19 cases and manage them. The document includes advice on the planning and opera onal phases of ‘mass gatherings’, including the kind of communica on required. And here the document emphasises the categories of vulnerable people who should not be a ending events.

The new WHO documents describes ‘mass gatherings’ as events that could “amplify the transmission of the virus”, while admi ng at least that they have “substan al poli cal, cultural, social, and

The WHO has developed a risk assessment tool for events here, however, the guidance document essen ally leaves the onus on local authori es to set whatever rules they see fit, which would presumably

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June 2020

allow them to claim they’re supported by the WHO. The WHO document concludes: “Generally, events associated with a low or very low risk of Covid-19 transmission and low strain on the health system may be considered sufficiently safe to proceed.

Events with a moderate, high, or very high level of risk might not be sufficiently safe to proceed and would require a more thorough applica on of preven on and control measures.

If the risk of spreading Covid-19 remains significant a er applica on of all control measures, postponing or cancelling the planned event should be considered. WHO does not have the mandate to enforce any restric on, modifica on, postponement, or cancela on of a mass gathering event, or to authorise that its organisa on may proceed. Rather, it advises authori es and event organisers on best prac ce based on available evidence.”

The WHO document also highlights collabora on and legacy, concluding: “Reviewing lessons learnt and evalua ng event legacy is of paramount importance to conduct a formal assessment of policies and improve best prac ces. Authori es and organisers should see such events as an opportunity to enhance their ways of working and pass this learning on to future event organisers and the host country.”

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

What Really Needs To Change In The Exhibi on Industry – New Insights From The Exhibi ons Think Tank

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s part of a ground-breaking new research project, the Exhibi ons Think Tank has iden fied key areas that need to change to help shape the future of the exhibi on industry. A total of 35 toplevel areas have been iden fied, represen ng the views of industry professionals across the globe on what they believe needs to change to respond to exis ng and future challenges and to ensure the exhibi on industry can con nue to meet the needs of customers.

While these 35 areas are wide-ranging, touching upon all aspects of the exhibi on industry, a selec on of nine focus areas have been recommended as being most cri cal: Ÿ Value proposi on Ÿ Set-up and format of trade shows Ÿ Digital services Ÿ Commercial strategy Ÿ HR Ÿ Marke ng and communica ons Ÿ Content and features Ÿ Exhibi on repor ng Ÿ Lobbying These results will now be taken forward during the next phases of the Exhibi ons Think Tank global research project, which was ini ally set up to cover four phases: Ÿ Ÿ

Defining the areas of change What exactly needs to change in each

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area?

What does a new solu on look like to customer target groups? Ÿ How can the exhibi on industry manage this change? Ÿ

What is the Exhibi ons Think Tank?

The Exhibi ons Think Tank is a global group of more than 140 exhibi on professionals, brought together by MBBConsul ng Group to discuss areas that need to change in the industry, and how to shape the future offer for customers.

Using a structured crowd-intelligence communica on process, the Think Tank taps into the skills and knowledge of professionals spanning 20 countries, five con nents and four languages.

What the results tell us The results show that a holis c, industrywide approach to change is needed, as the proposed areas for change cover all aspects of the industry. They also show the far-reaching impact of COVID-19, as its effects are felt across all areas of the industry, beyond just health and safety.

Looking at the nine focus areas, Think Tank members believe that crea ng a new value proposi on is a top priority, as is being able to deliver effec ve digital services to customers.

When it comes to exhibi on set-up, the group has iden fied design, health and safety, and sustainability as core areas, while pricing is a focus in terms of commercial strategy. In HR, Think Tank members believe the industry needs to be er look a er its employees and needs to find ways to a ract more diverse skills to be be er prepared for future crises.

How were the results gathered?

Phase one began with an industry-wide online survey, to gather the views and insights of professionals to help define areas for change. Next, the results were reviewed and discussed by the Exhibi ons Think Tank members, split across 20 global working groups. Each working group ranked the areas in order of importance and had the opportunity to put forward addi onal areas.

Want to find out more?

This is just a snapshot of the results from phase one. If you'd like to find out more, you can contact us on training@mbbconsul nggroup.com

The working group results were then combined to form the 35 top-level and nine focus areas to take forward.

You can also visit the Exhibi ons Think Tank website at www.exhibi onsthinktank.com

June 2020

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Messe Dusseldorf's New Protocols To Guard Trade Fairs Against The Coronavirus Following reports that two large exhibitors at the Drupa 2021, have cancelled their par cipa on at the show, the organiser has introduced measures that will allow trade fairs to operate during the Covid-19 mes be determined individually, can guarantee a minimum distance of more than 1.50 metres,” she stated. “Such plans also include the personal registra on of visitors, the cleaning of contact surfaces or the wearing of mouth-and-nose protec on.”

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rade fairs in Germany are planning to re-start this autumn, with the first date in the Messe Dusseldorf calendar currently a show that will open in the first week of September. Speaking to the media, Drupa director Sabine Geldermann said that new standard opera ng guidelines would involve people interac ng at a distance of at least 1.5m.

She said, “Already for the trade fairs to be held in autumn this year, a sustainable health and safety concept is currently being developed in close coopera on with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economics of the state government, which will make it possible to hold trade fairs under the current framework condi ons and standards.”

Geldermann reiterated that the “already exis ng high safety and hygiene standards” at the expo centre are being “con nuously adapted to the latest findings and put into prac ce”, with the “health of our customers, guests and employees always our top priority”.

The fresh guidelines will involve new ways of planning and organising exhibi on stands, as well as personnel and visitor interac ons. s“For example, the exhibi on stands must be of a size and planned in such a way that the stand personnel and the maximum number of visitors to the stand, which is to

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Responding to the cancella on of plans by Bobst and Xerox, Geldermann said, “We are sorry that our long-standing partners Bobst and Xerox have decided not to par cipate in Drupa 2021.”

Bobst cited using communica on technologies to engage with its customers as the reason for the cancella on, while Xerox said it was the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and its own schedule for product introduc ons that pushed the decision.

Sta ng the criteria of selec ng the new dates, Geldermann said, “Almost all of Düsseldorf's major world-leading trade fairs should have taken place from August 2019 un l June 2020—with drupa as the finale. Due to the coronavirus and associated official decrees or restric ons, seven trade fairs planned for this spring had already been postponed to the second half of 2020 to spring 2021. Since we need a meframe of around two months for drupa (for set-up and dismantling in addi on to the event itself), there were limited dates available. Having weighed all the op ons, and taking into account the interna onal trade fair calendar, the dates chosen, April 20–30, 2021, were the earliest and best possible.

These dates now allow the greatest possible planning security for all par es involved. Fortunately, we are now also close to the original, tradi onal May date of drupa.” Specifying about the event

June 2020

program she said, “Our suppor ng program at the five special forums has already impressed with a fascina ng range of formats, renowned speakers and exci ng topics. Our top priority is to offer our visitors highly relevant, inspiring and las ng valuable content. The lecture program is rounded off by Guided Tours and was already available for bookings via our portal. Our aim is now, of course, to adapt and transfer the program as far as possible to the April dates. Significant issues concerning the ongoing digital transforma on, topics related to circular economy and sustainability or new business models, which will be presented as keynotes, panel discussions and best cases, will con nue to inspire and successfully advise companies—and this will be more relevant than ever a er the impact of the coronavirus.”

She concluded with the following statement, “ As a result of drupa's postponement, the most important trade show in our interna onal por olio, All in Print China in Shanghai in October, will become the largest and most important print trade show in 2020, giving our interna onal exhibitors another highly relevant trade show in Asia this year.

Furthermore, PPP Manila in October will provide an addi onal pla orm in an emerging Southeast Asian market.

And indoprint in Jakarta, planned for September 2020, will also take place on schedule—according to current informa on. Of course, we are also closely monitoring the situa on together with our subsidiaries Messe Düsseldorf China and Messe Düsseldorf Asia as well as par cipa ng partners and will act in good me if necessary. For this purpose we keep in touch with our customers via our various pla orms and our foreign representa ves, and my team in Düsseldorf are available for all ques ons.”

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Informa Teams With NuOrder To Digitalize Trade Show Experience

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nforma Markets Fashion and wholesale e-commerce pla orm NuORDER have partnered to launch the industry's largest digital tradeshow, which will debut alongside Informa's currently scheduled physical events in Las Vegas and New York in Fall 2020. NuORDER, the leading wholesale pla orm in the B2B ecommerce space, will power the future of Informa's digital trade events, the first of which will launch with men's in August followed by women's in September. The partnership comes on the heels of a longstanding digital evolu on for the Informa Markets Fashion por olio and is a collabora on of exper se bringing together NuORDER's technology and revolu onary approach toward wholesale e-commerce with Informa's product cura on and expansive global network of brand partners and retail buyers.

"We see this as an important next step in the evolu on of our business, and the fashion industry as a whole. The live event experience is irreplaceable; fashion in par cular is a very tac le business — buyers want to feel fabrics in their own hands and see colors with their own eyes.

But we also believe that the future of

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fashion wholesale is a synergy of physical and digital," said Nancy Walsh, President of Informa Fashion Markets. "Our first step in this direc on is our partnership with NuORDER and the digital tradeshow we will debut this year, which we believe will help translate the experience of discovery and connec on that is at the heart of our physical events to a new and exci ng virtual environment."

NuORDER's extensive network of thousands of premium brands and 500,000 retailers, paired with Informa Market's global fashion network will create the industry's largest digital trade event. The partnership will bring an already established, dynamic, and highly curated marketplace to a virtual environment, accelera ng connec on and commerce for both brands and retailers.

Brands will be able to tap into NuORDER's advanced digital capabili es, including custom digital catalogs, line sheets, inpla orm ordering and the latest interac ve 360 degree Virtual Showroom technology, to more accurately tell their brand story and virtually present new collec ons. Retail buyers will now be able to more easily and efficiently discover, June 2020

connect, and do business with new brand partners through category and price point search func onali es, access to curated content and relevant product recommenda ons, and in-pla orm order placement.

"Both NuORDER and Informa are market leaders and we are excited to power the largest global pla orm for fashion brands and buyers," said Heath Wells, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of NuORDER. "Our partnership marks a defining moment in the industry solving real customer needs at a cri cal me. This is the beginning of a new era for fashion markets and the standard for discovery and commerce moving forward."

Informa Markets Fashion and NuORDER hope to champion and inspire change towards the true digitaliza on of the industry. The pla orm will unite the industry and soon be expanded to include new shows, categories and regions bringing to light major opportuni es available to forward-thinking fashion brands and retailers who embrace a hybrid future of B2B fashion commerce.

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

Alibaba Going Strong With A Series Of 20 Virtual Trade Shows

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libaba Group’s Alibaba.com, its global B2B online marketplace, launched a mul -pronged program—highlighted by a series of 20 online trade shows star ng next month—designed to build on the growing demand for online commerce by pandemic-hit businesses based in the United States.

“In the last two months, there’s been 20 years of accelera on of small businesses needing to get digital and to do business globally,” says John Caplan, president of North America and Europe for Alibaba.com. Now, he adds, businesses will be using digital commerce to “bridge through the pandemic and into the next decade.” On Alibaba.com, the volume of commerce transac ons has “grown more than 85%” since COVID-19 started to impact business in general.

Alibaba’s fastest-growing market for new sellers and buyers is the United States, which has led that growth since Alibaba opened its global B2B marketplace to U.S. Sellers last July.

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Now, Alibaba is out to build on that growth with three new services: Ÿ Alibaba.com Online Trade Shows USA, which next month will kick off the first of 20 shows designed around product categories and planned over the next 120 days. The U.S. shows are modeled a er the exis ng Alibaba.com Global Online Trade Shows, which debuted last month to show support for companies impacted by the coronavirus and focused on the home and health products industry. That global online show “a racted more than 1 million business buyers and many hundreds of sellers over the course of two weeks,” Alibaba says.

Alibaba didn’t comment on the expected number of a endees and exhibitors for the U.S. shows, but a spokesman said they would be invita on-only and “very curated to ensure op mal matching between buyers and sellers.” The first U.S. show, an invita on-only event for U.S. B2B sellers and wholesale buyers in the Supplements & Nutri on category, is

June 2020

slated to run July 7-10. Alibaba will host that event in a partnership with the USA CBD Expo, which caters to the cannabis industry, and the United Natural Products Alliance. Alibaba is taking online applica ons for exhibitors and online registra ons for a endees.

Alibaba Payment Terms, which Alibaba is promo ng as the first trade financing system embedded directly into a crossborder B2B ecommerce marketplace.

Offered through a credit-as-a-service pla orm from MSTS Inc., the Payment Terms system will let buyers on Alibaba.com pay on terms of up to 60 days a er a seller ships their order. Ÿ Alibaba.com Freight, a service offered through the digital freight marketplace Freightos, is designed to let buyers on Alibaba.com arrange for bulk shipments online while comparing mul ple carrier op ons, then booking, managing and tracking ocean and air freight shipments with real- me status updates. Ÿ

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

IELA Regional Talk – Asia Pacific Stresses On Collabora on Being The Game Changer

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ELA REGIONAL TALK #6 – ASIA PACIFIC

Say it loud and proud: The Exhibi on Industry can run shows safely Ÿ Collabora on is the major tool in comba ng COVID-19 Ÿ

Following a complete shutdown with event postponements and cancella ons within a very short space of me due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now entering a recovery phase with exhibi ons and events par ally being opened in certain regions and countries in the world.

It was therefore on a far more posi ve note that IELA Commi ee Chairman Ravinder Sethi, Chairman & Managing Director at R E Rogers India, had par cular pleasure in ac ng as moderator and introducing the IELA RELOAD online session « IELA TALK #6 – ASIA PACIFIC Organisers & Venues » on Tuesday June 16th, 2020.

The speakers included representa ves from worldwide leading exhibi on organisers and venues: Mr. Anbu Varathan, UFI Incoming President, CEO, Bangalore Interna onal Exhibi on Centre (BIEC) and Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Associa on (IMTMA).

Mr. Michael Duck, Informa Markets, Execu ve Vice President – Asia and Group Chief Representa ve in China.

Mr. Kai Ha endorf, UFI CEO & Managing Director Mr. Aloysius Arlando, SACEOS President, CEO of SingEx Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore investment 65 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

company, Temasek Holdings Mr. S. Balasubramanian Pillai, IEIA President, Execu ve Director & COO, IMTMA / BIEC Bangalore Mr. Michael Kruppe, SNIEC General Manager – Shanghai New Interna onal Expo Centre Mr. Mark Cochrane, UFI Asia-Pacific Regional Manager.

Mr. Rajesh Agrawal, Execu ve Director, Indian Trade Promo on Organisa on (ITPO)

sectors and the implementa on of social distancing measures. A working cash flow for the whole supply chain to the exhibi on industry (logis cs, accommoda on etc.) is the priority in order to save jobs and businesses in lockdown. Some governments are inves ng in furloughing schemes but there is a limit to funding so the economy has to be restarted very soon. When exhibi ons start to take place again, the tendancy will be to organise small – medium-sized events but the cashflow must work. If there is no cashflow, there is no business.

With the recovery chronicle post covid-19 star ng in Asia, over 100 par cipants joined the session and were eager to learn more about ASIA PACIFIC. Ravinder Sethi, Moderator, reflected on the industry as having « gone a long way » un l today.

Whereas a few weeks ago the session topics addressed theory and possible trends that could become reality, this session addressed current facts and handson experience so he was eager to open the round of discussion. The emphasis is on collabora on in order to look ahead and Ravinder took this opportunity to thank UFI for the excellent close partnership with IELA over the years.

Taking a look at the global landscape, Michael Duck confirmed that there were closed markets in the Asia Pacific region, with a possible opening in September in Australia, and outlined the recent uncertainty for shows soon to take place in Shanghai due to the latest COVID19 outbreak in Beijing.

From UFI’s perspec ve, Kai Ha endorf reiterated how UFI and IELA have a long history working together and confirmed that this ac ve collabora on helps to serve the industry, even more so now in the current situa on.

Anbu Varathan named the key challenges facing the exhibi ons industry: travel restric ons, reduced ac vity in industry June 2020

Aloysius Arlando explained that Singapore was being very cau ous and that Phase 2 of three phases would be introduced with the opening of the retail lockdown on June 19th, allowing also small gatherings.

Rajesh Agrawal from ITPO heads up the special campaign called – India MICE Alliance that assesses the tasks ahead for the revival of the BtoB exhibi ons industry in India according to a set of guidelines/SOP. He outlined how a collec ve voice for the

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industry has a meaningful impact on ge ng prepared to fully func on in a post Covid world and that the SOPs for safely re-opening exhibi ons have been duly submi ed to the government This informa on was echoed by Balasubramanian Pillai who then confirmed that BtoB shows would boost the domes c industry which would then later promote business on an interna onal level. He also addressed the priority of building confidence and outlined the concentra on of IEIA’s ac vi es in webinars, informa on-sharing, post-COVID SOPs and intensified contact with the government and all stakeholders in India.

With specific reference to the exhibi ons world, it was agreed that organised gatherings should take place but not mass gatherings. In the words of Michael Duck « BtoB shows are not BtoC » and the goal is now to « s mulate business by going by the rules » This will soon be the case as Michael Kruppe confirmed that the SEMICON show will be soon be opening its doors at the end of June in Shanghai, having introduced very strict protec ve measures for all par cipants. Mark Cochrane confirmed that BtoB and BtoC events are suspended in Beijing un l at least the end of July. He echoed the fact that the industry is « facing a number of issues before ge ng back on track » and winning back confidence of all event stakeholders.

He drew a en on to the UFI « Novel Coronavirus – Resources page » where important and regularly updated informa on can be found including the Global Framework for Reopening Exhibi ons and B2B Trade Events, Good Prac ce Guide, an overview of government support programmes and

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Showcasing the world of exhibitions

advocacy resources.Concluding with a look at the European situa on, Kai Ha endorf confirmed that a few countries were further than others and openings were soon expected in Italy and Spain, worst hit by the pandemic. Travel and border crossings have been opened up and as from September, the calendar of exhibi ons is full.

Ac ve advocacy work and a strong communica on campaign are strengthening the image of the exhibi on industry and is bringing back confidence in an adapted environment for an economic restart.

Mark Cochrane along with Kai Ha endorf fully support the advocacy role of associa ons in encouraging progress in the industry. Kai stated during the session « Say it loud and proud. Let them know that we can run these shows safely ». Collabora on is a major tool in comba ng COVID-19, the biggest challenge so far of our genera on.

When referring to venues, exhibi on organisers, freight forwarders and stand contractors, Michael Duck said they should « all work together and not separately….our rela onships are very important for the future ». Michael Kruppe supported this idea and explained what had been done over the last months working very closely with the Chinese government to create safety protocols and communicate the fact that « we are one of the most important industries in the world ». Kai Ha endorf men oned that the WHO unexpectedly pointed out that the risks of organised gatherings including exhibi ons can be outweighed by posi ve health effects which should be taken into considera on when making

June 2020

decisions at a local or regional level.

During the discussion it was clear that « Going Digital » is now a priority for most players in the exhibi ons industry. As Anbu Varathan stated « New topics, new subjects and new opportuni es » will be addressed including ideas such as preexhibi on ac vi es, conferences and matchmaking via digital solu ons. It will be a challenge but maybe digitally it will be possible to control the density of the visitor flow in exhibi on halls or make logis cs more efficient with technology.

Aloysius Arlando pointed out that digital pla orms would allow a quick response should a similar lockdown situa on occur again.

Ravinder Sethi concluded the session saying “The Asia-Pacific region is paving the way for our recovery. Exhibi ons, with post Covid systems, are successfully but cau ously reopening in the region. A great deal of credit for the reopening goes to our panelists who’re working endlessly to get us back on the wheels. The knowledge and informa on they imparted at this session has been invaluable.”

About IELA: The Interna onal Exhibi on Logis cs Associa on is the global industry network enhancing the professionalism of the transporta on logis cs and freight handling segments of the exhibi on & event industry. IELA works with venue owners, organisers and na onal associa ons educa ng, training and sharing exper se for safe and secure opera ons around the world. The quality brand IELA is currently represented by 173 members and 31 affiliates in 56 countries.