Aug 2020

Rs. 125

Aug 2020 Vol 8 Issue 01 Asia’s Most Read Magazine On Exhibitions

Exhibitor’s Success Is The Key

UFI President for 2021/22

Karla Juegel

Monica Lee-Müller

Celebrating 10 years

Living With Covid

Team Radeecal

Rod Kamleshwaran

We Are Living In A VUCA World And We Need To Fix Our Relationship With Uncertainty Bhupinder Singh CEO, Messe Muenchen India

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Dear Readers, In a recent discussion with our industry friends about India & its future (also of its exhibi on industry), i gave my two cents of contribu on to that discussion by men oning that exhibi on industry is the reflec on of economic ac vity of any country. We may build as many venues but business will only come from demand, which is a resultant of trade ac vi es. Today, India is geared up with its state of the art, purpose-built venue capacity across major metros. India is the fastest growing major market in Asia (in exhibi ons). On economic front, there are numerous posi ves which are further fuelled by English friendly culture & favourable demographics (India has more than 65% of its popula on below the age of 35). A glimpse of India’s economic projec on from now on:

M I C E Showcase &

PSU BUZZ

On 12 May, 2020, The Prime Minister announced an overall economic package worth ₹20 lakh crore (US$280 billion), 10% of India's GDP, with emphasis on India as a selfreliant na on. In the second week of May, companies started prepara ons for restar ng opera ons. Some companies opened offices with the maximum permi ed strength of 33%. The beginning of June saw companies further reopen and making plans to reopen. A study by Elara Securi es Inc. found that five Indian states, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Karnataka, are contribu ng 27% to India's GDP as India emerges from a total lockdown. By mid-June, unemployment levels were back to pre-lockdown levels. Online sales reached pre-covid level sales by June end. Hindustan Unilever registered pre-covid levels in sales in late June. On 2 July 2020, The Times of India reported that a number of economic indicators such as the manufacturers purchasing managers' index, goods movement, GST collec ons, electricity usage and rail freight transport showed significant improvement as compared to previous months.

Dependent on made-in-China goods and raw materials, na ons the world over are today rethinking trade es with the China. Common sense dictates the world look at alternate hubs of manufacturing and sourcing. It is here that na ons like India can step up to the challenge. Global companies that thrived on the efficiency and low costs of Chinese produc on are likely to move their base in the a ermath of Covid-19. South Korean and Japanese firms have evinced interest in migra ng towards produc onconducive economies like India, Vietnam and Thailand. The Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme could give the much-needed fillip to the country’s disrupted business opera ons by promo ng Make in India manufacturing, encourage subs tu on of imports of low-technology goods from other countries, par cularly China, and encourage local produce at lower prices. The Rs 20-lakh-crore s mulus package announced by the government focuses on tax breaks for small businesses, as well as incen ves for domes c manufacturing. The Rs 3-lakh-crore collateral-free assistance handed out to MSMEs will help crank up their opera ons. This move could help recover India’s factory output to pre-covid levels.

India’s GDP will grow at 1.9% in FY2021, making it the only other major economy beside China es mated to grow. As per the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, 200 American corpora ons had already sought to move their manufacturing bases from China to India in mid-2019. This could accelerate post-Covid. Around 100 US firms may shi base to U ar Pradesh from China, among them Mastercard. UPS and Fredix showed interest to invest in Jewar airport by developing logis c centres. Boston Scien fic has plans to set up a medical equipment plant.

Casa Everz Gmbh, the owner of Germany-based healthy footwear brand Von Wellx, will be shi ing its en re shoe produc on of over three million pairs annually in China to India with an ini al investment of Rs 110 crore, as per a top official of the company’s licensee Iatric Industries. A new manufacturing unit will be set up in U ar Pradesh through a collabora on with Iatric Industries as part of an understanding with the state government.

India, the Golden Sparrow; is the land of billion opportuni es!

Stay Safe & Take Care.

World Map - News From The World Of Exhibitions

Pg. 10-11

Pg. 12-22 An Exciting Talk Show With The Transformers Of The Exhibition Industry

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The International Food Expo to Be Held Online

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Golden Book Of World Records Certified 49th Edition Of IHGF Delhi Fair - First Handicrafts Products Virtual Trade Fair

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LED Expo Mumbai Announces New Dates: Now To Be Held In May 2021

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bauma CONEXPO India Rescheduled To February 2021

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National Book Trust Celebrates Its 64th Foundation Day

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Pg. 24-34 In An Exclusive Interview To Exhibition Showcase, Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India

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Exhibition Showcase Talks To Sanyal S. Desai, CEO, Radeecal Communications

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In Conversation With IP Wadhwa, Managing Worker, Tafcon

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Insights In Conversation With Matthew Funge, Managing Director & Founder, Your Stand Builder

Group Editor : Raghav Khosla Design : Firoz Accounts : Pappu Yadav

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Why We’ll Fall Out Of Love With Virtual

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Why An All-Digital CES 2021 Is The Right Thing To Do

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Global News UFI Global Barometer Shows Global Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic

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TCEB Launch “New Norm Exhibition Support” For Post-COVID19 For All Exhibitions In Thailand

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UFI Elects Monica Lee-Müller As President For 2021/22

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Digital launch of Chillventa eSpecial In October

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Osaka Stages Japan's First Large-Scale Exhibition Since Japan Lifted Its National State Of Emergency

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United Kingdom The Innova on in Technology and Transport Hub (ITT Hub) will be launching in 2021. The show was previously scheduled to launch in May 2020 but was postponed due to Covid-19. The event has already a racted over 110 names from across the transport and related energy, data and finance sectors, and the an cipated final line up will include over 160 exhibitors and 100 speakers hos ng over 6,000 commercial fleet operators and policy makers.

United States Throughout the month of June, the Detroit Chapter of Food Rescue US distributed 270,000 pounds of meat, fresh produce and packaged foods from the 2020 Prime Site Award-winning TCF Center loading docks to local food redistribu on agencies in Southeast Michigan. According to Food Rescue US, an es mated one in seven people are struggling with food insecurity in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing poor health, emo onal stress and mental burden.

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South Africa This year’s edi on of the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) show has been “deferred” to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the exhibi on organisers have announced. The exhibi on, long seen as Africa’s premier aerospace and defence event, was set down for 16 to 20 September at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Centurion. The tradi onal weekend airshow was set to include large parts of the SA Air Force (SAAF) inventory as part of the commemora on of the force’s centenary.

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United Kingdom Organiser of The Showman’s Show, Dorset, UK-based Lance Show & Publica ons Limited, has announced that the 35th edi on of the UK event, founded in 1984, for the outdoor and special event sector, will not go ahead as planned this October. The plan is to return with the next edi on to Newbury Showground, 20-21 October 2021. Jeremy and Johnny Lance, co-directors of Lance Show and Publica ons Limited, issued the following statement on the situa on: “As the Covid-19 pandemic con nues to impact our wonderful industry we have taken the extremely difficult decision not to go ahead with The Showman’s Show 2020 this October.

Malaysia

Dubai New dates have been announced for Beautyworld Middle East 2020, with the 25th edi on of the region’s largest exhibi on for beauty products, hair care, fragrances, and wellbeing, now taking place from 23-25 November 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The show’s organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said the new dates come a er extensive feedback and consulta on with the venue, exhibitors, visitors, trade partners and associa ons, as global governments con nue to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Organizers of the Export Furniture Exhibi on said they are postponing the 16th edi on of the show un l March 2021. The EFE show was originally planned for March 2020 and then rescheduled un l Aug. 27-29 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers decided to postpone it to early next year – March 10-13, 2021 – due to ongoing travel restric ons related to the coronavirus. The show, officials noted, will be 30% larger than the 2019 event, featuring some 400 manufacturers from Malaysia and Southeast Asia which will occupy about more than 4.5 million square feet of show space at the Kuala Lumpur Conven on Center.

Australia The Gold Coast Conven on and Exhibi on Centre (GCCEC) has received approval from the Gold Coast Public Health Unit to operate under its Site Specific COVID Safe Plan. Developed in consulta on with the GCCEC COVID Safe Task Force, industry bodies, government and health authori es, the plan covers all essen al areas of opera on including cleaning and hygiene, social distancing – with new floor plans, food and beverage service, training and record keeping. The venue could poten ally host up to 4,500 visitors per day based on 1 person per 4 square metres. The arena that would normally hold up to 6,000 now has a COVID safe capacity of between 1,500 and 3,000 people. Mee ngs and business events that can no longer take place in smaller venues can now look to the Centre.

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August 2020

An Exci ng Talk Show With The Transformers Of The Exhibi on Industry

ETT VIEWPOINT WITH

Showcasing The World Of Exhibitions

An Exc lusive Month ly Tal k

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BB Consul ng’s – Exhibi ons Think Tank & the Exhibi on Showcase publica on have announced a new partnership to launch an exclusive talk show that will feature thought provoking discussions and industry shaping insights from the people who have gathered together to re-define the exhibi on industry via the Exhibi ons Think Tank.

The series which has been tled as ‘ETT Viewpoint with Exhibi on Showcase’, will feature a virtual panel discussion each month. The panelists which will involve ETT Club members (leading industry professionals) along with ETT founder, Ma hias Tesi Baur and a guest speaker, will be quizzed on the most per nent topics concerning the future of the global exhibi on industry by the host & moderator, Raghav Khosla, Group Editor of Exhibi on Showcase. Revela ons on ETT Club reports, insights and findings concerning the exhibi on industry will also me made during the forum which will be extremely useful for all the a endees.

The insigh ul panel discussions will be an

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ne agazi ase M c w o n Sh Show ibitio Powered By Exh

open to a end forum for everyone and will carry no commercials. The monthly series is scheduled to be launched from September 2020.

Commen ng on the new ini a ve, Ma hias Tesi Baur, MD, MBB Consul ng Group & Founder, Exhibi ons Think Tank said, “The ETT Viewpoint is a sincere ini a ve to take ETT Club findings and insights to the fraternity at large. It will also be a good forum to discuss about the future of our industry. We are excited to have found a great partner in Exhibi on Showcase Media to reach out to our global peers effec vely.”

Raghav Khosla, Group Editor, Exhibi on Showcase said, “It was impera ve that we projected the insights from the professionals who are trying to redefine the industry. The fraternity at large

In Association With

should benefit and learn, so we decided to produce this new series. It will be insigh ul to quiz the masters!”

About Exhibi ons Think Tank: The Exhibi on Think Tank Club is a worldwide e-pla orm for Exhibi on Industry professional to network, debate & con nue helping the industry to move on and upwards. Members are industry peers from different sectors and countries gathering together and sharing their exper se, vision and insights. For more informa on please visit h ps://www.exhibi onthinktank.com/ About Exhibi on Showcase: Exhibi on Showcase is the leading media pla orm for the exhibi on industry. Official Media Partner & Member of UFI – The Global Associa on of Exhibi on Industry, Exhibi on Showcase is Fueled By The Monthly Print Magazine, Dynamic Online Portal, an exclusive Youtube Channel for Exhibi ons & The Exhibi on Excellence Awards Ini a ve. For more informa on please visit www.exhibi onshowcase.com

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August 2020

MoU Inked Between IPAMA And NASSCOM For Technology Upgrada on

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n MoU was signed between Iqbal Singh, General Secretary, Indian Prin ng Packaging & Allied Machinery Manufacturers; (IPAMA) and Sudhanshu Mi al, Head – Gurugram Center & Director – Technical Solu ons, Na onal Associa on of So ware and Service Companies (NASSCOM) Center of Excellence – IOT & AI at Noida.

IPAMA is an associa on registered under the Socie es Act, 1860, having its head office at NOIDA, UP. It has been assis ng its Member companies in upgrada on and adop on of latest Technology in Prin ng and Packaging manufacturing segments.

NASSCOM Center of Excellence – IoT & AI is part of the Digital India Ini a ve by Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), in partnership with the State Governments and NASSCOM. It is a na onwide program to develop culture of thought leadership, digital transforma on and co-crea on in Industry 4.0, Automo ve, Healthcare, Agriculture, Energy, and other industry ver cals. CoE is also engaged in facilita ng Technology adop on by the Industry, by bringing the latest and deeptech innova ons for Startups and Technology Companies and to help grow and scale their business interests. It also provides largest Innova on pla orm for enterprises, governments and innovators in emerging technologies of AI, ML, IoT, Big Data,

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Analy cs, AR/VR and Robo cs for Digital Transforma on. NASSCOM aims to be the primary catalyst for development and adop on of innova ve digital solu ons in different domains.

On the eve of signing of the agreement, Dayaker Reddy, President, IPAMA stated that “This agreement will strengthen the Indian Prin ng and Packaging Machine manufacturers in upgrading their machines. In India, the emerging technologies such as ar ficial intelligence and advance prin ng and packaging are user-friendly for end-customers and ensuring widespread use in different sectors of the industry.

The situa on will change more in the coming years and more and more companies will come forward to make investments in automa on of machines for quality enhancement, increase the produc on, make economical etc. We are encouraging the companies for adop on of new technologies in the prin ng and packaging sector”.

Sudhanshu Mi al stated that we are commi ed to helping Indian manufacturing sector with digital technology adop on to improve their quality, produc vity, worker safety and any other area where they need help.

Indian ecosystem has variety of solu ons available to meet the requirements of

manufacturing companies. Through this partnership we expect that IPAMA members will be able to leverage the exper se offered to adopt the digital technology in their opera ons and start their Industry 4.0 journey.

The objec ve of MOU is to impart training to IPAMA Members in the emerging areas of IT based technology and to help them with digital technology adopt in their opera ons. The Scope of Work incorporated in the agreement reads as under: Ÿ Enable access for the Members of IPAMA to the latest innova ve products and solu ons from the startups incubated by NASSCOM CoE and from the extended startup ecosystem. Ÿ A deep-dive engagement program of NASSCOM CoE to fast track discovery and applica on of innova ve solu ons sourced from its network of deep-tech curated startups /innovators, system Integrators and technology companies. Ÿ To organize Joint events and workshops to build awareness about the implementa on of technology in prin ng and packaging machine manufacturing segments. Ÿ To make members aware of exis ng and new use-cases as they get created to drive adop on of deep-tech within the industry ecosystem.

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August 2020

The Interna onal Food Expo to Be Held Online The only trade show designed and organized specifically for manufacturers, exporters, business services providers and buyers of Agri based processed & frozen food products and general merchandise.

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arket Samachar LLC, publisher of the “Market Samachar” trade magazine which focuses exclusively on the ethnic food business in North America, has announced its first online trade shows for 2020 – The Interna onal Food Expo Online (IFE) to be held online on August 15 to 30, 2020.

Its purpose is to provide a convenient, secured, ecofriendly pla orm to reach the most influen al and well-established group of businessmen in the food industry around the world. Each exhibitor and buyer will be matched as per their selec on of product categories and brands to make the buying and selling easy for everyone. The new product showcase will display varie es of world foods. Everyone can learn from the experts by a ending seminars on industry-related subjects.

The show is built on a custom made IT pla orm considering par cipant's data privacy, Keeping par cipants' wellness in mind, they can a end the show without breaking the budget and worrisome travel. As an added convenience for both the exhibitors and a endees, video

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introduc on and interac ve chat will be available. The Interna onal Food Expo Online, as the name suggests creates a unique opportunity for exhibitors to promote their products, expand their presence and market share around the world. it was supposed to happen in the expo center, but considering the new format and worldwide reach, we added general merchandise and business services categories.

The show enables manufacturers, exporters, importers, distributors, supermarket buyers, retailers, brokers, restaurant owners, foodservice operators, general merchandise traders, business services providers, and everyone associated with the import and export trade to meet virtually with their prospec ve clientele and suppliers from their industry. The Interna onal Food Expo promotes the spirit of free markets in its purest form and provides a pla orm where par cipants can get together, forge alliances, and new business rela onships.

Exhibitors from various con nents and countries can meet and nego ate with

buyers such as Importers, distributors, retailers, supermarket buyers, and restaurant owners. Exhibitors can introduce a new product line to the world and taste the acceptance of their product range in the market, expanding their markets, recognized development trends in the industry.

Mr. Bharat Joshi, over 25-year veteran of the ethnic food industry and the publisher of the “Market Samachar” trade magazine, is the chief organizer of the IFCOnline. “Organizing the trade shows has given us lots of insight and ideas about what works and how we can help businesses succeed. Hands-on experience in the industry yields to our deep understanding of the exporters' and buyers' expecta ons and requirements.

We are confident that this year's shows will succeed on a much grander scale. We encourage everyone, both startups and established businesses all over the world, to take this unique opportunity to build contacts, exchange new ideas, to strengthen an exis ng rela onship, and thus to enhance their business,” said Mr. Bharat Joshi.

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August 2020

Message From Chairman - Carpet Export Promo on Council

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s you are aware

the prepara on of 40th INDIA CARPET EXPOVIRTUAL FAIR is in full swing. This ini a ve is to bridge the gap between Indian products and demand of Handmade Carpets and floor coverings across the globe in post pandemic era. The event will be held LIVE from 21st to 25th August, 2020 for buyers for the Handmade Carpets and other floor coverings. It is a great and unique opportunity for the Members Exporters to get themselves associated with the event as an exhibitor to reach out to global buyers.

Today, the 19th July, 2020, CEPC arranged 2nd Demo of the Virtual Exhibi on for Members. During the mee ng alongwith me my colleague Shri Umer Hameed, 2nd Vice-Chairman, Shri Umesh Kumar Gupta, Shri Abdul Rub, Shri Rajender Prashad Mishra, Shri Mohd. Wasif Ansari, Shri

Husain Jafar Husaini, Shri Sandeep Kataria, Members COA, CEPC 103 Members exporters were present.

booth. Mr, Sooraj Dhawan show the features of the pla orm to the Members in the demo and clarify their doubts.

So far more than 100 members have already confirmed their par cipa on with fees and expec ng par cipa on of around 200 Members in the fair. Keeping in the mind to clear confusion of MemberExporters over the issue of Security features on the Virtual Exhibi on pla orm the demo was organised. Team of CEPC officials and agency is clearing all the doubts of the Members and assis ng them who so ever contac ng them. I requested Mr. Sooraj Dhawan of M/s Falcon Exhibi ons Pvt. Ltd. to once again clear the doubts of the Members on the Security related issues.

Shri Siddh Nath Singh further men oned that in physical fairs one is able to see how and what other exhibitors are displaying in their booths but on Virtual Pla orm of CEPC no one is allowed the access. Shri Singh once again requested Members to be cau ous while sharing the password of your booth, in case any member share their password with others, we in CEPC or agency cannot stop them to visit your booth. As such the ques on of copying of design and data is totally impossible in our system. However, Council will provide the access to Buyers to visit the booths of the par cipants and only they are allowed to see your products and details and can copy the same and we cannot stop them.

Mr. Sooraj Dhawan further confirmed that our system is full proof and no exhibitor can see the booth of other exhibitors and one can enter the booth only with the authorized password with the exhibitors and hence requested Members to keep your password safe and to share with only those to whom they want to visit their

Mr. Dhawan informed the whole process for se ng up of the booth to the Members in the demo mee ng and requested members to contact them individually in case of any technical issue for immediate solu on/ clarifica on.

Mumbai Edi on Of Analy ca Anacon India And India Lab Expo 2020 Cancelled - To Be Held On April 15-16, 2021 Show organiser Messe Muenchen India has announced the cancella on of the Mumbai edi on of analy ca Anacon India and India Lab Expo 2020 which were rescheduled to August 2020.

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naly ca Anacon India and India Lab Expo are organised annually in the ci es of Hyderabad and Mumbai.

The rampant spread of COVID-19 across the country and par cularly in the city of Mumbai has resulted in the cancella on of the Mumbai edi on. As part of its an pandemic measures, the state has

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converted Bombay Exhibi on Centre (BEC) in Mumbai into a makeshi quaran ne centre for COVID-19 pa ents, which is also a factor for the cancella on of analy ca Anacon India and India Lab Expo 2020 in Mumbai. Mr. Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India confirmed the news, “We are disappointed that we have to cancel analy ca Anacon India and India Lab Expo 2020, however considering the current situa on, the cancella on of the Mumbai edi on is in the best interest of everyone involved in the trade fairs.”

Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy Chairman of the Board, Messe München GmbH adds, “We regret that we have to cancel the trade fair in view of the current situa on in Mumbai. We are making this decision in the interest of our customers. Health and economic reasons currently speak against holding analy ca Anacon India and India Lab Expo 2020.” Mr. Gautam Rajan, President of Indian Analy cal Instruments Associa on said, “Safety of people is the first priority and cancella on is a difficult but correct step. The industry will have greater value addi on by showcasing their products at a future date in a be er environment than that we are in today.”

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August 2020

Golden Book Of World Records Cer fied 49th Edi on Of IHGF Delhi Fair - First Handicra s Products Virtual Trade Fair Serious Business Enquiries Worth Rs. 320 Crores Generated

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he 49th edi on of IHGF-Delhi fair, first on virtual pla orm, concluded. It was the first of its kind efforts a empted by any Export Promo on Council to overcome the situa on arisen due to outbreak of covid pandemic when organising physical ac vity was not possible said Shri Neeraj Khanna, President of the fair.

The Golden Book of World Records cer fied the 49th edi on of IHGF-Delhi fair as first Handicra Products virtual Trade fair organised by EPCH from 13 – 19 July, 2020 spread over in 25 virtual halls and par cipated by more than 1300 manufacturers and exporters from the Country informed Shri Ravi K. Passi, Chairman. Approximately 4150 overseas buyers from 108 countries, buying agents and domes c volume retail buyers visited the show on virtual pla orm to source home, lifestyle, fashion, furniture and tex les products informed Shri Rakesh Kumar, Director General – EPCH. Shri Kumar further elaborated said that the buyers visited from regions likes Europe [ 1050], North America [ 750], Oceania [ 525], ASIA [ 350], South America [ 255 ], Middle East [250], Africa [ 202]. It is expected that serious business enquiries worth Rs. 320 crores have been generated during the seven days event.

Buyers from companies/ departmental stores visited the show included Cost Plus World Market, Anthropologie, Ralph

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Lauren, WKNDWYFR, Urban Ou i ers, Mudpie, Cracker Barrel, TJX, Wisteria, Bed Bath and Beyond from USA, , Tchibo, Marc O Polo, Impression from Germany, Pick n Pay from South Africa, Fox Home from Israel, Riviera Maison, Edelman BV from Netherlands, Carrefour from France, Bunnings Warehouse from Australia, Tesco, Ross, Next from UK, Migros from Switzerland and Kif Kif Imports, Canada.

Not only overseas buyers, department stores of renowned countries, major Indian Retail/online brands such as Bombay Store Ltd, Synergy Lifestyles, Fab India Overseas Pvt Ltd, Goodearth Design Studio Pvt. Ltd., Reliance Retail, Walmart, Asian Paints Ltd, Raymond Limited, Amazon, Myntra, Archies, Pepperfry, Alibaba.com, Shoperstop, Ferns & Patels, Shruberry Lifestuyles, The Purple Turtels, Westside, Sleepwell, Praxis Home Retail Ltd (Hometown), Trent Limited (West Side),Urban Ladder, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Limited and many more also visited and shown their presence felt on virtual pla orm.

It was a win win situa on for the handicra s expor ng community who have par cipated in the IHGF-Delhi fair on virtual pla orm as exporters were feeling helpless because of prolonged lockdowns and migra on of ar sans to their home towns star ng from March, 2020 onwards. It became difficult for them to meet out even the fixed cost being incurred by them. Virtual pla orm created by EPCH have provided a frui ul opportunity to handicra s exporters to bring back their business on recovery path by doing business from the safe

environment of their homes or factories said Shri Rakesh Kumar, DG - EPCH. The highlights of the fair remained Fashion shows, cra demonstra on, webinars and panel discussions apart from special promo on on products from North Eastern Region and Jammu & Kashmir. Ajai Shankar Memorial awards were also felicitated to the par cipants of various product categories like Decora ve and Gi s; Houseware & Table; Glass artware; Furniture; Home Furnishing & Made up; Carpet, Rugs & Floorings; Lamp & Ligh ng accessories and Fashion Jewellery & Accessories, bathroom accessories; bags and accessories; candles; incense s cks; and gi wraps & ribbons alongwith awards to women entrepreneurs.

The associates organisa ons who have made a significant contribu on in making the 49th edi on of IHGF-Delhi fair on virtual pla orm successful event were also given awards and these included Mr. Vishal Dhingra, Chairman – Buying Agents Associa on, Mr. Kaustav Sengupta, Associate Professor, Na onal Ins tute of Fashion Technology, Chennai, RD&TDC O/o Development Commissioner [Handicra s]- North Eastern Region and Handicra s & Handloom Department, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir further informed Shri R.K. Verma, Execu ve Director – EPCH. The reason behind visit of large number of buyers at 49th edi on of IHGF Delhi fair virtual from various countries is that EPCH has undertaken extensive promo on and publicity campaign through emailers, online banners, social media, tele calling and by also involving Indian missions and embassies abroad to promote the show, further said Shri R.K. VERMA, Execu ve Director – EPCH. The Handicra s exports during the year 201920 was Rs. 25,027.08 crores informed by Shri Kumar, DG – EPCH.

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August 2020

Messe Frankfurt India Announces Entry Into Virtual Space Through Its First Digital Business Pla orm For ‘ISH India Powered By IPA’ Messe Frankfurt India together with the Indian Plumbing Associa on have mutually agreed to postpone the 2020 edi on of ISH India powered by IPA and will be introducing ISH India Virtual powered by IPA - a new digital sourcing model for the industry. The digital business pla orm marks Messe Frankfurt India’s entry into the virtual space and will be a stepping stone for future planned hybrid events for the company in India of ISH India powered by IPA. A first for the Indian subsidiary of the global trade fair organisers Messe Frankfurt GmbH, this will be a stepping stone for its future planned hybrid events and exhibi ons in India. Mr Raj Manek shared: “Messe Frankfurt India has been ac vely looking at entering the digital space and over the past few months, we have been exploring a combina on of live virtual events, webinars and building tools that can create a fine balance between virtual connec ons and face-to-face interac ons.

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n consulta on with members of IPA and suppor ng associa ons, the 2020 edi on of ISH India powered by IPA has been postponed and set to be hosted from 6 – 8 May 2021 in Mumbai. In order to support ‘sourcing opportuni es’ for the sector, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India has announced the launch of ISH India Virtual powered by IPA that will con nue to keep the industry connected for business networking.

The new digital sourcing pla orm for the building technology sector will be held on 17 – 18th September 2020, and primarily focus on technologies for plumbing, sanita on, bathroom and water management solu ons which are the key exhibit segments of ISH India powered by IPA. Unlike other virtual trade show pla orms in the market, ISH India’s Virtual edi on provides an intelligent networking pla orm that efficiently matches par cipants, delivers qualified mee ngs

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and increases ROI, all powered by Ar ficial Intelligence. With the pla orm being highly product and exhibitor centric, it truly resonates the group’s tradeshow principal of ‘connec ng buyers and sellers.’

The tradi onal ‘Exhibi on Booths’ will be swapped with customised ‘Exhibitor Dashboards’ with advanced connec ng features that enable buyers and a endees to fully network and source online through the pla orm. Interna onal and domes c manufacturers exhibi ng at this virtual pla orm will be able to interact real- me via video calls, target specific group of buyers and with access to live a endee analy cs will be able to measure and track their ROI. A host of other value addi ons such as live session, product demos etc.

Will definitely enhance the b2b sourcing experience for the industry and exhibitors

We are now working on building a digital sourcing model for the Building Technology sector that we are very excited about and will par cularly target the exhibit segments of “ISH India powered by IPA”. This digital pla orm’s matchmaking capabili es will be en rely AI driven and can significantly increase the online exposure of our exhibitors, giving them an extended virtual marke ng tool. We are also working on integra ng rich content formats such as webinars, live demos that will enhance both sourcing and business networking experience for the industry.”

As a group that has been into the trade fair business since the last 780 years, Messe Frankfurt strongly believes that business rela ons and personal encounters at exhibi ons will be irreplaceable but offering a hybrid pla orm will become a standard feature at our physical events, so that we con nue to offer our customers enhanced value proposi ons to expand reach and transform virtual connec ons into face-toface interac ons.

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News Buzz

August 2020

LED Expo Mumbai Announces New Dates: Now To Be Held In May 2021

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he magnitude and significance of LED Expo Mumbai a racts fair-a endees from different parts of India and abroad.

Considering the present status, exhibi on organisers Messe Frankfurt India Pvt Ltd are s ll looking for a green signal from the government to restart exhibi ons in the country and other vital segments like interna onal travel. A decision taken a er close consulta on with industry experts was well supported by exhibitors and stakeholders. This will also enable the ligh ng sector to regain its strength and provide adequate me for companies to study future demands, develop new products, strengthen supply chains and restore business for the overall ligh ng market in India.

“Our show, LED Expo Mumbai is an important event in the business calendars of our stakeholders, and every year, the ligh ng industry eagerly waits to meet and network at our pla orm. I believe that by May 2021 we will have a far more stable health situa on along with a healthy business environment. I am looking forward to a variety of product launches and technological advancements as this period will provide the industry with the required me to channel their

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efforts and plan their par cipa on more effec vely,” shared Mr Raj Manek, Execu ve Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd. As the industry slowly re-opens and gains momentum, LED Expo as a brand is ac vely contribu ng in the digital space by organising various knowledge oriented seminars to discuss future guidelines for the ligh ng segment. The show also organised a one-of-a-kind sourcing webinar in July that connected focussed buyers and sellers on a digital pla orm resul ng in many posi ve trade enquiries.

Led Expo Mumbai is commi ed to promo ng smart and energy efficient ligh ng gears will showcase an array of technologies including Human Centric Ligh ng (HCL), solar ligh ng, UV technologies and many other advancements suppor ng IoT. The show is the maiden choice for architects, interior designers, construc on and real estate companies, builders and contractors along with many leading government bodies and associa on to gain industry knowledge, source new technologies and build long-term business rela onships.

The exhibi on industry not only offers

business value to its exhibitors and visitors, but also, supports trade and employment opportuni es in allied segments of avia on, hospitality, restaurants and hotels, and public transport making it one of the core sectors to revive the economy. Con nuing to keep the industry connected, the launch edi on of Light + LED Expo India will be held from 3 – 5 December 2020 at Praga Maidan, New Delhi. The premier ligh ng exhibi on pla orm is a strategic collabora on of two biggest shows for the industry that will unfold abundant business opportuni es and exchange of knowledge.

LED Expo Mumbai is a part of Messe Frankfurt's Light + Building Technology fairs headed by the biennial light+ building event. Messe Frankfurt's por olio also includes a series of light and building technology events worldwide which include Light and LED Expo India, Guangzhou Interna onal Ligh ng Fair and Shanghai Interna onal Ligh ng Fair in China, Thailand Ligh ng Fair, BIEL Light + Building in Argen na, Interlight Russia as well as Light Middle East in the United Arab Emirates.

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News Buzz

August 2020

bauma CONEXPO India Rescheduled To February 2021 Ltd. elucidated on the decision to reschedule the trade fair, “We have arrived at the decision to postpone bauma CONEXPO INDIA a er thorough market assessment and consulta on with our key stakeholders.

and customers.” Mr. Sandeep Singh, President of ICEMA and Managing Director, Tata Hitachi Construc on Machinery Company Private Limited supports bC Expo India Pvt. Ltd.'s decision to reschedule by sta ng, “The pandemic has had a deep impact globally and in India , both in human and economic costs .The postponement of bauma CONEXPO INDIA will give the Indian industry me and resources to enable exhibitors to par cipate in the 2021 edi on.”

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The postponement is in the best interest of the exhibitors and visitors.”

Originally scheduled from 3–6 November 2020, the Interna onal Trade Fair for Construc on Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines and Construc on Vehicles, bauma Mr. Bhupinder Singh, CEO, bC Expo India Pvt.

The decision was supported by Mr. Arvind K. Garg, Chairman, bauma CONEXPO INDIA – Task Force and Execu ve Vice President and Head, Construc on and Mining Machinery Business at Larsen & Toubro Ltd.: “We are in an unprecedented situa on that has affected our industry significantly. This decision to reschedule bauma CONEXPO INDIA, is in accordance with the feedback we received from both our important stakeholders—exhibitors

Mr. Mu. Moahan, President of Builders Associa on of India (BAI) commented on the postponement: “Rescheduling bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2020 will enable exhibitors and visitors from across the country to par cipate in the trade fair without any complica ons.

ue to the increasing spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in India, government restric ons on travel, massgathering and based recommenda ons from key stakeholders, the organizers have decided to postpone bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2020.

The postponement is although more welcome, as BAI Na onal Members Meet can be planned alongside with bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2021 with maximum par cipa on from pan India.”CONEXPO INDIA will now be hosted from February 23 to 26, 2021 in Gurugram/New Delhi.

Busworld India To Open Its Doors In 2022

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n consulta on with key OEMs and exhibitors from the bus and coach industry, the 2020 edi on of Busworld India that was postponed to 6 – 8 October 2020 at the Bangalore Interna onal Exhibi on Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru is now set to be hosted in 2022. The organisers have confirmed that the dates for the next edi on of the trade fair are currently under dialogues and will be announced a er detailed discussions in the coming months.

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India's automo ve industry is one of the key economic sectors that has been hard hit due to the onset of COVID-19. The bus and coach industry in conjunc on has also experienced several setbacks due to the exis ng level of demand and disrup on in supply chain. In considera on of these factors along with preeminent concerns due to the current circumstances, the organisers have expressed their decision as an appropriate course of ac on.

A joint statement issued by Busworld Interna onal CVBA and Messe Frankfurt India stated: “The automo ve industry is currently going through a period of uncertainty with manufacturers and component makers severely affected due to supply chain disrup on. Therefore, we believe that wai ng for the segment to

recover would be the best course of ac on right now; so that the event can serve its objec ve of enabling business, knowledge and tech-exchange in a more meaningful way.

As supply chains and trade routes reopen, Busworld India as a pla orm will enable the bus and coach industry to showcase their new launches and re-emerge as the backbone of domes c transporta on in India.” Despite the uncertainty this year, the organisers have ensured that the industry stays connected by ini a ng insigh ul interac ons for the bus & coach industry through virtual mediums like webinars and will con nue to explore digital mediums to enable knowledge exchange and networking within the fraternity un l its next edi on in 2022.

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Glimpses of

EEA 2019

News Buzz

August 2020

Na onal Book Trust Celebrates Its 64th Founda on Day “We have completed 63 years of journey of promo ng books and reading, and our mo o to bind everyone together in a single thread of knowledge con nues…”

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he Na onal Book Trust, India celebrated its 64th Founda on Day on 1st August 2020. The Annual Founda on Day lecture was held online E-a ended by all NBT officials. Prof. Govind Prasad Sharma, Chairman NBT wished all the officials on the joyous occasion, and said, “The Na onal Book Trust, India was established in the year 1957 with the objec ve to produce and encourage the produc on of good literature in Indian languages and to make such literature available at affordable prices. We are not just publishing books in all major Indian languages but also in various dialects and tribal languages, as well as in Braille.

Our recent projects in the state of Jharkhand and Mizoram are a few praiseworthy examples”. He also informed the audience about the various internal journals published by NBT for the benefit of the readers. As the Chief Guest at the event, and the main Speaker at the Founda on Day Lecture, Shri Prabhat Kumar, member of NBT's BoT and a dis nguished publisher talked about his own long associa on with NBT, and stressed upon the role that NBT has

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played in publishing quality research work for the special segments of readers, which otherwise no other publica on house would do, because these books are not considered profitable.

premier na onal ins tu on, rather our mandate makes our reach possible to the interna onal forums where we are able to showcase and represent the Indian publishing industry and its achievements.

Lauding the efforts of NBT in projec ng the psycho-social impact of the pandemic through its publica ons, Shri Prabhat Kumar suggested that NBT should take this forward as it is the need of the hour.

He further added, “NBT has the resources to bring together the literature of all States and write about our glorious history again. NBT takes up special issues and publishes diverse literature, and has con nuously been taking up new ini a ves to make them available in even the remotest areas of the country.

During the global corona pandemic, we took it upon ourselves to remain engaged with the likely changing reading needs and to come up with programmes and ini a ves that represents our commitment to promote bookmindedness and the culture of reading in the country”. Director NBT also informed all that in the coming future, NBT’s major focus is on mentoring kids as future authors, illustrators, editors to create a be er ambience of reading in the society and the values a ached to it.

NBT’s ‘Book Exhibi on Van’ program is one of its kind not just in India but globally as well”. Congratula ng all NBT officials, Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director NBT said, “As a na onal ins tu on, we are quite conscious of our role and the expecta ons that our authors, readers, and other stakeholders have. I always say that Na onal Book Trust, India is not just a

Also, NBT is going to come up in the virtual space as well, in a big way and take NBT to the community of readers in India as well as abroad through some interes ng events and ini a ves. On this occasion, as per tradi on, officers and other staff who completed 25 years at NBT were felicitated for their hard work and dedica on.

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Interview

August 2020

We Are Living In A VUCA World And We Need To Fix Our Rela onship With Uncertainty In an exclusive interview to Exhibi on Showcase, Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India shares his insights on the present mes & the road ahead

“With mul ple events being either postponed or cancelled, the impact of COVID-19 on the trade fair industry has been tremendous. As exhibi on organisers, we like to plan things way in advance and hence it is not just uncertainty that's impac ng us but also our rela onship with the uncertainty. My learning is that we are clearly living in a VUCA (vola le, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world and we have to fix our rela onship with uncertainty. Most businesses know how to handle the normal but its mes like this that makes assump ons of the business clear to you, some of our business assump ons are ge ng challenged now! The impact of the pandemic was felt in all our trade shows in the first quarter of this year. Many of our Italian, European, Asian partners from other countries were unable to par cipate in the trade shows due to the travel restric ons. We have also postponed most of our upcoming trade fairs of 2020, a few were also cancelled.”

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Interview

August 2020

ES. MM India was one of the first organisa ons in the industry to announce work from home. How successful was it in terms of produc vity of employees?

Bhupinder. We started the Work-From-Home ini a ve on March 18, 2020, and the whole process was put together swi ly. I recollect, discussing the possibili es of working from home with my Human Asset Management Team on the morning of 17th March and simultaneously directed all teams to gear up for this eventuality.

At MM India, the health and safety of our team is our prime concern. Many members of our team travel long distances to get to work and it is impera ve for us, to not expose them to any risk.

What followed then, was swi execu on of our Business Con nuity Plan. Our well laid out IT infrastructure made this transi on smooth and allowed for seamless communica on with each other from day one of WFH. I must admit that the first few days of the lockdown was exac ng on most of us, both personally and professionally. The crisis demanded modifica on in our modus operandi and praxis. However, the team rallied together, and I am very happy that despite the extended lockdown, we have kept our team engaged. The Human Asset Management team has organised several town halls to gain feedback on working from home experience. We constantly keep a check on the mental and physical health of our team through mental health surveys and webinars that boost posi vity and build

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bonds. Prominent speakers, counsellors and doctors have been engaged to strengthen mo va on and discuss health and personal issues, if any. We also organise Fun@Work events once a week. MM India has proved, that people can bond efficiently digitally as well. A Play, Learn and Grow Program at the company, gives us a chance to display our talent and keeps the learning wheel turning. I strongly believe that the lockdown is the best me to invest in training and developing the team. We are all set to roll out online training classes for skill upgrada on during lockdown. As you can see, we have plenty on our plate during the lockdown and we are reinven ng ourselves to face the challenges with agility and speed. Within 10 days of the lockdown, we were hos ng eminent speakers from the industry and had a growing audience. Working from home has not restricted us, it has just propelled us to innovate and think out of the box.

ES. How is MM India engaging with its various audiences during these mes? How do you measure its success and what feedback have you received from your audience?

Bhupinder. I have no doubt in my mind that exhibi on companies need to be even more considerate to their customer's requirements; I believe the ones who will realise this will survive and have a be er chance to thrive moving forward. Companies who only think about themselves with a myopic view will

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August 2020

struggle in the long run! First, safety of everyone is paramount.

We can only make posi ve contribu ons to business if we stay healthy and avoid spreading the virus. Business con nuity is key.

We focus our efforts on staying in touch with our customers every step of the way. Our telecon pipelines are full and we are constantly in touch with our exhibitors and other partners to understand their business challenges and their plan of ac on hereon. Through our webinar series, we connected with over 50,000 people in over 30 plus webinars in just 8 weeks, which is special in many ways. We also had the pleasure to host several central ministers at our MM India webinars series. The webinars organized by MM India also provided an excellent pla orm to engage the audience and connect competence from across sectors.

Lastly, to the extent we can, we provide a helping hand to not only each other but also to communi es around us, our business partners, and support partners. This is the moment to demonstrate grace under pressure. Many people and companies have been hit harder than Messe Muenchen India. And it is in mes of crisis that heroes are born. In all modesty, we want Messe Muenchen India's values to shine at this difficult hour.

So far, we are proud and inspired by the way our company has risen to this challenge - with flexibility, resilience, we have operated with speed and more importantly, with a caring heart.

Messe Muenchen India team also contributed part of their salaries to the Maharashtra CM relief fund to support the relief measures.

ES. Some organisers have announced virtual shows. Is MM India working on going virtual any me in the near future with any of its exis ng shows or introducing a new one?

Bhupinder. There is immense uncertainty over the commencement of the trade fair industry as well as the expected nega ve economic impact on the onsite exhibi ons. In the last 2 months, the Indian market has seen various plug and play solu ons providers for virtual expos and many organisers have opted for these solu ons for various reasons - to generate some addi onal revenue, to stay connected with the business community, to keep their staff occupied, etc. Many organisers s ll see these solu ons from the glasses of short term “stop-gap” arrangement ll the normalcy commences and un l onsit e exhibi ons restart. While there is nothing wrong with the above approach; what must be kept in mind is the exhibitor fa gue caused due to substandard experience on many of these virtual exhibi on pla orms and more importantly the lack of value crea on for the par cipants. If these pla orms only create a scenario where the organiser “takes it all” and leaves exhibitors and visitors dissa sfied; this outcome can hurt the brand equity of such exhibi ons and despite short term gain, may dampen their long term rela onship with their customers.

MM India is always open to tread unexplored territories in order

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Quote Box “I strongly believe that the lockdown is the best time to invest in training and developing the team” “This is the moment to demonstrate grace under pressure. In all modesty, we want MM India's values to shine at this difcult hour” “We have no other option but to look at this crisis as an opportunity” to enhance the exhibi ng experience for our stakeholders, exhibitors, and visitors. We are exploring various new avenues that are safe and beneficial for all the par es involved.

ES. What according to you can our industry learn from this crisis?

Is the any silver lining in this?

Bhupinder. As an industry we have been extremely successful and the fastest-growing markets in the world. But like it or not, “success is a lousy teacher”. It is clear that we may not go back to normal and those who know how to shape the new normal will stand to benefit from it. We are entering a new norm that redefines the way we look at businesses and alliances and only those who are brave enough to embrace this, will benefit from it.

As Winston Churchill said “Never waste a good crisis”, we have no other op on but to look at this crisis as an opportunity. It's here to teach all of us important lessons, make us wiser and sharper. Every crisis has its learning. This crisis has coer ced us to push the envelope and to explore new avenues. The lockdown period has also made us aware of the true poten al of digitaliza on. Working remotely has also given many of us me to enhance our skill-set through online courses. We might see in the future that the number of employees, the miles they commute, the public transport they use are all contributors to environmental concerns. This might trigger a paradigm shi to con nue with par al “work from home” teams in the future. The lockdown also taught us that we need to think about conscious consump on and not compulsive buying.

ES. As the Hon Secretary of IEIA and as a leading organiser, what is your message to the industry?

Bhupinder. IEIA with the support of all industry stakeholders has played a vital role in further underlining the import ance of exhibi ons as growth engines for the Indian economy. Looking at post COVID 19 mes, IEIA has conducted several forums, invited various central ministers to engage and highlighted that in light of the lockdown and the economic slump, exhibi ons can prove to be an effec ve tool for economic recovery.

As Indian exhibi on industry pa ently awaits to make its contribu on to reinvigorate the economy, missing a men on in Unlock 3 “sectors” was indeed a setback for the whole industry

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Interview

August 2020

as the industry was thoroughly prepared with a stringent standard opera ng procedures (SOPs) and guidelines to offer a “safe exhibi on experience”. The ill effects of a prolonged gap in learning, innova on and interac on can limit our spirit to be the leading economic force in Asia as Atmanirbhar Bharat. Our industry has immense poten al to bring back investments to our country. We have seen big investments made by UK, Korean and German companies in India over the past few years. An average of 15% of par cipant in most exhibi ons are interna onal.

This is the message that needs to be even more consistently and effec vely amplified today to the government!!! IEIA is geared up to drive the next wave of awareness campaign un l this message is heard and supported.

ES. As the leading exhibi on organiser, what are your most per nent issues and concerns right now?

Bhupinder. As a trade fair organizer, our prime concern is the health and safety of everyone involved in our trade shows.

Secondly like all the other industry friends, we seek to get back to business as early as possible. However, at mes of economic difficul es such as these, it's even more crucial to constantly stay aligned with what the industry needs. If the industry needs a trade fair we will do our best to provide an even be er ROI to the par cipants. But if our exhibitors, stakeholders, partners do not share the enthusiasm or are not in the shape to accept a trade fair; I think the we all need to respect that. Having said that, we are working with several partners to ensure and design trade fairs that enable a safe exhibi ng experience for everyone at the

fairground. MM India will strictly follow government direc ves and take addi onal safety measures as well to facilitate a safe and lucra ve environment to conduct business.

ES. MM India recorded a very good 2019. Can you give the industry some insights about how MM India performed in 2019?

Bhupinder. 2019 has been an incredible learning journey for Messe Muenchen India. Our resilience and pursuit of excellence were rewarded with outstanding outcomes and double digit growth. This growth in numbers tes fy and reinstate that our approach towards business is in the right direc on and that we will con nue to work towards enhancing visitor and exhibitor's return on investments. With the acquisi on of leading shows like air cargo India and air cargo Africa, new tech shows like MatDispens, VRTech India, and shows that complement our exis ng por olio like World Tea & Coffee Expo and PackMach Asia Expo during the year, we further augment our por olio of trade fairs.

With this growth and posi ve developments, we needed a be er work space, so, in 2019 Messe Muenchen India relocated itself to a new office with be er ameni es and smarter spaces to keep pace with the company's growing needs. As a part of its expansion strategy, Messe Muenchen India established a new sales office in Ahmedabad to efficiently and closely cater to the clients in the state. Last year, has mo vated us to achieve unprecedented benchmarks. Looking ahead, we aim to design even more effectual trade fairs that foster numerous business opportuni es for our stakeholders, exhibitors and visitors.

Messe Muenchen India Brand Por olio

Bonding Solutions for Industry

Delhi

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Celebra ng Ten Years Of Passion, Commitment & Perseverance “As it is always said 'Necessity is mother of Inven on' there are some posi ve outcomes of coronavirus crisis. Though these silver linings are thin if compared with the impact of coronavirus, it has somewhere made us do more business with less or limited resources and has forced us to find be er, cheaper, simpler and faster ways to operate our businesses.”

Sanyal S. Desai, CEO, Radeecal Communica ons

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

Sanyal. I started my career in the Exhibi on Industry in the year 2000 by joining as a Marke ng Director of a reputed and well established exhibi on organising company. With the experience on hand, I and my partner Mr Neeraj Shah founded Radeecal Communica ons in July 2010. Radeecal communica ons has just became a decade old company while I am answering to this ques on.

The first major milestone that we hit in my opinion has to be the concept of organising first ever exhibi on from the very scratch – Agri Asia. This was a huge boost to us on both an individual and organisa onal level which filled the team with much more enthusiasm and confidence. All of us at Radeecal Communica ons craved quality more than anything. We knew that achieving the highest levels of quality will inevitably bring success to us. Our team has constantly grown and improved which has helped Radeecal reach out and create a significant mark in as many as 10 major industries. We've gone on to put together 65+ events within a decade and have along the way become associated with DLG, IFW Expo and many more well established and reputed organisa ons both in the country as well

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as across the globe. Radeecal's tremendous growth has pushed me and my partner Neeraj to improve and innovate our vision about how Radeecal communica ons is to be taken forward.

Radeecal Communica ons has managed to cross the seas and tap the African markets brimming with poten al especially in the agriculture industry with Agritec Africa. One of our main achievements can said to be organising exhibi on focused solely on the niche subject of Nonwoven Industry in India. Over the years we have associated with the Government of Kenya and Government of Gujarat on number of ini a ves such as Vibrant Gujarat.

Standing on the verge of a new decade and with an aim of serving various industry fraterni es in these tough mes by providing a virtual exhibi on pla orm 'I Radeecal'. The experience of the way Radeecal communica ons has grown over the years and the colleagues, clients, and industry patrons I've come across has been truly heart-warming and makes me swell up with pride and happiness.

ES. Please share with us your take on this situa on.

Sanyal. The world is s ll struggling to understand and adjust to the new situa on due to the coronavirus outbreak. Uncertainty is s ll keeping consumers away from spending and businesses

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from inves ng. The road to recovery requires inspired convic ons. Saying this I am also astonished to see many things that have accelerated structurally in terms of going Digital. Many futuris c modules of work expected to be a decade away happened in a week. In my whole life I have never seen ideas travel faster than they do now. But the threat is s ll out there and no one knows how long this uncertainty will persist. All we can do is adapt and learn the necessary response measures needed to deal with the situa on that we are in due to the coronavirus crisis. We should somehow get going because post lockdown we are somewhere in a much be er posi on to respond to the situa ons that we come across in this unprecedented mes.

ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead & recovery guide for Exhibi on Industry?

Sanyal. As we know our Exhibi on & Conven on Industry is one of the worst affected Industry due to the Covid-19 crisis.

As per the December 2019 report demonstrated by “Global Economic Impact of Exhibi ons' states that the Economic Impact of the Exhibi on Industry is calculated to be 167 Billion Euros globally. This shows the significance of our Industry. Our Exhibi on Industry will play an important role in the reviving of economies across the world. In context to the uncertainty of how future would be, we don't know how physical exhibi ons will be organized. Several Exhibi on organiser associa ons and exhibi on organising companies across the world have opened

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dialogues with the governments to show them the readiness and preparedness of our sector regarding organising exhibi ons, but one cannot deny the levels of risk associated on managing and opera ng large scale physical exhibi ons along with the added cost of maintenance.

To keep the wheels of our exhibi on Industry moving in this tough mes going digital is only an effec ve op on that we are le with. Around the globe many of our Industry patrons at their own pace are digitally transforming by designing virtual exhibi on pla orms. These virtual exhibi on pla orms according to me are the most appropriate temporary replacements to get things going un l the threat of the pandemic is not over.

ES. What is your take on pros and cons of Virtual exhibi ons?

Sanyal. In my personal opinion I genuinely believe that nothing matches the profound impact of physical exhibi on. Maybe for me being physical exhibi ons can be overshadowed by virtual ones mainly due to the situa on that we are in.

With this I will like to add that virtual exhibi on pla orm is the next big trend in organising trade shows and exhibi ons. Virtual exhibi on pla orms brings in great amount of flexibility in context to designing and changing what doesn't works unlike physical exhibi ons where you don't get that leverage of making it flexible.

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The freedom of exploring new markets is one of the most important advantage of organising an exhibi on virtually as it has no geographic and demographic boundaries limi ng its reach.

Virtual exhibi ons is a very cost effec ve solu on as they are not limited to me, travel and space. The real me data analy cs helps to analyse and generate leads immediately which helps to improve company's marke ng opera ons. Despite the a rac veness and huge poten al virtual exhibi ons are no match to the physical exhibi ons in terms of face to face visitor experience. There is a tendency of the virtual experience not being a memorable one. Poor representa on of products & services can also hinder the overall experience. Low Internet connec vity can act as a major technological barrier which impacts the virtual exhibi ons nega vely. Along with this the virtual exhibi on pla orms can be vulnerable at mes if exhibitors & visitors are not educated properly on how to use it.

ES. Having seen some other virtual exhibi ons already, what is your take on the pla orm?

Sanyal. There is absolutely no doubt that the virtual exhibi on pla orms comes in handy in these tough mes when there is air of uncertainty circula ng around the commencement of physical exhibi ons. I have seen many virtual exhibi ons as part of our research and references as we ourselves are designing our own virtual exhibi on pla orm 'I Radeecal'. There is sudden rise in the number of people visi ng different virtual exhibi ons due to the global pandemic. As men oned before virtual exhibi on is the next big trend but s ll it will be too early to say anything regarding the impact & effec veness of the virtual pla orm as they are yet to be tried and tested extensively across varied business sectors. One thing I am pre y much sure about is that the virtual exhibi on pla orms will stay in trend and will have its own market share even a er the commencement of physical exhibi ons in the future.

ES. How did you arrive at a decision to organise your own show

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virtually?

Sanyal. At Radeecal communica ons we had given a thought of organising an exhibi on virtually way back in the year 2014, when we were for the very first me solely organising an exhibi on outside India. But somehow due to one reason or the other, we were not able to focus on the implica on of the idea since then.

Thus, now when the need arise we had that agility to transform ourselves digitally as we already had some references and studies related to the virtual exhibi on pla orm.

We have launched our own virtual exhibi on pla orm 'i radeecal' in June which is totally in house designed by our dedicated team with an aim of serving various business fraterni es through se ng up a digital culture which will help to create business opportuni es in this tough mes.

ES. What do you see as the upcoming emerging trends going forward?

Sanyal. As going forward, I personally don't believe that virtual exhibi ons will fully replace the physical exhibi ons ever. On a longer run once we are out of this threat I feel that a hybrid structure designed combining the features of both virtual & physical exhibi ons would be the emerging trend which will take our exhibi on industry forward.

ES. What is the silver lining of this pandemic?

Sanyal. We all know that this pandemic is hur ng and affec ng each and everyone's lives globally. But as it has been said always whenever humanity is going through this kind of difficult me that 'This too shall pass', its me to believe in this phrase and start working on the opportuni es that lies in the problem that we all are facing to prevail through this tough me.

Well someone has rightly said that this global pandemic is not only a health crisis, but it's also a forthcoming restructuring of the world economies.

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Interview

August 2020

This might be an event which can lead to “The Renaissance” which the world needed. The governments and people are likely to take this global pandemic as a 'Wakeup Call' for focusing on things which are neglected from a long me. The Covid-19 crisis with exploi ng the vulnerabili es it also has and will reveal opportuni es too. The crisis have shown the difference to the world that, “What is nice to have and what we really need”. With the inevitable change in financial structuring of the world economies, there also will be more focus on reviving the policies of healthcare infrastructure and many other associated sectors all around.

As it is always said 'Necessity is mother of Inven on' there are some posi ve outcomes of coronavirus crisis. Though these silver linings are thin if compared with the impact of coronavirus, it has somewhere made us do more business with less or limited resources and has forced us to find be er, cheaper, simpler and faster ways to operate our businesses.

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

Sanyal. The world somewhere is on the verge of a transforma on where the dynamics of needs, preferences & demands are changing. My sugges on to the entrepreneurs is to try and find the right balance between what worked before and what needs to be done to succeed in this New Normal. I believe that in these tough mes 'Agile' organisa ons will work significantly in a much be er way. As said before the demand dynamics of people around the world are changing and thus to cope up with the change the organisa on has to be resilient, agile and flexible.

'Digi sa on' was a mere buzz in many business sectors before coronavirus which has now somewhere became the necessity for all, thus entrepreneurs should put some more emphasize on transforming their business digitally if the nature of business allows them to do so.

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

Sanyal. (1) Dealing with the coronavirus crisis and its a ermath would be possible only by cul va ng Resilience. Being resilient by absorbing the shock and to start working on recovery is the first & foremost thing that is to be worked upon in these tough mes.

(2) Being Flexible & Agile at the same me is very much essen al for any business especially in these tough situa ons.

Entrepreneurs & Organisa ons in response to this uncertain and unpredictable situa on should develop that agility to change the overall working system if needed along with being flexible enough to make changes within the current working system of an organisa on to cope up and sustain in these tough situa ons.

(3) Being Innova ve: Adap ng to the situa on that we are in and finding a way out of it is only possible by being innova ve. Many business sectors are providing a perfect example right now of considering 'Solidarity as an Opportunity'. New business models & innova ons could give rise to a completely new trend which can help businesses to sustain and thrive through these tough mes by opening a completely new diversified transforma on of their businesses.

ES. Your message to the industry?

Sanyal. Our exhibi on industry has a major economic importance globally. Some report suggests that through exhibi ons total output in business sales including direct, indirect and induced output is €275 billion ($325 billion) globally.

The numbers says it all. I believe that the problems that our industry is facing globally due to the situa on will be overcome soon or we will find a way out, like many of our industry patrons have started working upon by transforming digitally. I think 'This is just a bend not the end' as our exhibi on industry will play a major role in 'Unmasking the Masked Economy' of the world.

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Interview

August 2020

Exhibi on Showcase Talks To Karla Juegel, Founder & CEO of Messe | Marke ng, Germany “The most important milestone is: my 40 years of experience in an industry that I loved at first sight. Since many years I am a Consultant, Coach & Trainer for the Exhibi on Industry worldwide combining strategical marke ng with opera ve exhibi on know-how as founder & CEO of Messe | Marke ng. But my career started in the late 70th as marke ng concep oneer when I laid the basis to recognise trade-fair par cipa ons as marke ng instrument within corporate communica ons.

This was a milestone, which brought me to MercedesBenz, being the first woman responsible for the Automobil-Shows around the world. And shortly a er I became head of the interna onal fair & exhibi on department of the newly found Avia on & Space Company ‘Deutsche Aerospace’, today’s Airbus. As my heart is s ll bea ng for the exhibitors in our industry, I designed a variety of seminars & trainings to make trade fair par cipa ons more successful and to turn Contacts into Cont(r)acts. I believe that the Exhibitor’s success is driving the success of the complete Exhibi on Industry.

And the support of them - the heart beat.”

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

Karla. I believe in Trade Fairs as motor for the economy, especially in crisis mes. Personal encounters and live-experiences will always be the basis for business in regard to build-up trust and reliability.

ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead for exhibi on industry?

Karla. In the future trade fairs should take over an addi onal task in the way that they mutate from a market-place to a marketinsider by offering tailor-made matchmaking for their customers ‘exhibitors’ & ‘visitors’ and even more by delivering up-to-date industry informa on 365 days around the year.

in compe on which might on one hand strengthen the market but on the other hand also weaken it.

ES. How badly has your region been affected?

What has been the impact of this pandemic on your domes c industry?

Karla. The affect of the exhibi on industry in Germany can only be judged completely at the end of the pandemic which is closely connected to the launch of a vaccine. At the moment Germany is in a fairly good posi on in regard to the number of infec ons. But the situa on within the exhibi on & event industry is s ll dras cally endangered. The only light in the tunnel is the decision of the German Government not to rate ‘Trade Fairs’ as large events like concerts, sport-events, etc. and to allow reopening of trade fairs a er the summer vaca ons.

ES. What is your take on Virtual exhibi ons?

Karla. Live is live. Face-to face communica on and digitalisa on: this is a total discrepancy. It does not fit. Live-communica on is based on personal encounters and that makes trade fairs around the world so unique. Although digitalisa on shows us at the moment, that a lot is possible. And it is possible very well. But we also learned, that best virtual solu ons are as expensive as Fairs & Exhibi ons - but s ll cannot gain the uniqueness of live-events.

ES. What will be the future of business tourism?

Karla. There will be a paradigm change in the mind of business travellers mostly based on sustainability and its importance to the word. But nevertheless as personal encounters are part of the human nature, mobility will be as well.

ES. Please share with us your personal assessment of the situa on Karla. In the long run I see a lot of consolida ons and less variety

ES. Your message to the industry?

Karla. To learn also means to unlearn!

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Interview

August 2020

ALWAYS BE A LEARNER In Conversa on With IP Wadhwa, Managing Worker, Tafcon ES. Please share with us your professional journey. What have been the major milestones and most amazing achievements and moments in your exhibi on industry career?

IP Wadhwa. Being a technocrat having Senior Management experience with large Corporates like TATA, DCM groups, etc , Tafcon (including our three other founder Directors) developed large number of Technical B2B Interna onal Trade Events in India & abroad along with leading industry associa ons; namely Mining Equipment Minerals Metals; Constuc on; Environment; Defense Energy Transport; HeatTreat;Oil&Gas; Paper; Packaging; Prin ng; Poultry; Dairy & Food ; Biotechnology; Health care; Instrumenta on; Educa on; Travel & Tourism; Mineral Processing; and allied industries, etc.

Major mile stones were for many rota ng Word Renowned Congresses done in India, the Concurrent Exhibi ons were organised by Tafcon on unique Subjects like Poultry; Mining; Mineral Processing, etc. Amazing moments & achievements were that though all these Global Exhibi ons alongside World Congresses were almost organised for the First me in India by Tafcon, all of them were rated as 'Best ever held in the World' and were benchmark for the other rota ng countries.

ES. Please share with us the legacy of Tafcon. How did it come into existence?

IP Wadhwa. Around mid eigh es, Tafcon as one of the Pioneer in private sector (with Broad based Top management with decades of experience), ini ally it started as Consultants & Managers to develope & organise Trade shows with leading Industry bodies like FICCI, CII, Plast India Founda on, NSIC, etc. A er about three years, we developed & organised many ins tu onalised Interna onal B2B Trade Fairs men oned above.

ES. How was the scenario back then?

IP Wadhwa. From B2C Melas, India started B2B subject speciďŹ c Interna onal Trade Fairs.

ES. What all shows do you organise in a year?

IP Wadhwa. Presently Mining Equipment Minerals Metals; Materials Engineering Technology (Defense Energy Trasport) ; Heat Treat, etc.

ES. What have been your biggest learnings from this industry?

IP Wadhwa. Single & more reasonable Par cipa on rates system in India

“100% FDI in India in the mining and processing sector makes the industry more lucrative

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Interview

August 2020

ES. Please re-collect a crisis situa on at any of your show which you and your team handled effec vely at the last moment?

IP Wadhwa. NONE; except nature's disasters-cyclones , heavy rains for Events in temporary halls( hangers), which our highly experienced team & service providers handled very well; one of the many great jobs done by them.

ES. As an expert in exhibi on industry what subjects/ini a ves are close to your heart which you are closely advoca ng?

IP Wadhwa. Firstly I am not an expert; but keep a special eye on Large number of delega ons and High purchase professionals from top, middle & working level Management from India & abroad, to a end our events.

ES. What are the main ac vi es of your business these days?

IP Wadhwa. Sustainable growth and quality upgrade of our events.

ES. Please share with us your take on this situa on and its effects on the exhibi on industry?

IP Wadhwa. Serious, due to Corona pendamic; but this being lean period for Exhibi ons in India, some hope for later part of this financial year and most probably from next year.

ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead for the exhibi on industry?

IP Wadhwa. Next financial year may be be er than this year; hoping Corona gets contorted.

ES. What can be the recovery guide for tradeshows?

IP Wadhwa. Innovate for ge ng be er quality & numbers of trade visitors, to give higher ROI to Exhibitors.

ES. What do you see as the upcoming trends?

IP Wadhwa. Cut down on avoidable expenses

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ES. What is the silver lining of this pandemic?

IP Wadhwa. Discipline, as a way of life.

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

IP Wadhwa. Curtail fixed expenses , and Industry bodies to ensure ge ng real financial help from the Government, as is done all over the world.

ES. What is your take on virtual events?

IP Wadhwa. As was tried about 20 years back, virtual shows neither give same benefit/returns compared to F2F(face to face) Exhibi ons.

ES. How confident are your exhibitors to return to show floors?

IP Wadhwa. About 85% from next financial year.

ES. What all shows of yours have been cancelled/postponed due to this crisis?

IP Wadhwa. Two Shows ( MET and HTS-details at Sl 4) r rescheduled from October 13-15,2020 to September 29-October 01,2021 at Bombay Exhibi on Center, Mumbai.

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

IP Wadhwa. 20a Be Op mis c 20b Improve Venue infrastructure 20c. Some well established Shows may get merged ES. What will be the future of our industry?

IP Wadhwa. Good from next year; India s ll needs to go a long way.

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

IP Wadhwa. As it's related to Corona globally, travel industry may face difficul es for a couple of years.

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August 2020

In Conversa on With Ma hew Funge, Managing Director & Founder, Your Stand Builder Ma hew is the Managing Director & Founder of event technology company Your Stand Builder, and currently lives in London, UK. He is a graduate from the University of Manchester who already has valuable experience of living and working in both the USA and France, in addi on to various parts of the UK, which has provided him with interna onal exposure already. He is responsible for building and launching the Your Stand Builder pla orm in March 2019, following more than 5 years' in an exhibi on project manager role preparing 25+ worldwide events annually for his previous employer - an experience which directly led to the YSB idea being born. Ma hew is passionate about making a difference in the global events industry, and is commi ed to con nually exploring technological innova on. He has taken YSB from concept all the way through to execu on and plans to build upon this in the future through gradually developing the service further.

ES. How did you land up in this industry?

Ma hew Funge. Before se ng up Your Stand Builder I worked for 5 years at an interna onal healthcare company where I was responsible for their exhibi on schedule as a project manager. I organised 25-30 events each year all around the world and grew to love the global events industry.

The biggest a rac on to me was the thrill of being involved in interna onal events and seeing the incredible crea vity of event professionals all around the world. Every day, every show, every year is different – and it's such an exci ng industry to be a part of!

ES. What have been your major milestones achieved in your professional journey so far?

Ma hew Funge. There are a few notable moments which stand out for me, which I think are all important and noteworthy. As a company we've won an industry award already (Innova on of the Year 2019 – EN Supplier Awards) which was fantas c and provided such valida on of the idea we had been working so hard on.

On a personal level I'm proud to have been selected for the UFI

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Next Genera on Leadership Grant 2020 which is incredible in terms of personal growth and development, allowing me an opportunity to try and shape the future of this amazing industry.

Another key moment for me came very shortly a er launching our service when we secured a significant partnership agreement with a large, established industry leading company who are very well respected interna onally.

This achievement proved to me that our innova ve service had a definite place in the industry, and stays with me as the moment we truly introduced ourselves as an event tech company.

ES. Please share with us your take on this situa on and its effects on the exhibi on industry in your country Ma hew Funge. Obviously it hasn't been easy as our industry has been hit par cularly hard by the crisis worldwide, and we've barely seen any events since March when the crisis became an interna onal ma er. During the past few months the UK was unfortunately one of the worst affected countries, and we were in a na onal lockdown for a long period before slowly star ng to re-open in recent weeks. Our exhibi on centres were converted to temporary hospitals and all events have been cancelled which has had a huge impact on our industry.

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August 2020

Our government has finally given us a restart date of 1st October – providing there is no further surge in virus cases – so as an industry we are all working towards bouncing back as strongly as possible when we are allowed. It will be interes ng to see how visitor and exhibitor confidence has been affected by COVID-19, and how quickly it might recover, as this will be key factor in terms of ge ng back to normality when it comes to business events.

ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead for the exhibi on industry?

Ma hew Funge. I think there will undoubtedly be a transi on period where many precau ons are taken to ensure the safety of everyone who a ends events – including compulsory wearing of face masks, widespread use of hand sani ser sta ons, temperature checks at the entrance, etc. Whether these stay in place once COVID-19 is truly under control, either through the introduc on of a vaccine or otherwise – remains to be seen. I suspect that before too long events will be very similar to how they were previously, as humans are creatures of habit and they like what feels “normal”.

a empt to combine physical with virtual as a result of the current health crisis. While I do believe that virtual is here to stay in some form or another, I don't see it as a replacement for physical events that we're all used to a ending.

In the short term I expect events to be locally focussed as opposed to interna onal gatherings, due to travel restric ons and reduced marke ng budgets at companies of all sizes. There will be a shi in approach to host smaller local or regional events and slowly building back up to large scale interna onal events – which unfortunately could take a considerable amount of me.

ES. What is the silver lining of this pandemic?

Ma hew Funge. I think it has shown just how much the global economy depends on exhibi ons to provide marketplaces where companies can do business and showcase their latest innova ons. Without these events – as we have seen over the past months – these companies lose a hugely effec ve marke ng channel and miss out on the pla orm to meet thousands of prospec ve new customers in a single place. Perhaps exhibi ons had become rou ne for many companies prior to COVID, and their importance was taken for granted. I'm hopeful that moving forward they will be valued as they should be and considered an essen al sales/marke ng tool.

Even if there are new permanent safety measures, nothing will be radically different in my opinion. Regardless of the above, one thing this pandemic has shown us is how much businesses need exhibi ons to support themselves commercially. There is no doubt in my mind that the majority of companies who typically exhibit at events are desperate to get back to interac ng face-toface rather than screen-to-screen online. People around the world have adapted and embraced technologies such as Zoom because they have been forced to, but it will never truly replace mee ng customers or prospects in person which is why I have the utmost confidence exhibi ons will return very strongly as soon as they are able to do so.

ES. What is your take on virtual events?

Ma hew Funge. They've been so important during the disrup on to physical events this year, and they will definitely con nue to play a part in our industry from now on. I think that there will be some sort of a combina on of physical and virtual in the future, but I firmly believe that the majority of events will primarily con nue to be offline, in-person, live events as that is what we are used to and human beings by nature prefer to interact in face-to-face.

ES. What do you see as the upcoming trends?

Ma hew Funge. Hybrid events will undoubtedly be at the forefront of our industry in the immediate future, as organisers

Live events can of course be enhanced using virtual services and pla orms, but the core advantages of events cannot be achieved through the widespread use of virtual in place of “tradi onal”.

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August 2020

Digitalisa on Of The Exhibi on Planning Process – Why Haven't We Moved On? Wri en By: Ma hew Funge, MD - Your Stand Builder

T

he digital age is fantas c for so many reasons – convenience, speed, expanded audience – and in modern life it is almost unthinkable to live without certain technological innova ons. To many around the world these days certain industries or services have become synonymous with market-leading disrup ve technology solu ons: Uber for taxis, Airbnb for holiday rentals, Amazon for retail…the list goes on. It seems that now, in 2020, almost every mainstream industry has seen a technological revolu on that has improved processes and made it easier than ever before to access their market. It seems strange, therefore, that the global exhibi on industry has not.

of course there have been many, however these have o en tended to be related to “on-site” processes which simplify a par cular ac vity during the event opening hours only as opposed to anything which might happen before or a erwards. Digital lead capture is a prime example – a fantas cally convenient and easy tool which has undoubtedly saved exhibitors endless hours on an exhibi on stand by avoiding the need to manually write all contact informa on and file away safely for future use. Instead there are now many tools which instantly capture all contact details of a visitor by either scanning their badge or taking quick photo of their business card on a smartphone.

With an annual valua on of USD $137 billion (source: UFI), making it the 56th largest economy in the world alone, it would be expected that this industry would be at the forefront of innova on, leading the way and se ng an example for others to follow. It's not that there haven't been exci ng new technologies released into the industry in recent years,

It's an amazingly useful technology which has certainly improved our industry since being introduced, and will con nue to do so for years to come. It is, however, for use on-site and on-site only. Of course the data is stored and can be used in the future for following up on leads and marke ng your products or services to those who have shown an interest, but

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the actual technology itself improves a me consuming on-site process faced by exhibitors in the exhibi on halls around the world almost every day.

It's worth remembering that in the grand scheme of things, the on-site processes are actually among the simplest in the whole cycle of exhibi ng, and are almost always much less of an inconvenience than the incredible amount of work which goes into planning for these types of events.

The prepara on process o en starts many months ahead of the show opening date, and involves so many different ac vi es such as booking your stand space, sourcing a stand supplier, sending product stock to the venue, making travel and accommoda on plans for staff – just to name a few. Why then, has this part of the exhibi ng cycle been le almost untouched by technology? Many, if not all, of these processes are s ll approached the same way they were 10 or even 20 years ago which in the new digital age seems very strange indeed. As we know already humans are naturally creatures of

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August 2020

habit, and if certain ways of doing things have worked in the past they will automa cally become the “go to” way of doing things in the future, but does that mean they will always be the best way?

Almost certainly not. The vast majority of people are o en wary of anything new, which they don't have previous experience of or that they perhaps don't fully understand, and this o en stands in the way of opportunity for improvement.

Event professionals everywhere would surely benefit greatly from embracing change and allowing new technologies to shape the way they approach the exhibi on planning process, and could end up saving significant me and money by doing so!

As an example, at our event tech startup – Your Stand Builder – we've completely digitalised the process of exhibitors find

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high quality, reliable stand builders around the world for their upcoming event schedule, bringing the whole process online on an innova ve web pla orm. We wanted to bring these two vital groups of the industry together in a single place to streamline the exhibi on planning process by providing a valuable tool which can save users me, money and stress by completely modernising buyer-seller communica on.

We believe we have found a be er, quicker and easier way of approaching this ac vity and we're delighted that it has been so well received by our global industry since our launch in 2019. It's a posi ve start for sure, but so much more can s ll be done to truly bring exhibi on planning into the modern world – and we should certainly be excited to see what the future holds as technology advances

even further.

So next me you begin to plan your company's par cipa on at an exhibi on – whether as an exhibitor or as a supplier – it might be a good idea to pause and think for a while before picking up the phone or typing a lengthy email.

Which parts of your process can be digitalised, and what are the poten al benefits to you of taking a new, modern approach? What tools are put there for you that can make your professional life easier? The answers might well be surprising, and if you open up to new ways of doing things you could end up with a lot of spare me to put towards other areas of your job which in turn will increase your efficiency and throughput of work which can only be a good thing for everybody involved.

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August 2020

Hoping For A Vaccine, While Living With Covid Rod Kamleshwaran of GainingEdge says data suggests it could be 2024 before the MICE industry fully bounces back. For now, we must work towards recovery in phases are broad indicators for the mee ngs, incen ves, conven ons, and exhibi ons, so full recovery of the MICE sector seems unlikely before 2024. And the pace and level of recovery will vary by region and business segment.

W

E don’t really know when the New Normal without Covid-19 will begin. Are we le ng hopes for a vaccine deter us from finding solu ons that let us live as close to normal as possible with Covid-19? Can we in the MICE industry do more if we can manage the risks and challenges that lay ahead?

First, let’s look at where we are in terms of the MICE industry making a full recovery from Covid – and why it could be another three years before that comes: Ÿ

On July 30, the UN World Travel Organisa on reported that 40 per cent of des na ons have eased travel restric ons. On the same day, the World Health Organisa on issued

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Now let’s look at how we can get there.

Emerging markets with robust trend growth are expected to recover earlier.

Domes c markets will return before interna onal, and leisure segments will precede business segments. This crisis, however, is unprecedented and s ll evolving, so the full recovery period remains uncertain. So it helps to consider the recovery in phases. guidelines for resuming travel, saying travel bans cannot be indefinite. Ÿ We are now in a Transi on Phase where economic ac vity is resuming in a world inclusive of Covid-19. This phase will last un l widespread vaccina on, probably not before 2022, when the New Normal without the virus begins. Ÿ Also in July, IATA reports that passenger numbers for 2020 will drop by 55 per cent to 2006 levels, and may not recover to 2019 levels un l 2024. Ÿ Travel industry analysts STR predicted in June that United States’ hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) is unlikely to return to 2019 levels before 2023.

Air traffic and hotel demand such as these

The ‘Transi on Phase’ Most countries have now moved from a “lockdown period” into this secondary “transi on phase”. The reopening is not just seen in countries and regions that have suppressed Covid-19, but also in those with high ac ve cases, and this comes with the risks of second waves of infec ons and the reimposi on of lockdowns.

Some 115 des na ons including Australia, Canada and India con nue to keep their borders completely closed, while a gradual opening in the northern hemisphere is a ributed to the summer season, led by the opening of borders in the European Union from July 1.

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August 2020 recovery would be led by nonluxury categories, with domes c leisure peaking on weekends.

Weekly hotel occupancy rates in China were at 55 per cent in late July and at 48 per cent in the US, but STR is repor ng other regions at barely 20 per cent. While hotels in the US tend to rely more on MICE business, the leisure market is more dominant in Asia Pacific. Without this group business, recovery in the US will plateau.

There are 87 countries currently managing large-scale travel. If they do so without a significant rise in cases, it will go a long way towards crea ng the consumer confidence needed for a genuine recovery. Conversely, a spike in cases risks a major setback. Corporate travel recovery has begun in some markets, but many small mee ngs will not return from the virtual pla orms adopted during the lockdown. Instead, hotel

MICE sector recovery will be led by domes c events with safety protocols with social distancing easier to operate at exhibi ons as opposed to conferences.

Mainland China, Korea, Taiwan and Germany are leading the return of large-scale events with exhibi ons and government events.

Many events have turned to virtual or hybrid formats for the short term. The importance of digi sa on and flexibility of venues has escalated, while mul -loca on events that form a larger online global event are growing. This appeals in the transi on phase as a endees lack confidence for travel and large gatherings.

Significant shi s in the MICE industry are underway. In-person interac on remains powerful, but it’s unlikely to be replaced by virtual events in a dominant way. Inperson events are a rac ve for commercial and networking purposes, and most will return this way, but a high por on will be hybrid events.

Venue offers will include in-person, hybrid or virtual op ons with enhanced technology infrastructure and flexible rooms. Virtual tours of venues will be the norm with mee ng and event so ware improving rapidly. Contactless opera ons beyond check-in are also here to stay.

When a New Normal without Covid-19 begins is unclear. Even a er a vaccine is found, it may take a year or more before worldwide vaccina on and the confidence for mass travel returns.

The ‘New Normal’ There is a strong rela onship between the unemployment rate and hotel demand. At some point consumer behaviour will depend on economic, not health factors.

A er borders are wide open and consumer confidence in safe travel has returned, economics will influence hotel demand.

So a consensus is emerging that the world has to figure out how to live with Covid.

Are we le ng our high hopes for a vaccine deter us from finding solu ons for an earlier return to some normality?

People in the MICE sector have to ask whether we can do more right now, knowing the risks of second waves of infec ons and re-imposi on of lockdowns.

Rod leads the Conven on and Exhibi on Centre Development advisory team at GainingEdge, a specialist consul ng firm.

Later, at IHG he was involved in the development and asset management of hotels and venues. Rod has been at GaningEdge since 2013. He has been a speaker at UFI, ICCA & other industry events. With experience advising clients on 5 con nents he brings a uniquely global perspec ve.

His exper se is in the development and asset management of hospitality assets – conven on & exhibi on centres, arenas, hotels, and casino integrated resorts. Rod is a highly regarded specialist for mixeduse developments. He has advised government and private sector clients on projects with a comple on value exceeding US$ 20 billion.

Rod has over 20 years of experience in this industry star ng with PwC where he was involved in hotel feasibility studies.

Some of his past projects include Singapore, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Christchurch, Melbourne, Oslo, Cyprus, Bologna, Tbilisi, Los Cabos, Nairobi, and Jordan. He is currently advising mixed-use projects in Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand.

Rod Kamleshwaran, Partner and COO, GainingEdge 40 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

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August 2020

Why We’ll Fall Out Of Love With Virtual Eddie Choi says event planners will ’fall back on old habits’ post-Covid. But that’s not a bad thing if they use digital to enhance face-to-face mee ngs and not as a replacement technologies they adopt won’t actually work for them.

In fact, a plan of innova on takes years to make profitable returns. For an exhibi on company, the sales of square metres in booth space is a safe bet with good profit margins.

Covid-19 is not a long pause in business events, at least not long enough to push everyone outside the comfort zone yet.

And I don’t see an immediate urge among organisers to drop the square-metre sales model to reinvent the wheel.

I

READ an ar cle recently telling us of the big hit Covid has dealt to the events industry and the shi to digital. Let me share this bit:

exhibi on industry professionals from all around the world and we wanted to seek answers on how businesses should transform a er the pandemic.

“With no one flying, and gatherings prohibited, the events industry took a big hit this spring. But many companies have simply shi ed their budgets to digital events or digital content. Only me will tell if the fall will be a very busy events season, or companies will decide they prefer online events over in-person events.” – Forbes

Most workgroup sessions focused on digital transforma on. A big subject and one for which many were eager to come up with a proposal. At the end of the project, we asked ourselves: “How can we make sure we don’t fall back on the old habits?” The opinion of my group was: “We are likely to fall back.” And the reasons are as follows:

Will corporate clients opt for virtual events over those that provide face-toface mee ngs? That’s what people in the events industry are now asking. As a marketer who has worked with digital throughout my career, it is an irony. I’ll be frank with you: I don’t think event companies will adopt the digital way in their businesses. Let me explain.

Incompa ble culture and economic model Innova on is a culture, if not a cult, while the events business is a very prac cal one.

Short-term gain is a mismatch for innova on.

If an exhibi on company wants to build an innova on culture, it is highly likely the company will face the innovator’s dilemma and struggle between catering for shortterm economic gain and a high chance that

In April, I par cipated in an experimental project called the Exhibi ons Think Tank (ETT) organised by the UK-based MBB Consul ng Group. ETT was an online project gathering more than 150

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Incompa ble infrastructure I am not sugges ng that face-to-face events should not go digital. Instead, the digital experience is hardly comparable to a face-to-face event – and now is not the right me.

It is true that online sourcing and virtual marketplaces are close enough to present an alterna ve to trade exhibi ons. I must also admit that in the past 20 years un l now we have con nuously seen innova ons launched by exhibi on companies. Unfortunately, prac cally all failed due to lack of pa ence, short-term commitment, and various technical glitches. Eddie Choi is managing partner of Mills Design, an experien al agency with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Mills’ clients include Google, Alibaba, Airbus, Dow, and BASF. Eddie remains on the board of Milton Exhibits Group.

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More… Why now for event VR? The early days of virtual exhibi ons can be traced back to 2003, when the Linden Lab launched the online role-play world applica on called Second Life. Seven years later, the iconic computer show COMDEX was relaunched as a virtual event.

COMDEX rendered a real business exhibi on in a digi sed virtual environment. Since then, not much else has changed. The simula on provided in the virtual world cannot reproduce an experience close to the physical world.

dependency on that type opera on, and organising a virtual exhibi on is not as smooth as for a physical show.

Enhancing the event experience is more important than digi sing the show So, why not to start a digital team to reinvent your business for the future? This ques on is so yesterday.

Innova on is not just I.T. The event business is s ll a content business. Many in the events industry are praising transforma onal events like SXSW, Burning Man, TED Talks, and the music fes vals such as Tomorrowland.

Wearing a VR headset to interact at an exhibi on might look cool for some and appear dumb to others. Virtual reality is s ll an unnatural experience. Also, the technical infrastructure required to provide the virtual experience isn’t easy for the exhibi on industry. Neither are the people and the knowledge there.

5G and digital art raising business events to new level All these events are not very digital, but the organisers certainly know how to integrate digital content into the event experience.

Most virtual exhibi ons are provided by third par es, which essen ally creates a

The experience and the par cipants’ journey in those fes vals are truly

transforma ve with both engagement and interac on integrated into all the audience’s touchpoints. While audience engagement has many personal, crea ve touches, they are not organised as mechanically as virtual events with roles played by robo c avatars.

Prospects post-Covid When the pandemic is over, the event industry will return to face-to-face events.

Virtual shows will be abandoned and more digi sed content engagements such as live-streaming will be added the faceto-face experience.

Innova on will s ll play an important role in enhancing the event experience, but won’t replace the human touch of events.

Same as when social media become part of our daily rou ne, it didn’t keep us from interac ng with each other face to face.

Poking me on the screen doesn’t even resemble a hug.

German Organisers Power Up For Worldwide Trade Fair Programme In 2021

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he German exhibi on organisers are planning around 360 foreign trade fairs in around 40 countries next year. This is the result of a survey conducted by AUMA - Associa on of the German Trade Fair Industry among the organisers of foreign trade fairs who are members of AUMA and the Special Associa on for Fairs and Exhibi ons (FAMA).

These exhibi ons were geared to the standards of leading interna onal trade

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fairs in Germany.

Accordingly, they are summarised

by AUMA under the seal “German Trade Fair Quality Abroad (GTQ)”.

For 2020, 375 foreign trade fairs were originally registered; due to the corona pandemic, 107 trade fairs were rescheduled and 49 were cancelled.

The foreign trade fairs in 2019 went remarkably well. German exhibi on companies organised a total of 330 trade fairs outside Germany in 2019, more than ever before. Compared to their respec ve previous events, the number of exhibitors increased by 2.4%. The number of visitors exceeded the nine million mark for the

second me since 2017.

A comparison with the respec ve previous events shows a 5.8 % increase in visitor numbers. Among the five events with the highest number of visitors were four automo ve exhibi ons and one trade fair for produc on automa on. With the excep on of one automo ve exhibi on in Korea, the shows were held in China.

As Germany's most important foreign trade partner, China will remain the most important target market for German organisers from the AUMA and FAMA membership in 2021. Last year, 90 trade fairs were organised there.

That is a share of 27% of all foreign trade fairs of German organisers. Thirteen of the eighteen organisers held trade fairs in China in 2019. The four fairs with the largest number of exhibitors were also held there.

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August 2020

Why An All-Digital CES 2021 Is The Right Thing To Do

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he Consumer Technology Associa on (CTA)®, owner and producer of CES®, announced CES 2021 will be a global digital event without a physical Las Vegas presence. Why would the world's most important business and innova on event make its January 2021 event all-digital?

It certainly wasn't due to a lack of interest or success in our annual physical event in Las Vegas. CES 2020 a racted over 170,000 a endees, 6000 media and 4000 exhibitors. Thousands of exhibitors have already signed up for and commi ed to CES 2021. It wasn't to make money.

Canceling the physical presence, inves ng in an all-digital presence for 2021 and crea ng a fair refund policy was the costliest op on on the table.

It wasn't because we don't love the incredible hospitality and trade show friendliness of Las Vegas. The city is wonderful for business events with great conven on centers and hotels, an amazing workforce, a world class airport and an a tude of apprecia on and service. We are so sad to disappoint our partners and the Las Vegas community, hotel and restaurant workers, skilled union workers, professional drivers and others who not only rely on our physical event for their livelihood but extend their hospitality to our exhibitors and a endees. We value them and know our all-digital approach in 2021 affects them.

But we will be back in town for CES 2022!

It wasn't because we no longer believe in

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the power of live, face-to-face events. People s ll need people – inperson, human interac on. Trade shows provide a five-sense experience that allows rela onships to be formed, new products to be launched and discovery and serendipity to occur. As the world remains in various stages of reopening, the desire to meet face-to-face is even stronger than before.

It’s not because we don’t want and love to promote innova on and the power of technology to solve problems. Our mission is to enable innova on to solve human problems – and an all-digital event will not only help mi gate transmission of the virus, it will highlight technology that improves virtual engagement when inperson mee ngs aren’t an op on. More, it will allow hundreds of thousands of people involved in innova on anywhere in the world to access CES, see new products, hear hundreds of CEOs, experts and visionaries and interact with thousands of industry execu ves and leaders.

We are not going all-digital for any of those reasons.

vaccine by January. The world does not need more COVID-19 cases, and we decided we would do our part by ensuring we are not helping spread the disease.

Instead, we commit to producing the best possible global digital innova on event.

We will spread the gospel of 5G, ar ficial intelligence, self-driving vehicles and new forms of mobility, digital and telehealth, resilience, robo cs, drones, new forms of entertainment, 8K Ultra HD screens and smart TVs to the curious, entrepreneurs, investors, business and media who can access the best of CES from their homes and offices.

Our CES 2021 a endees will hear and see the future. They will also learn first-hand from global policy leaders about big policy issues involving privacy, compe on and the regula on of new technologies and media pla orms. CES 2021 will digitally gather those who have come to rely on CES for inspira on, business and knowledge about innova on and possibili es. We will provide a first-class experience for the thousands of journalists, investors, retailers, entrepreneurs and innovators who rely on, benefit from, love and feel ownership of CES. CES 2021 will be different. It will be all-digital. It is the right way to focus on the cause of innova on in this unique moment in our shared global history.

Mark your calendars for Jan. 6-9, 2021 and stay tuned for some amazing announcements!

When our execu ve board met last week and discussed this issue, we were driven by one mandate – to do the right thing.

This mandate is right not only for our industry and its people, but for our na on and the world. We did not make our decision on financial or legal grounds, but on what is right.

We concluded it is simply not possible to safely gather over 100,000 people indoors with a raging COVID-19 virus and no real hope for a tested and widely available

Gary Shapiro President and CEO at Consumer Technology Associa on

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August 2020

UFI Global Barometer Shows Global Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic - A er monthly ac vi es dropped sharply everywhere in the world, the industry is gradually star ng up again - Revenues for 2020 are expected to represent 39% of 2019 revenues - Every second company has increased investments related to digitalisa on, but 44% of companies have stopped all investments - A large majority of the industry is confident that COVID-19 confirms the value of face-to-face events, and that the sector will come back quickly - Research delivers dedicated profiles for 25 markets and regions diversity, and 54% in those related to sustainability. The survey also tackles possible driving trends for the format of exhibi ons in the coming years. Global results indicate that 57% are confident that “COVID-19 confirms the value of face-to-face events", an cipa ng that the sector will bounce back quickly, whereas 31% are “not sure” and 12% are “not sure at all” or “disagree completely”.

U

FI, the Global Associa on of the Exhibi on Industry, has released the latest edi on of its flagship Global Barometer research, which takes the pulse of the industry.

The report highlights the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the exhibi on industry worldwide.

Globally, 85% of companies declared their overall level of ac vity was “normal” in January. This quickly dropped to 15% in March, to reach between 5% and 6% in April, May and June. For both April and May, 73% of companies worldwide declared “no ac vity”.

With a majority of companies expec ng “local” and “na onal” exhibi ons to open again during the second half of 2020, the level of ac vity is expected to slowly increase, and two companies out of three project at least a “reduced” level of ac vity in the last quarter of 2020. In all regions, a majority of companies believe that exhibi ons with an interna onal

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scope will not open un l 2021.

Globally, revenues for the first half of 2020 dropped by two thirds on average, compared with the same period last year.

Looking at 2020 as a whole, it is currently expected that globally revenues will represent only 39% of those of 2019.

In terms of profits, a strong level of performance was reached in 2019, with 45% of companies declaring an increase of more than 10% for 2019 when compared to 2018. The sharp drop in revenues that occurred in 2020 has led to a loss for 39% of companies, and only 7% of companies currently expect a stable or increased profit for 2020.

44% of companies that par cipated in the research have stopped all of their investments. At the same me, 50% of companies are increasing their investments in digitalisa on programmes.

By comparison, investments have decreased or been stopped for 55% of companies in programmes related to

“On the back of an excep onal year in 2019, we are now seeing an unprecedented drop in revenues around the world. While the industry remains confident that it will bounce back, everyone is aware that this crisis will lead to major changes in the way exhibi ons are produced, especially with a push towards more digital elements before, during, and between events,” says Kai Ha endorf, UFI Managing Director and CEO. Size and scope This latest edi on of UFI’s bi-annual industry survey was concluded in June 2020 and includes data from a record 459 companies in 62 countries and regions.

The study delivers outlooks and analysis for 20 countries and regions: Argen na, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, the UAE, the UK and the US. In addi on, it analyses five aggregated regional zones.

“We sincerely thank all companies who took part in this study, as its results provide strong insights, for 25 markets and regions, to several key ques ons raised in rela on to the crisis,” says Chris an Druart, UFI Research Manager.

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Opera ons in 2020 – reopening exhibi ons Each region follows the level of opera ons indicated above for the world, with two notable differences: - The Asia-Pacific region first faced a drop in ac vity: only 73% of companies declared a “normal” level in January compared to a minimum of 85% in all other regions; in February, the level had already dropped to 45% in the Asia-Pacific region. - The Middle East & Africa, and to some extent Central and South America, appear less confident as to the return to a “normal” level of ac vity than in other regions. In both those regions, a majority of companies expect that “na onal” exhibi ons won’t open un l 2021.

Turnover – opera ng profits In addi on to the global results indicated above, regional results indicate that: - The revenue drop for all of 2020 is expected to be slightly higher in the Middle East & Africa and Central and South America (respec vely only 31% and 33% of last year’s revenue) than in the Asia-Pacific region (39%) or Europe and North America (44% for both) - In terms of profits, the percentage of companies expec ng a loss for 2020 varies from 34% in the Asia-Pacific region to 48% in the Middle East & Africa, and around four companies out of ten in all other regions.

Cost reduc ons – public financial support – investments Overall, 87% of companies applied cost reduc ons, and of more than 50% of overall costs for 17% of them. A majority of companies did not get any public financial support. At the same me, 44% did, and for a majority of those, it related to less than 10% of their costs.

The short-term investments required to

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comply with COVID-19 (likely) protocols and guidelines appear unknown at this point in me for one company out of three in general. For one company out of four, they will represent more than 10% of their overall costs.

Generally speaking, all 2020 investments are stopped for 44% of companies throughout the world, and they will decrease for another 32% of companies.

All those propor ons apply to most regions, with a few significant differences: - Financial public support is less frequent in the Middle East & Africa and in North America, where only respec vely 31% and 38% benefi ed from some.

- 60% of companies have stopped all their investments in Central and South America.

Impact of COVID-19 on specific programmes Results indicate that, on average, companies consider that the transi on of the exhibi on industry is more than halfway for digitalisa on (2.9 on a scale of 1-5), diversity (2.9) and sustainability (2.8). It can be no ced that those ra ngs do not vary much from one region to another.

Out of the three areas, digitalisa on programmes are those where COVID-19 had the most impact (“strong” or “significant” for 60% of companies).

Globally, every second company has increased their investments in that area.

By comparison, investments have decreased or been stopped for 55% of companies in their programmes related to diversity, and 54% for those related to sustainability.

Around one company out of two indicates that public investments are “essen al and necessary for most of the investments” required towards digitalisa on (50% of companies) and sustainability (46%), and “necessary for a significant share”

towards diversity (49%).

Most important business issues “Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the business” is considered as the most important business issue (27% of combined answers). Also, for the first me, “Impact of digitalisa on” (10% of answers) joins the “State of the economy in home market” (21%) and “Global economic developments” (18%) in the top priori es. “Internal challenges” and “Compe on from within the industry”, always in the top four most important business issues, are ranked below for this survey, with respec vely 7% (15% six months ago) and 5% of answers (20% six months ago).

It can be no ced that “State of the economy in home market” is ranked as the top issue in Central and South America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Format of exhibi ons in the coming years About possible driving trends, global results indicate that: - 57% are confident that “COVID-19 confirms the value of face-to-face events” an cipa ng that the sector will bounce back quickly (19% “Yes, for sure” and 38% “Most probably”), but 31% are “Not sure”.

- 56% believe that there will be “Less interna onal ‘physical’ exhibi ons, and overall, less par cipants” (13% “Yes, for sure” and 44% “Most probably”), and 25% are “Not sure”.

- 82% of companies consider that there is “A push towards hybrid events, more digital elements at events” (30% “Yes, for sure” and 52% “Most probably”).

- A minority of 17% agrees with “Virtual events replacing physical events” (3% “Yes, for sure” and 14% “Most probably”), and 20% are “Not sure”.

There is one significant regional differen a on: - “Virtual events replacing physical events”, with stronger and opposing views – from Europe, where 80% of companies disagree, and from North America, where “only” 50% do.

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TCEB Launch “New Norm Exhibi on Support” For Post-COVID19 For All Exhibi ons In Thailand

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he Thailand Conven on & Exhibi on Bureau (TCEB) has joined forces with the Thai Exhibi on Associa on (TEA) to promote the ‘new normal’ of exhibi ons management and opera ons. The Exhibi ons New Norm SOP (Exhibi ons New Norm Standard Opera on Procedures) has been conceived as a guideline for all businesses in the exhibi on ecosystem.

It provides the markets our industry serves with the assurance that they can trade safely and securely in Thailand, in the wake of the Covid-19 epidemic. This ‘new normal’ landscape in which exhibi ons must take place, is subject to safety and hygiene measures that elevate the already high opera onal standards associated with events in the Thai exhibi on industry.

By incorpora ng these procedures in all aspects of exhibi ons businesses, from organisers and service providers through to the businesses a ending these events as exhibitors or visitors, business

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professionals will vastly mi gate the risk of spreading Covid-19. TCEB will further drive force to return business back for trade shows held in Thailand through its ‘New Norm Exhibi on Support. This aims to accelerate the return of exhibi ons business as well as the delegates necessary to make each one a success.

The programme offers unrivalled business opportuni es for organisers, providing post-Covid-19 con nuity for its reputa on as a high poten al exhibi on des na on, revitalising the Thai exhibi on industry, suppor ng stakeholders including interna onal organisers and na onal hotels. Included in TCEB’s New Norm Exhibi on Support is an extra support of up to THB 300,000 for trade shows held in Thailand this fiscal year, channeled through three ac vi es: Ÿ

Hosted Buyer Support: A buyer apprecia on programme for organisers to host local and interna onal buyers around the globe to visit trade shows in Thailand.

Ÿ

Hygienic Management Support: A support that assists organisers as they bring exhibi on safety standards in line with TCEB’s ‘Exhibi ons New Norm SOP’, in prepara on for reopening.

Ÿ

Technology Support: Innova on support for organisers seeking to promote their event during the Covid19 pandemic, with addi onal support for digital technologies and tools such as track & trace, visitor density, or AI Chatbot. These tools facilitate the conduct of business and safety management at trade shows in Thailand, while ar ficial intelligence helps organisers match a endees and generate business opportuni es upon their return to the show.

TCEB’s support programmes are expected to generate income with an approximate value of USD 84 billion (THB 2,537 billion), paving the way for a return to business as normal, in addi on to revitalising the trade show industry in Thailand.

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August 2020

CES 2021 Moves to an All-Digital Experience CES 2021 will be a new immersive experience, where a endees will have a front row seat to discover and see the latest technology. This highly personalized experience will bring a global event to the comfort and safety of your home or office.

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he Consumer Technology Associa on (CTA)® announced CES® 2021 – January 6-9, 2021 – will be an all-digital experience connec ng exhibitors, customers, thought leaders and media from around the world. The new format will allow par cipants to hear from technology innovators, see cu ng-edge technologies and the latest product launches, and engage with global brands and startups from around the world.

"Amid the pandemic and growing global health concerns about the spread of

COVID-19, it's just not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “Technology helps us all work, learn and connect during the pandemic – and that innova on will also help us reimagine CES 2021 and bring together the tech community in a meaningful way. By shi ing to an all-digital pla orm for 2021, we can deliver a unique experience that helps our exhibitors connect with exis ng and new audiences."

For over 50 years, CES has been the global stage for innova on. CTA’s goal for CES 2021 is to provide an engaging pla orm for companies large and small to launch products, build brands and form partnerships, while priori zing health and safety. Members of the tech community thrive by coming together, sharing ideas and introducing products that will shape our future.

Mark your calendars for the first week in January and be on the lookout for more exci ng news about CES 2021. We plan to return to Las Vegas for CES 2022, combining the best elements of a physical and digital show.

Sign Africa And FESPA Africa Postponed To 2021

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his decision was taken due to the current pandemic, restric ons on interna onal travel, and the event industry being closed at the moment in South Africa with no clear indica on if it will reopen before the planned dates.

'The planning for these events involves a significant amount of me for both organisers and exhibitors, who in some cases import equipment to showcase and have representa ves from their manufacturers on their stand,' said Dyelan Copeland, expo organiser.

The decision has been made to cancel this year's expo and reschedule a new date in 2021 to ensure the event will have the due planning from all sides to make it a success. Copeland added that, 'The number of online registra ons we have

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had for 2020 indicate that the industry is looking forward to the next event.' 'We are working on other opportuni es to host interac ve, dedicated audience sessions for companies later this year.

Once we have approval on these ideas from the necessary authori es, we will launch them.

Right now, whilst we wait for approvals and the event industry to open up, we have a great digital media pla orm to give fantas c exposure to our readers and audience and promote your services and products to our extensive databases in sub-Saharan Africa.’

FESPA Global Print Expo will no longer take place in Madrid in October 2020, but will now take place at the RAI Exhibi on Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from 9-12 March 2021, again co-loca ng FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo and Sportswear Pro.

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August 2020

UFI Elects Monica Lee-Müller As President For 2021/22

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he UFI Board of Directors has today elected Monica Lee-Müller as President of UFI for the 2021/22 period.

The UFI Presiden al Trio for the 2020/21 term will therefore comprise of: Monica Lee-Müller (Managing Director of Hong Kong Conven on and Exhibi on Centre (Management) Limited (HML), Hong Kong), Incoming President Ÿ Anbu Varathan (Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Associa on – IMTMA, India), President 2020/21 Ÿ Mary Larkin (Diversified Communica ons, Portland, USA), Outgoing President Ÿ

This decision becomes effec ve at the conclusion of the 87th UFI Global Congress, which runs from 15-20 November 2020.

Monica Lee-Müller is the Managing Director of Hong Kong Conven on and Exhibi on Centre (Management) Limited (HML) since July 2012. HML is the professional private company responsible for the management and opera on of the 306,000 square-metre Hong Kong

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Conven on and Exhibi on Centre (HKCEC). About 1,000 events are held at the HKCEC every year. Monica Lee-Müller has been ac ve in UFI for many years, suppor ng the associa on’s mission and driving developments, especially on diversity and sustainability projects. She has served as a Board Member of UFI for the past 12 years.

Mary Larkin, UFI’s current President, welcomed the elec on of Monica LeeMüller, saying: “I am thrilled to welcome Monica to the UFI leadership alongside Anbu Varathan. Monica has been a very ac ve member in our industry and has spearheaded many ini a ves on diversity and sustainability. She has also been very involved with UFI as a Board member and I look forward to working with her as she takes on the role of Incoming President.

Having worked with Monica, I know she will be a wonderful leader for all aspects of our industry.”

Monica Lee-Müller commented: “I am privileged to have served the UFI Board for the past 12 years, during which me I learned and contributed along with so many of the outstanding leaders in the

exhibi on industry. Currently, as we experience the world’s economy being seriously impacted by COVID-19, I am more confident than ever about the significant role of UFI and importance of the exhibi ons it supports. It will be an extraordinary honour to join with the UFI leadership in the coming years in moving this remarkable industry forward into a new era. I accept the challenge ahead for it is our global network of industry professionals working together that can meet that challenge. I am par cularly fortunate to be part of UFI’s Presiden al Trio that will inspire diverse perspec ves and innova ve solu ons through the unique efforts of different genders, cultures, professional backgrounds and experiences that UFI represents. I am grateful for the support that I know I will have and I am commi ed to the responsibility with which I am being entrusted.”

As UFI’s Incoming President, Monica LeeMüller will work closely with the incumbent President and Outgoing President to make up the Presiden al Trio, managing UFI at the highest level, and helping UFI con nue on its global mission to connect, support, and promote the exhibi on industry around the world.

UFI was founded in 1925 as a non-profit, non-par san interna onal associa on, and today is the global associa on for the exhibi ons industry, directly represen ng more than 50,000 exhibi on industry professionals in almost 90 countries around the world. UFI operates four regional offices in addi on to the headquarters in Paris.

UFI’s recent presidents were from South Africa (Craig Newman 2018/19), Italy (Corrado Peraboni 2017/18), Germany (Andreas Gruchow 2016/17), Russia (Sergey Alexeev 2015/16), Colombia (Andrés López-Valderrama 2014/15), and France (Renaud Hamaide, 2013/14)

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Global News

August 2020

Posi ve Developments in Australia & England For The Exhibi on Industry they can be done safely, they can be done economically and viably.”

This development follows a er another posi ve news that came in last week for our industry.

A

s businesses across the globe are star ng to resume, posi ve developments are also shaping up for the exhibi on & conven on industry. In a media conference a er a private mee ng with representa ves of the Australian business events industry, the Australian Prime Minister Sco Morrison has appreciated the work taking place to reopen the Exhibi on and conven on sector in the region.

The Australian Prime Minister said, “we can get business events running again,

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week announced that, in England, the government “intend(s) to allow conferences and other business events to recommence” from October. In a public statement, the PM insisted that “these changes must be done in a Covid Secure way” and that the implementa on will be “subject to the successful outcome of pilots.”

Already from 1 August, indoor performances to a live audience will be able again in England, subject to the

success of pilots, and “pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadia“ were to be arranged, “with a view to wider reopening in the Autumn.“ Details about the referenced “Covid Secure way” and corresponding regula ons are not yet known.

Nick Dugdale-Moore, UFI’s Regional Manager Europe, commented: “We are very happy to hear the news, which is so vital for our industry colleagues.

The UK was the last major exhibi ons market in Europe without a reopening date. We are now looking forward to seeing more clarifica on on the “COVID secure” guidelines for England, which will help give visitors and exhibitors confidence to return, and also to have some guidance for Scotland soon too.

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August 2020

SEMA To Require Masks, Will Query Visitors About Health, Sani ze Frequently

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EMA announced Thursday that a endees must wear a mask or face shield to a end the massive automo ve a ermarket trade show Nov. 3-6 as a precau on against the COVID-19 coronavirus. The organiza on will also “Designate entrance and exit areas to control and screen visitors with discrete daily health queries, incorpora ng noninvasive thermal cameras, etc.,” it wrote in a news release.

“Just like the world we live in today, this year’s SEMA Show will be different,” SEMA events Vice President Tom Ga uso said in a statement. “We recognize the challenges that the industry is going through, and we’ve made changes so that the industry will be able to gather and conduct business safely.”

The floorplan will include hand sani zer every 200 feet and “one-way aisles where possible,” SEMA wrote in the news release. It also plans to reduce touch points at onsite registra on and reduce registra on density with satellite sta ons, preregistra on and badges delivered by mail. SEMA is closed to the public and would-be a endees checked for badges during normal mes. But a SEMA “Safety Guidelines” webpage also describes a plan to “Secure venue to allow only qualified

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Showgoers onto a closed campus both indoors and outdoors” as a new step for this year, perhaps implying a ghter perimeter than usual. SEMA wrote in the news release it also plans to require “frequent hand washing and social distancing.”

“SEMA staff, contractors, exhibit staff will be REQUIRED to follow SEMA safety protocols, including use of personal protec ve equipment at all mes, health queries, temperature checks, frequent hand washing, etc.,” SEMA wrote on the safety guidelines webpage. “Exhibitor Appointed Contractors (EAC) and union labor will also be REQUIRED to follow SEMA safety protocols, as well as ESCA safety guidelines.”

Common areas and the show floor will receive sani zing every hour for “high traffic areas … including doorways, elevators, and escalators,” according to SEMA’s news release. SEMA also described nightly sani za on as part of its work with the Las Vegas Conven on Center “in their advancements to be among the first in the na on to pursue cer fica on for safety measures aimed at outbreak preven on through ac ons such as sani zing the facility nightly.”

SEMA said the show has 1,800 exhibitors this year, which is 600 lower than the final tally listed in the SEMA 2019 fact sheet but s ll a good sign for the show. SEMA preregistra on typically draws around 2,000, Ga uso said. Plus, it’s only July.

Ga uso said SEMA s ll is open to exhibitor applica ons for months a er the preregistra on deadline, which was March 27 this year. “As a trade event focused on doing business, the SEMA Show is unique,” Ga uso said in a statement Thursday. “We’re confident that we can successfully host an event where businesses can connect safely.”

SEMA predicted the show would bring value despite the changes. “In some respects, it will be one of the most challenging events the associa on has delivered,” SEMA wrote on its safety guidelines webpage. “But it will also be among the most rewarding for those par cipa ng. SEMA members have made clear the event is essen al this year to help the industry renew business es, find new opportuni es, and accelerate into a successful 2021. While there’s no doubt that the 2020 Show will be different, the SEMA team is making plans to preserve the Show’s core business value in a safetyfirst environment.”

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August 2020

Digital launch of Chillventa eSpecial In October

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etween 13 and 15 October, the Chillventa eSpecial will offer the interna onal refrigera on, aircondi oning, ven la on and heat pump community three days of industry knowledge, dialogue and innova on – this year, for the first me, in the form of a virtual event. As the world’s leading exhibi on for refrigera on technology, it will carry the spirit and drive of the event over to the digital world. As usual, par cipants at the Chillventa eSpecial will be able to establish contacts, cul vate their networks, share knowledge, and discuss new products, projects and developments in the sector. Here, too, the focus will be on the theme of “Chillventa Connec ng Experts”.

“In recent weeks, our customers’ wish for an industry pla orm offering intensive knowledge sharing has taken shape, at least in digital form in the absence of a live event at the Nuremberg exhibi on venue,” observes Daniela Heinkel,

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Director Chillventa. “The Chillventa eSpecial is our response to the level of interest from our Community, and will reflect a large part of the world’s leading exhibi on for refrigera on technology in virtual form.”

The Chillventa CONGRESS will be held on Tuesday 13 October, the first day of the Chillventa eSpecial. Experts worldwide can look forward to a top-level, interna onal congress programme.

Company profiles and product presenta ons will be available to par cipants throughout the event. On Days 2 and 3, the digital event will focus on the highly professional, first-class programme of lectures by the par cipa ng companies.

“With the Chillventa eSpecial, we place par cular value on direct and personal interac on for the en re dura on of the digital event,” con nues Heinkel. “Just as our customers are used to at the on-site

event. We must remember that Chillventa is the interna onal business pla orm for the refrigera on, air-condi oning, ven la on and heat pump sector. And if we can’t see each other in person at the exhibi on venue in Nuremberg this year, we can enjoy mee ng up with our customers via the web at the Chillventa eSpecial.”

High priority on matchmaking and professional dialogue in 2020 During the event, a range of communica on op ons will enable the par cipa ng companies and individuals to contact each other quickly. For example, a clever matchmaking system will give all event par cipants sugges ons regarding contacts that most closely meet their requirements. Other services will include chatrooms and many other op ons to meet business friends, and directly discuss and learn about new and innova ve products and news from the sector.

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August 2020

Business At The Kuala Lumpur Conven on Centre Forging Ahead!

Safe resump on of events and a focus on the future is assis ng gradual business recovery

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distancing for events. We have always had stringent health and safety opera ons in place, and our experienced and knowledgeable team are fully trained and equipped to execute con nual sani sa on and hygiene measures at high standards and frequency” “Furthermore, we have listened carefully to our client's needs and requests and developed new virtual solu ons to meet the changing landscape of how events are being produced. This provides an exci ng opportunity to be innova ve and demonstrate our execu on exper se,” he con nued.

published industry SOPs and we will be displaying and showcasing different types of event set-ups for viewing by Government and industry players.

In addi on to the industry and venue SOPs, the Centre's is also going the extra mile and implemen ng VenueShield, a new environmental hygiene protocol developed by its parent group ASM Global. VenueShield has been created in partnership with medical professionals, industry experts and public health officials and is being rolled out across ASM Global's 325 venues and facili es worldwide.

The Centre has turned its focus to the delivery of safe and hygienic events and is seeing posi ve client feedback on the Venue's SOP implementa on. Rigorous social distancing measures, comprehensive health and safety guidelines on-site and stringent adherence to visitor access and registra on is building client confidence and reassurance. According to the Centre's General Manager, Alan Pryor, “The exact capacity each of our rooms can host will vary depending on the event type, layout and requirements.

These investments have started to slowly pay off and generate a return of events to the Centre since opening on 1 July with five completed corporate events hos ng between 30 to 500 a endees. 20 confirmed bookings have been secured from the corporate, associa on and exhibi on sectors for the period July to December 2020 with con nual enquiries being received that are materialising. For 2021, the Centre has a posi ve outlook for exhibi ons and conven ons segments with 40% of its business target secured.

With over 33,000 sqm of mee ng and event space the Centre can comfortably apply more than adequate social

The Centre has taken the lead to collaborate with industry partners and clients to demonstrate its readiness to execute events based on the Government

Pryor concluded, “It is the combined efforts of the collabora on of our industry supply chain, our industry associa ons and the interface and engagement with Government that has generated a posi ve movement forward on the resump on of business events. Our industry is a vital social and economic driver and delivers thousands of jobs, economic impact and grows Malaysia's profile and market share globally. We are confident that our venue, combined with our event execu on exper se will contribute highly to the return of major na onal, regional and interna onal events in me, and are thrilled to be welcoming clients and a endees back to a safe and secure environment at the Centre.”

he Kuala Lumpur Conven on Centre (the Centre) is delighted that the Malaysian Government's is con nually refining industry Standard Opera ng Procedures (SOPs) to s mulate the resump on of domes c business events with no set limit on the number of a endees. The Government has confirmed that the number of guests and par cipants will depend on the size of the event space and the capability of the venue to ensure the safe implementa on of social distancing measures in line with the industry SOPs.

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Singapore Food Fes val (SFF) Goes Virtual August (21–23 August and 28–30 August), Singapore's dining scene will come to life in the form of virtual food tours, live masterclasses, chef collabora ons, food bundles and limited edi on food merchandise.

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or the first me in its history, the Singapore Food Fes val (SFF), Singapore's only event dedicated to local cuisine and local F&B talent, will take on a virtual format this year. Themed “Rediscover the Foodie in You”, SFF 2020 will see more than 25 F&B partners coming onboard to serve up gastronomic experiences for fes val goers to enjoy at home.

Taking place across two weekends in

SFF 2020 is a highlight under the recently launched SingapoRediscovers campaign which seeks to show locals a different side of Singapore, encourage rediscovery of world class tourism and lifestyle offerings, and s mulate demand through hidden gems and stories, as well as value-formoney experiences, packages and promo ons. In line with SingaporeRediscovers, SFF also encourages the rediscovery of local cuisine – from the rich depth of foodie tradi ons to innova ve new takes on Singapore cuisine that con nue to shape the past, present and future of their food

culture. During this challenging period for the F&B industry, SFF 2020 also aims to be a pla orm for chefs and local F&B businesses to collaborate and showcase their culinary passions and products.

Ms Ranita Sundra, Director of Retail and Dining, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), said: “The Singapore Food Fes val has always been about pu ng the spotlight on our vibrant and evolving local F&B landscape. While we are unable to host SFF in its usual form, we are excited about the possibili es that the fes val's very first virtual edi on will bring. This year's programming aims to bundle the joy of feas ng with interac ve and engaging experiences. We encourage everyone to support our chefs, bartenders and food personali es, while rediscovering the foodie in them through the exci ng gastronomic ac vi es we have planned.”

Grip Wins The UFI Digital Innova on Award 2020

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FI, the Global Associa on of the Exhibi on Industry, has named Grip as the winner of the UFI Digital Innova on Award 2020, for its project: 'Taking ITB Berlin Virtual In 2 Days'. The UFI Digital Innova on Award compe on rewards the best exhibi on industry ini a ves related to digital innova on. For 2020, the UFI Digital Innova on Working Group selected three final entries by Grip, Superexpo and Swapcard.

For the first me, the three finalists presented their solu ons and implementa on techniques to the audience during a UFI Connects session.

Par cipants were asked to vote live and they selected Grip as the winning entry.

Grip is an AI-powered event matchmaking solu on and first won the UFI Digital Innova on Award back in 2017.

This accelerated the company's credibility and enabled Grip to become a trusted partner for many leading organisers

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across the globe, including Reed Exhibi ons, Informa, Messe Frankfurt, Hyve, Messe Düsseldorf, Messe Berlin and many others. A convincing story of powerful technology, close collabora on with event organisers, a firm focus on event success, and a clear vision for the future, convinced the audience to award Grip their second UFI Digital Innova on Award.

“It's an absolute honour to have won the UFI Digital Innova on Award. 2020 has been an unprecedented year and, while it's difficult to see many of our clients struggling, we are glad to be able to offer them a virtual experience that is of value not just in the short term but also in the long-term alongside in-person exhibi ons.

The innova on and compe on coming from fellow finalists Swapcard and Superexpo as well as many other event technology suppliers is amazing and makes me confident that COVID-19 will be

a catalyst for change resul ng in the exhibi on industry becoming stronger and more relevant in the years to come,” says Tim Groot, CEO and co-founder of Grip.

“This year was the first me that we have ever voted virtually for the winner of the UFI Digital Innova on Award, and we did so via UFI Connects. We had three finalists that truly demonstrated their visionary digital approach to leading our industry into the future. This is especially important as “digital” and “hybrid” now carry a lot of weight on the strategy agendas of industry players.

I was very impressed with each presenta on and recommend that everybody has a closer look at the services these three companies have to offer! Congratula ons to Grip for winning the award for the second me.

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Cosmoprof India And Personal Care Ingredients & Lab 2020 Present Their New Digital Events

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olognaFiere Group S.p.A and Informa Markets in India, organizers of Cosmoprof India and PCIL 2020, present a calendar of digital events dedicated to beauty companies, buyers, and distributors interested in the Indian & Interna onal market. The meline of ac vi es aims at offering new business tools to the beauty industry, from ingredients to supply chain to finished products, to improve the experience of the physical trade shows, scheduled from October 29-31 2020.

The sector has undergone unexpected transforma ons in the latest months. In the next weeks, stakeholders will have the opportunity to re-establish professional rela onships, and to share their knowledge, brand-new technologies, and solu ons. On August 5, the whole cosme cs industry will be invited to join Cosmoprof India and PCIL Virtual Expo, which will be a flexible and safe opportunity for beauty & personal care companies and professionals, wishing to

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reinforce their business rela onships with partners and to have greater visibility among stakeholders and new players. A digital pla orm will offer a display to present new products and share papers, case studies, brochures, and any further informa ve material.

A one-day conference will be organized on the same day with two parallel conclaves: One focusing on personal care, ingredients & labs and the other on finished products & supply chain. The conclave will provide the latest news about the trends among global consumers, an overview of the latest innova ons and industrial solu ons, challenges and tools which all professionals must deal with to stay in the market. In September, Cosmoprof India will present COSMOTALKS The Virtual Series: a program of 5 webinars held by key interna onal experts.

The online sessions will inves gate new technological advancements, high-impact megatrends, developments in global and local markets, new genera ons of connected consumers, global e-brands pla orms, and structural industry shi s.

Cosmoprof India in Mumbai is the ideal business-to-business event for the fastgrowing beauty market in India. Launched

in 2018 as a special "preview", the 2019 edi on of Cosmoprof India recorded excellent results, hos ng 237 exhibi ng companies from 23 countries, and 7,429 visitors from 48 countries. Cosmoprof India provides a microcosm of the changing, mul -dimensional, complex beauty market that is India. It represents the ideal pla orm for interna onal brands to test waters in the Indian beauty market.

Cosmoprof India's mission is to infuse a new direc on to the dynamic local market by crea ng an opportunity for companies to network with interna onal brands, key players and suppliers to enhance local produc on, introduce innova ve technologies and superior quality standards. BolognaFiere Group S.p.A and Informa Markets, organisers of the Cosmoprof India Show, had postponed its 2020 edi on to the new dates of October 29-31, 2020 at the Bombay Conven on and Exhibi on Centre. The event was originally scheduled to be held from September 2 to 4, 2020.

In October, Personal Care Ingredients & Lab, co-located with Cosmoprof India, will showcase the most innova ve proposals for this segment - ingredients for perfumery and cosme cs, essen al oils, labs accessories, equipment and furniture, tes ng solu ons. Thanks to this synergy, exhibitors and operators a ending Cosmoprof India will have the opportunity to discover new tools to improve their business.

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IOTSWC To Be Held In May 2021, Promo ng A New Digital And Face-To-Face Edi on space and high-value content, aimed exclusively at C-Level execu ves.

Simultaneously, it will hold an online program to share knowledge with an even broader and interna onal audience.

From Barcelona and Chicago Another of the outstanding changes of this new phase of the IOTSWC will be the delocalisa on of part of its offer of content, which will be held in other ci es around the world with a view to increasing the event's value proposi on and facilita ng interna onal par cipa on.

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OT Solu ons World Congress (IOTSWC), organised by Fira de Barcelona and the Industrial Internet Consor um (IIC), is undergoing a total transforma on and is gearing up for a new edi on which will be held from 11th to 13th May 2021, combining face-to-face and digital par cipa on.

The event, focused on showcasing solu ons to digi se industries through the Internet of Things (IoT) and other technologies, is changing its dates, ini ally scheduled for this October, in order to prepare a renewed and innova ve edi on which will include an exclusive congress and face-to-face exhibi on for professionals with a high decision-making profile and will offer streaming content and virtual par cipa on for a more global audience.

With the slogan “Connect with Game Changers”, the sixth edi on of the IOTSWC seeks to bring together the main players that are leading digital transforma on in the industrial sphere through technologies such as IoT, Ar ficial Intelligence, 5G, Robo cs and Digital Twin, among others, offering real solu ons and knowledge to guide different industrial sectors in implemen ng these advances, thus ensuring well-being and sustainable

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growth. With the aim of adap ng to new consumer habits and reaching new audiences and markets interna onally, the trade show begins a transi on to a hybrid model, presen ng face-to-face content in parallel with digital approaches. Thus, the event's physical aspect will consist of a congress and exhibi on area, with a networking space and high-value content, aimed exclusively at high-level execu ves. Alongside this, it will organise an online aspect with the aim of sharing knowledge with an increasingly broad and interna onal audience. In its new edi on, the event takes one step further in its search for prac cal solu ons for the digi za on of companies through six main topics: security, connec vity, business op miza on, intelligence and customer experience, through which it will connect the specific needs and main challenges of industries with companies specialized in deployed such technologies.

Likewise, with the aim of adap ng to new consump on habits and reaching new audiences and markets at an interna onal level, the show is transi oning towards a hybrid model, simultaneously carrying out face-to-face and digital content. Thus, the physical event will comprise a congress and an exhibi on area, with networking

In this way, the start-ups compe on, which was launched in the last edi on, will relocate to the city of Chicago, and other ini a ves are being looked at in other major ci es and capitals worldwide.

Meanwhile, the trade show will now be held in May of 2021 with a programme of webinars and digital chats to cover content with experts in the sector, thus becoming, throughout the year, a mee ng point and knowledge exchange hub for discussion about the main challenges facing industry and its process of digitalisa on, as well as the opportuni es that new technologies can offer in this irreversible way forward.

According to IOT Solu ons World Congress Director, Roger Bou: “we are living at a me when changes are accelera ng in the world of technology, which offers us an opportunity to redefine the trade show and digitalise part of its content to go a step further and contribute more value to industry, more than ever facilita ng a shared space for business and knowledge distribu on.”

Execu ve Director of the IIC, Richard Soley, states that: “we are convinced that both the new dates and the event's new format are keys to success that will ensure the IOTSWC's leading posi on as the main mee ng point, both face-to-face and digital, for the exchange of knowledge and promo on of business at a key me for industrial digitalisa on.”

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Themed: “Transforming Global Events Together” - The 59th ICCA Congress will be a Global Hybrid Experience

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he congress has a hybrid format and is themed: “Transforming Global Events Together”. The event will allow ICCA's global community to connect with each other and explore new ideas, formats and technologies to combine efforts and create the “Kaohsiung Protocol” a framework that iden fies major trends and key strategies that will enable the interna onal mee ngs industry to thrive, now and into the future.

ICCA has worked in collabora on with Maritz Global Events on the format of this

years' Congress. ICCA's global community of member-suppliers and associa ons can experience the future of global events live in Kaohsiung, at a regional hub or virtually from 1-3 November 2020. An innova ve virtual pla orm will give all a endees the opportunity to network and engage with ICCA Congress content. As part of the Congress, all par cipants can be involved in a 6-week online pre-Congress “Road to Kaohsiung” programme, iden fying major trends, key strategies, new ideas, formats and technologies for the future of global events. This year, the ICCA Congress will be transformed into a unique hybrid experience. The world is changing, but global events will always be key to connec ng people.

ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath said: “This is all aimed at leading the transforma on of our industry and unlocking the exper se of our global community to jointly create

the “Kaohsiung Protocol”, a framework that will document and highlight best prac ces to help ensure global events con nue to be vital drivers of social, scien fic and economic development. To achieve this, ICCA has created a truly global and a unique event model which will ensure engagement of business events experts from all over the world.”

In response to the uncertain situa on and to give par cipants full control of how they wish to a end, ICCA is offering flexible and adaptable approach to registra on and the accompanying fees.

This means delegates can sign up now but change their registra on type later, allowing them to change between virtual a endee, hub a endee or Kaohsiung inperson a endee. Gopinath concludes: “We believe in the power of mee ng faceto-face but know this isn't always possible.

Osaka Stages Japan's First Large-Scale Exhibi on Since Japan Li ed Its Na onal State Of Emergency

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he 12th Kansai Hotel & Restaurant Show and five other co-loca ng events took over the en re INTEX Osaka facility, 29 July, as the exhibi on industry returns The 12th Kansai show is running un l 31 July at INTEX Osaka, along with five other exhibi ons which are involving a total of 460 companies at 830 stands throughout the INTEX complex. The exhibi ons are the first large-scale B2B trade fairs to be held in Japan since the country li ed its na onal state of emergency due to coronavirus pandemic.

Fi een representa ves from the Osaka prefectural government, Osaka city government, and Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as representa ves from economic and tourism organisa ons a ended the opening ceremony of the show.

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Hiroshi Mizohata, president of the Osaka Conven on & Tourism Bureau, a suppor ng organiza on for the exhibi on, expressed in his congratulatory address, “By firstly holding Japan's first major exhibi on amid the coronavirus pandemic, we want to send a big, encouraging shout to those concerned about exhibi ons and interna onal mee ngs held across Japan.”

During a show seminar on Infec ous Disease Control Measures, the Osaka Conven on & Tourism Bureau's MICE policy director, Yoshikazu Tanaka, took the stage to explain the Bureau's guidelines

for event organisers, dra ed under the guidance of Osaka City University's Dr Tetsuo Kase of the Department of Public Health in the School of Medicine (also the Osaka Conven on & Tourism Bureau's infec ous disease control advisor.) Mr Tanaka, who spearheaded the dra ing of the guidelines, elaborated on what will and will not change for the MICE events during the “with-corona” era.

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