The unknown is here. What now?

By Glenton de Kock, chief executive officer of SAACI

I am tempted to start this column with the same paragraph as the last one. Wait, I must! ‘As the world around us continues to change and the business environment becomes increasingly challenging, we absolutely have no choice but to adapt to the times if we want our businesses to survive.’

Yes, I wrote this one month ago, not even imagining it could become more apt just a few weeks later. At the time of writing this, the business events industry across the world had virtually come to a standstill due to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Never again will it be business as usual. For years we have known – and talked about – the sensitivity of our industry, but it has never hit home quite as closely as now.

Sadly, not all of us will survive this challenging time. Some businesses will close. But, for a moment, allow me to use an old cliché. Knowledge is power. I don’t believe we have seen this demonstrated quite as effectively as in recent weeks.

Our member survey on the effects of the pandemic on business, as well as ways to deal with it, proved invaluable.

It illustrated that collaboration and sharing of information equips us to make realistic decisions in a minefield of conflicting messages from a variety of sources, including social media.

It certainly also illustrated the value of being a member of a representative industry association like SAACI. In times of crisis it provides a resource for accurate information and a network of contacts who share experiences and knowledge.

The effects of COVID-19 will be felt for a long time. The way we do business, possibly even the value chain of the industry, will change irrevocably. There is likely to be a stronger focus on relationships and on understanding the macro-environment and the value added by specific events.

At SAACI we will remain focused on adding real value to members’ businesses, so that we can approach the future with knowledge and hope – and to deal with the unknown head-on.