EDITOR’S COMMENT

Reconnect, reinvent and reintroduce

The business events sector is currently soaring, albeit with the current standing Covid-19 regulations of 50 per cent venue capacity (indoor) or 1,000 people, whichever is smaller and 2,000 outdoors or 50 per cent capacity, whichever is smaller. Frankly, I’m not quite sure why these regulations are still being imposed?

What I do know is that our industry is finally operational, in one form or another and currently a buzz of activity. This makes me happy.

I feel that Covid-19 is finally in our rearview mirror, and we can begin to effectively move forward.

I have made a pledge to myself that I need to get out of my own head and shake off the Covid-inflicted webs and begin living as I did pre-Covid. Honestly, I am still a little ‘awkward’ in social environments, the only way I can do this is if I get out there more. I suppose I’m just out of practice because it has been a long two years of being behind a screen and in the comfort of my ‘safe home’.

The masks also don’t help in a social setting, as it really adds an extra barrier. My solution, just hold a glass of something or a cup of coffee and you Irene can keep your mask off, just that little bit longer, to socialise.

The exciting part is that we are receiving more opportunities to engage, as the industry continues to reopen. We are a social sector and once we get going, we will overcome, in no time, with respect to all, despite all the small challenges we are currently experiencing.

This is the time to reconnect — be it with clients, suppliers and old industry colleagues, as well as making new connections along the way. This is just the beginning.

Our industry has experienced losses over the past two years, so we also need to find a way to rebuild what we have lost. This can be through skills development, industry association engagements and supporting each other through partnerships, or by just attending an exhibition, an event, or show, etc.

Also, to be fair, we aren’t the same people we were before, I think we have all grown and had to find ways to reinvent ourselves. So, this offers another opportunity. In a strange way, we need to ‘reintroduce’ ourselves to one another.

The Global Exhibition Day (GED) offered a great opportunity for industry members to come together; both AAXO and EXSA had events to commemorate the global celebration. Well done to both associations for bringing industry players together. For more information on this awesome day, have a look at our GED feature (pages 14-18).

I look forward to many more events in the near future, one being the SAACI Conference taking place at STIAS (Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study) in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, from 14-15 August 2022.

I can’t wait to meet up again, soon.

Email: gomesi@iafrica.com