EXSA NEWS

Seven reasons to radically alter our current situation

By Gill Gibbs, chairperson of EXSA

The business events sector, currently a decimated industry, is barely holding on and confidence levels are at an all-time low amongst exhibitors and visitors. The potential threat of being shut down by the authorities is impacting the organisers who, along with the pertinent suppliers, do wish to realise business events at 50 per cent of venue capacity.

Unfortunately, the industry’s workforce has dispersed, many have been retrenched or have immigrated. Many have been devastated and remain overwhelmed – with the fear of experience and skill sets at risk of never returning to our beloved and once lucrative industry.

As a professional industry body, we are fully aware that the larger tradeshows that encompass and rely on international audiences, will not go ahead for a while.

However, domestic is where we must focus to kickstart our economy.

Here are seven reasons to radically alter our current situation:

1. Business Events (encompassing meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions)

• This sector is an important and integral part of the tourism sector and a major contributor to the economy.

• Without a doubt, it is a controlled, safe, regulated and tailor-made hospitable setting.

2. Provision of employment through domestic business meetings

This is a workforce’s very survival at stake.

3. Generating expenditure that supports employment within the region

Through the economic multiplier effect, respending within particular industries will generate an increase in economic output, in household incomes and in gross operating surpluses of business to support an increased number of jobs.

4. International organisers moving exhibitions away from South Africa as we are not able to host them

• The vaccination roll out is not as rapid as seen in other countries globally – our country’s goal is to vaccinate 40 million people by February 2022.

• The South African government is not showing confidence in the business events sector role-players and community to safely run exhibitions, despite the substantiated portfolio of evidence and case studies.

• No policy is in place for onsite Rapid Antigen testing services for the business events sector.

5. Shopping centres and malls are open and masks and sanitising, mandatory

Standing at the end of a passageway in a mall or shopping centre and looking at the stores on each side is ‘Just like being at an exhibition’– the stores are the exhibition stands, the shoppers are the exhibition visitors, there are masks, there is sanitising and social distancing, even a compliance officer per store.

6. No science, nor rationality is applied to the ruling on the business events sector

First, it requires a clear understanding and then, a distinction.

This third Covid-19 wave will pass, just as the preceding two waves have done, and those to come will too.

That is why decisions and action must be taken now, so that the business events community may begin to prepare proficiently.

We will not give up and we will not be silenced.