EXSA NEWS

The power of collaboration and unity

It’s a cry for recognition and protection for South Africa’s forgotten exhibition and event industry.

Unity is strength. Unity is the biggest power for people who cooperate with others.

Individually, not all things can be achieved – help and support is needed. Having unity, we are equipped with the strength to deal with any situation, even under extreme and unprecedented occurrences such as a pandemic – such is the power of unity.

Therein lies our secret sauce, within a sector that positively impacts the economy and that now, more than ever, craves and yearns to continue to do so in its recovery phase. Without the collective and collaborative wider industry team effort of the recognised associations and councils, we would not achieve the required industry community milestones. Even more so now, we are propelled to accelerate our continued work and efforts, driving confidence and building trust in our competency and capability to plan, organise, manage, implement and realise safe and controlled exhibitions, trade shows, confexes and events.

Trepidation in the air around the prospect of the ‘third wave’ of the Covid-19 pandemic as we begin to head into Winter, poses a further challenge, with experts citing that the magnitude of the surge will depend on the pace of vaccinations, the willingness of the public to abide by physical distancing and other public-health measures and the extent to which the virus creates new variants.

Bold and necessary action is required to demonstrate our competency, functionality and our capabilities on South African soil. #trustus #GoLiveTogether.

By Gill Gibbs, chairperson of EXSA