May 2020

Rs. 125

May 2020 Vol 7 Issue 10 Asia’s Most Read Magazine On Exhibitions

Germany Clears Way For Exhibitions

Classies Them Separately From General Mass Gatherings

INDUSTRY IN PICTURES FROM THE WORLD

#MITEC further for fies its accolades with the latest success in obtaining the Green Building Index (GBI) cer fica on, awarded by the GBI Accredita on Panel

#GED2020 celebrates exhibi ons as key to rebuilding economies. We'll be sharing examples from around the world of how exhibi ons create the marketplaces for industry.

How is the transporta on sector of the B2B exhibi ons industry coping with COVID-19? Jessica Finnerty, CEM of @AutoCareOrg shares posi ve indicators of their show #AAPEX20.

More than 200 chapter members tuned in to hear the update from @david_iaee at @IAEE_HQ. We appreciate everything that you all have been doing for the industry during these difficult mes. #IAEEDCfamily

Glimpses from a special interac ve session with Mr Changyong Rhee, Director (Asia and Pacific Department), @IMFNews on ‘Economic Outlook for the Asia-Pacific Region with special reference to India’

FICCI & Dept of MSME, UP sign an MoU in the presence of UP Chief Minister Mr @myogiadityanath to provide employment to the Migrant Labours as per their skillset and the needs of Industry.

#ASSOCHAM's Knowledge Management Virtual Meet on 'Skill 2.0: Next Wave of Reforms' is currently underway. Reforms to be taken during and post #COVID19 for skill development, use of new technologies, digital educa on and best prac ces of e-learning are being discussed.

#IELAmember in Spain @ResaExpo standing STRONG in support & honour of all #eventprofs in the #exhibi onindustry. "This is our industry, our passion, our world.” #GED2020 @GED_2020

Exhibi ons promote ‘Make in India’ products across global pla orms and enable their reach to unexplored markets in the world. #WeSupportExhibi ons #Exhibi onsBuildEconomies #GED20

Birmingham The long-term future of Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, UK, is looking bright, with planning applica on for roof extension works approved by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. Business Travel Desk has reported that the move will mean the NEC Group will increase the venue’s capacity by 6,000 to 21,600, crea ng at least 200 jobs. In response to the planning applica on approval, NEC Group Arenas Managing Director Guy Dunstan said: “This is great news, as now more than ever we need to look at the longevity of our business. The roof extension project is strategically important to future-proofing Resorts World Arena, ensuring we con nue to a ract world class talent and high-profile events for decades to come.”

Las Vegas Travel restric ons imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic have dealt a crushing blow to the exhibi on sector, with many events postponed or cancelled. As innova ve events move online, Breaking Travel News here examines which might excel in the new digital environment. Exhibi ons represent the heartbeat of the travel industry – the forums where buyers and sellers of everything from aircra fleets and new hotel brands to tourist boards and booking agents secure business, and where new products are launched to the world. They also serve as the barometer for the health of the industry: busy exhibi ons floors mean buoyant businesses.

Monaco The Principality of Monaco and Informa have confirmed they are working on a smaller, not-forprofit Monaco Yacht Show in Port Hercule, to take place 23-26 September 2020. Full details of the show plan are s ll to be announced, but organisers say the event will employ the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness and be dedicated to suppor ng the speedy recovery of the industry post Covid-19. The show historically has provided a pla orm for designers, brokers, shipyards and other key players within the yach ng industry to connect with customers.

Germany An indispensable showcase for the economic strength of the state of Baden- Wür emberg - will turn 80 years old on 28 May 2020, although the staff will only celebrate be able to celebrate the anniversary virtually in their home offices. Messe Stu gart is and has been an innova on pla orm for new developments from around the world and, notes CEO Roland Bleinroth, “for the recovery of the economy, the successful tradefair pla orms created for many industries will be extremely valuable”. With a turnover of around €200m in the Group, 2020 was set to have been the most successful financial year ever, were it not for the pandemic.

China Even as it con nues to contain COVID19, China is steadily reviving its economy.

The following facts and figures indicate how the country is forging ahead in the economic sphere: – The Na onal Exhibi on and Conven on Center (NECC) in Shanghai, venue for the China Interna onal Import Expo, is expected to begin hos ng exhibi ons star ng from July 1 a er several months of closure due to COVID-19. "Amid the epidemic, the exhibi on industry is one of the earliest sectors to suspend opera ons and the latest to restart," said Tang Guifa, president of the NECC. Tang said that, although the exhibi on industry was allowed to resume work this month, the prepara ons will take me and the first exhibi on in the center is expected to be launched on July 1.

Dubai Abu Dhabi Na onal Exhibi on Company has launched a series of 360-degree virtual tours designed to allow planners to explore the flagship venue Abu Dhabi Na onal Exhibi on Centre and its sister venue Al Ain Conven on Centre in the UNESCO heritage garden city of Al Ain from the comfort of their own homes. Travel restric ons are expected to con nue for some me in the UAE so planners can use the virtual tours in place of venue visits in the short term.

The 360 tour allows users to fully explore ADNEC’s 142,226sqm of indoor and outdoor event space, including its new crea ve mee ngs space, The Hive.

Australia The 2021 edi on of the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference will be held in Melbourne at the Melbourne Conven on & Exhibi on Centre (MCEC).

The conference will also be supported by the Exhibi on & Event Associa on of Australasia (EEAA) and the Melbourne Conven on Bureau (MCB). UFI an cipates an a endance of 250-300 delegates from event organisers and venues across Asia. UFI’s Asia-Pacific Conference features two days of networking and learning as well as co-located mee ngs such as that of UFI’s Marke ng Commi ee or its Associa on Commi ee mee ngs. The conference also includes a venue tour, a mee ng of the members of UFI’s Asia-Pacific Chapter, a welcome recep on for all delegates, city tours and much more.

News Buzz

From The Desk Of The Chairman Of India Mice Alliance Campaign: Sh. Rajesh Agrawal – Execu ve Director, ITPO

India's leading Media for MICE

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India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) (A Government of India Enterprise) Department of Commerce

Exhibitions MICE

GLOBAL MICEALLIANCE ALLIANCE INDIA MICE A Unifying Campaign To Bring All Stakeholders Together For Suvival & Revival Of Our Industry

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he global pandemic of novel Corona has brought the en re socioeconomic structure across the globe to a stands ll. There is immense uncertainty regarding poten al repercussions in long term and alterna ve way outs. However, it is increasingly becoming evident that a fresh beginning would be required in most of the sectors for an early recovery which can be sustained. The business opera ons in most sectors will need to be re-calibrated for early revival of economy.

The Mee ngs, Incen ves, Conferences, Exhibi ons (MICE) space in India was poised for robust growth and set to triple over the next two to three years. MICE industry is a strong catalyst for our economic growth and also the harbinger of business tourism in the country. The direct market size of MICE in India is in excess of Rs. 40,000 crore and it provides job opportuni es to lakhs of skilled,

semi-skilled and even the unskilled workforce.

Moreover, MICE industry is key to growth of MSME sector in the country as it enables market access and expansion for the small enterprises in the most op mal manner.

The India MICE Alliance Campaign coordinated by Exhibi on Showcase publica on aims to bring together all segments of MICE industry on one pla orm to enable assess the impact of the pandemic on the en re industry and have a collec ve reflec on on opportuni es for future. India Trade Promo on Organisa on (ITPO), an apex organiza on of Department of Commerce for promo on of trade through exhibi ons and trade shows, have decided to be part of this noble ini a ve. We strongly believe that early revival of the MICE sector can actually play a cataly c role in revival of MSME sector and consequently the overall economy.

The Campaign has set up a core advisory commi ee with representa ons from all segments of MICE industry. Further, the

advisory commi ee has been internally grouped in five sub-commi ees represen ng Exhibi ons, Conven ons, B2B Events, Business Travel and Hotels/Hospitality (Business Tourism), with the objec ve to enable sub-sector focused discussions in the subcommi ees which can be then taken up for further discussions at the level of the Advisory commi ee. It is heartwarming to see that representa ves from across the MICE ecosystem including various MICE focused associa ons have come forward to be a part of this campaign’s Advisory Commi ee.

The central objec ve of this campaign is Survival & Revival of our industry.

Through the advisory commi ee, efforts are being made to reach out to various stakeholders in MICE industry to present their perspec ves and sugges ons for early revival of the sector. This will on one hand enable the sector present its reasonable demands to the government in a structured manner for the requisite support, and on the other hand enable develop a roadmap for the industry to follow for ge ng itself back on the track.

It is also our combined endeavor to keep our fraternity mo vated and together

News Buzz prepare for the mes when our industry will open post COVID-19. I would like to appeal to all the stake holders to collaborate and work together for the growth of MICE industry with a special focus towards Exhibi on & Conference sector. I would also like to put on record our apprecia on for the support received from various arms of the government for making this campaign a success.

Talking about the campaign, Mr. Raghav Khosla, Group Editor, Exhibi on Showcase, MICE Showcase & Founder, India MICE Alliance campaign said that this is a unifying campaign that aims to bring together various associa ons & stakeholders serving the MICE industry on one pla orm.

Amidst these unprecedented mes, we needed to do something akin to this to make a collec ve reflec on of our voice to reach out to the policy makers. If we do not act together then we may not be able to project the right weightage of our sector. We need to act now for the survival and revival of our exhibi on & conven on industry. We are very thankful to India Trade Promo on Organisa on – a Government of India enterprise for endorsing this campaign and to Sh. Rajesh Agrawal for Chairing this ini a ve. We are also very thankful to Sh. Rakesh Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism & Chairman ICPB for extending his gracious support to the campaign. We know that our MICE industry is the catalyst to our

economic growth and harbinger of business tourism.

Therefore we will do our best to be heard by Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of MSME. Much gra tude to Sh. Vinod Zutshi, Ex. Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Sh. Ronjon Lahiri, Former Asst. DG, Ministry of Tourism, Sh. Vijay Kumar, Director – DI, Ministry Of MSME, Sh. P Udayakumar, Director (P & M), NSIC, Sh. Sandip Das, Director, Trade Promo on Council of India, Sh. V. Anbu, DG & CEO, IMTMA and President, UFI (20/21), Sh. Balvinder Singh Sawhney – Asst. Secretary General, FICCI, Sh. J Shankar – General Manager, CII & Sh. Naveen Seth – Principal Director, PHD Chamber of Commerce for accep ng to extend their support & guidance to this campaign. #TogetherWeCan Our sincere gra tude to all MICE leaders from various MICE focused associa ons who have extended their support to be a part of the Campaign’s Core Advisory Commi ee. Broadly, the main objec ves of India MICE Alliance Campaign are To SURVIVE & TO REVIVE our exhibi on & conven on industry. The func ons have been elaborated as under: 1. Assessment & Analysis: Study the overall damage to various aspects of MICE. Formulate a clear, concise and prac cal wish list for our sector.

Keep the industry together, inspired and informed

2. Advocacy & Push: Approach the policy makers with our industry’s issues & expecta ons in a structured format.

Convey to the govt. that exhibi ons and conferences are important to kick-start the economy.

Convey to the government to class business events separately from ‘mass gatherings’ so that exhibi ons and conferences begin to happen at the earliest.

3. Safety SOP’s for Organisers, Venues and Service Providers: To ensure that sufficient measures are in place to make exhibi ons and conferences safe for everyone. This includes: Personal safety – Personal Protec ve Equipment (PPE) use, preventa ve tes ng, contact tracing Space cleaning – Cleaning of public spaces, exhibitor and supplier disinfec on requirements, maintenance guidelines Floor Plan Layout – Enhanced spacing between booths, enhanced aisles etc.

Social density – Physical distancing rules, a endee flow, maximum capacity, registra on protocols Entrance Protocols – Queuing controls, availability of sanita on, masks, tes ng, contact tracing, thermometers On-site services and management – Availability of isola on areas, masks, hand sani zers, waste bins, approved vendor & labour, medical and cleaning staff

News Buzz

FICCI Launches ‘Virtual Healthcare And Hygiene Expo 2020

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r Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI announced the launch of ‘Virtual Healthcare and Hygiene Expo 2020’ (VH&H Expo 2020) – a virtual exhibi on and conference organised by FICCI from June 22-26. This is the first me that an event will be organised on the virtual pla orm and digitally accessed by buyers from across the globe. The first edi on of VH&H Expo 2020 will consist of fiveday comprehensive virtual exhibi ons on sectors like AYUSH & Wellness, medical devices, medical tex les and consumables, pharmaceu cals and sani za on. The virtual event will also feature webinars and discuss various issues and opportuni es in focus sectors, post Covid-19.

Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI said, “COVID-19 is one of the biggest disasters mankind has ever faced in recent mes, bringing disrup on to human life worldwide. With no vaccine or treatment currently in place, containment and social distancing has become the only solu on to prevent the spread of a highly contagious virus.” “We

at FICCI are commi ed to support and help the Indian business houses, manufacturers so that they generate business and the exports gain momentum. FICCI team is working towards this and I am pleased to announce the first virtual exhibi on and conference i.e. Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene Expo 2020 –which will be the first of many such in the pipeline from June 22 – 26, 2020,” Dr Reddy added.

Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI said that the chamber will invite buyers from over 120 countries to par cipate from the comfort of their homecountries to interact live with exhibi ng companies. He added that the par cipants will have an immersive experience and the virtual pla orm will be close to a conven onal exhibi on which can’t be organised in the current scenario. “FICCI is also in touch with central and the state governments for their par cipa on in the exhibi on,” said Chenoy.

Anurag Sharma, Chair, FICCI AYUSH Commi ee; Member of Parliament and

Director, Shree Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan, said that in these tes ng mes, AYUSH systems of tradi onal medicines are playing an important role in suppor ng the government’s efforts to tackle the crisis. “Ministry of AYUSH also plans to conduct a study to find ‘evidence’ about the efficacy of AYUSH medicines to fight COVID-19. Industry will work towards the goals set by the Prime Minister for AYUSH manufacturers,” he added.

VH&H Expo 2020 will be a unique experience for the par cipants to interact at the ease of their office or home in these difficult mes and get business. The expo will consist of a dedicated virtual exhibi on showcasing products and services of over 100 manufacturers. Various webinars and digitally enabled B2B mee ngs will also be organised between the exhibitors and buyers. During the virtual exhibi on, buyers can visit the expo, check exhibitors’ profile, products and can fix mee ngs and meet them during ‘Live Hours’ from 12 noon-9 pm.

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News Buzz

How Exhibi ons Will Evolve In The Future

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he COVI D-19 pandemi c is having a massive impact on the associa on community and as a result industry's future landscape is bound to transform.

Every crisis has two sides - a challenge and an opportunity.

At some point of me (3rd Quarter or 4th Quarter) exhibi ons will re-open but unless organizers, Venue Owners and service providers redefine their role not just service providers to partners for Growth and restructure the events, more importantly revamping opera ons and rese ng the cost structure, they will be ill prepared for the post COVID future The Future is not what it used to be, we need to define: Normal- New Normal and Next Normal:

While we deliberate between life and livelihood The Immediate focus for Business leaders is accelerated unprecedented change Ÿ Heath of Business- arriving at Business con nuity plans Ÿ Health of Employees – both Physically and Mentally Ÿ Health of Society Ÿ Resiliency in opera ons We need to priori ze Emo onal and Opera onal resilience while galvanizing the trust, confidence and the Morale required to forge ahead We also need to marshal resolve in order to stay the course and to handle the kind of a en on that comes from doing so.

We should also prepare our work force mentally and opera onally for the Next Normal and this need to be imbibed in the mind of employees for superior service through market analysis “ Know your Customer & Leveraging on Customer Centricity” To handle them, we need to adopt an

opera ng model that accommodate the extreme level of uncertainty facing your business. Ÿ Team 1: Safeguard Day to Day business: Client support/ Work from Home, Supply chain, Business Con nuity Ÿ Team 2: Ge ng ahead of Next steps: Crisis team: Launch of Plan ahead team to develop scalable models with speed to Market approach with high velocity. I feel it's me we all look at Launching “PLAN AHEAD TEAM” to get ahead of next stage of crisis.

The industry trends are moving towards focus on End to End Value Chain While on the other hand we look at Customer sen ment and Customer's customer sen ment.

At this stage if I serialize: 1 Op mism – Economy to rebound in 2-3 months 2 Unsure: impact over 6-12 months 3 Las ng impact on economy and slow down.

News Buzz

Ni n Gadkari’s Appeal To Event Agencies “Get Registered Under MSME Act To Avail Benefits”

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t the recent Power Talk with EEMA, the virtual series curated by the apex body of event and experien al agencies, Ni n Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping & MSME addressed concerns related to the events sector. Through this webinar EEMA put forward some of the issues that the events sector is reeling under due to the ongoing lockdown.

Since EEMA closely works with numerous small and medium size event agencies spanning sectors like Experien al, MICE, Weddings, Poli cal Events, Religious or Cultural Events etc, the aim of the session was to explore how EEMA could work more closely with the government and impact the MSMEs in the sector. Sanjoy K

Roy, President, EEMA and MD Teamwork Arts highlighted the relief measures which the associa on is seeking from the government. These include: Ÿ Loan benefits for MSME players in the event and entertainment industry and providing loans on a much easier accessible basis. Ÿ Release the payment of dues to the event agencies from the state and the central government which can help the companies as well as ar sts, daily wage workers and all those related to the ecosystem. Ÿ Relief on GST or benefit of taxes. Ÿ Payment of tax refunds which are already cleared. It can help companies to ease the passage in the coming months.

The Union Minister was asked about the ruling party using events as an effec ve tool of communica on and despite that the sector not ge ng its due recogni on and support that it should get. Addressing this concern, the Union Minister said that the contribu on and work of the events industry will definitely give it respect and

recogni on. “India is par cularly accep ng event management as a system and the job done by various companies is excellent,” he said. The minister also said that it was important for all the EEMA members to get themselves registered under MSME to avail various benefits from the government. He also said that the government is ready to provide any kind of help that the associa on is seeking. He also shared that the current situa on is a big blessing in disguise for various companies. He said, “No country including- Japan, USA and UK is ready to deal or do business with China. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from other countries in India can lead to the rise of the event industry.”

He assured that the government is with the event industry and will take decisions in its favour. “We will also appeal to the Finance Ministry to declare a new package. We will fight the war against corona and the economic war which has also started due to its impact,” he added.

EPCH To Host Virtual IFJAS Trade Fair 2020 On 1-4 June

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wing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the IFJAS Trade Fair 2020, will be held on virtual pla orm on 1-4 June 2020. The virtual pla orm will allow par cipants to have an immersive experience of browsing through 2500 booths in Different categories like Fashion, Tex les, Furniture, Handicra s, Lifestyle and Home.

IFJAS is interna onally acknowledged as a unique event for Indian Fashion Jewellery & Fashion Accessories, showcasing both tradi onal and contemporary fashion

jewellery & accessories to apparel from different manufacturing hubs and regions of India. The virtual show is all set to enthuse with myriad designs, styles and concepts in everyday fashion accessories to flamboyant ones and stylized luxury line-ups. On the apparel front, warm up to scarves, stoles and shawls available in arres ng collec ons of prints, colours, embellishments and silhoue es for seasons ahead.

Wide collec on of ladies hand bags is complimented by shopping bags, beach bags, jute ‘jholas’, embroidered ‘potlis’, brocade bags, kalamkari bags, punja dhurrie bags, I-pad sleeves, leather laptop bags, wallets and more. Also source handmade belts, buckles, hand embellished ar sanal footwear like

slippers, leather slingbacks / rowel sandals, digitally printed shoes with popular icons on them, and much more.

IFJAS, 12 edi ons old, is organised by the Export Promo on Council for Handicra s (EPCH), the apex organisa on represen ng handicra manufacturers & exporters in India. EPCH facilitates its 11,000+ members to customise and offer unique styles and quality products to the global sourcing community. Led by the world famous, and largest show IHGF Delhi Fair, beyond providing unparalleled business pla orms to buyers & sellers, EPCH also provides comprehensive informa on about the sector to interna onal buyers and ensures op mal interface between the Indian handicra s industry and interna onal buyers, facilita ng harmonious business

News Buzz

Navi Mumbai: CIDCO Exhibi on Centre At Vashi Converted Into COVID Care Centre

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traders from different red zones in Mumbai and Thane to the market had resulted in the spread of the virus in Navi Mumbai.

s the number of COVID-19 posi ve cases in the metropolitan satellite township of Navi Mumbai reach 348 at the last count, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corpora on (NMMC) appears to be preparing itself for the future healthcare eventuali es on account of the virus spread.

In a crucial decision on Tuesday, the NMMC approved a proposal for u lising the landmark CIDCO Exhibi on and Conven on Centre at Vashi as a COVID care facility. NMMC Commissioner Annasaheb Misal told Mirror Online that the massive exhibi on centre would be used as a centre for trea ng COVID pa ents. “As per plans, the centre would be converted into a 1,000 to 1,200 bed facility for the treatment and care of COVID-19 pa ents,” Misal said.

The proposal was approved during a crucial mee ng held on Tuesday morning.

As on Tuesday, Navi Mumbai witnessed 6 deaths on account of the virus infec on, even as 75 places have been declared as

containment zones. Misal said as it is not feasible to close down the APMC market at Vashi, the civic body had undertaken a massive drive to screen the workers employed at the wholesale markets for coronavirus infec on.

He said a team of 20 doctors have already screened around 4,065 workers at the market while the process of screening the traders will begin soon. The wholesale market, split into 5 divisions (from grains to vegetables) is spread over an area of 200 acres and is considered to be the most crucial vegetable/fruit and essen al delivery point for Mumbai and Thane. It is believed that the con nuous transit of

Meanwhile, Misal sought to clarify that his appeal to people engaged in essen al du es in Mumbai to avoid their retun journey to Navi Mumbai was misinterpreted as an order. “It was a request and not an order,” he said. In a video message recorded on Sunday, Misal had explained how Navi Mumbai was at risk when people engaged in essen al services come back home.

It was based on the findings that 90 per cent of those tested posi ve in Navi Mumbai had a regular travel history to Mumbai.He had said that the BMC (or concerned agencies) should make the required boarding arrangements for these employees during the lockdown. Alcohol shops in Navi Mumbai area were not given permission to open on Monday as the en re municipal area fell under the Red Zone.

News Buzz

10 mes Successfully Hosts India’s First Food And Beverage Virtual Tradeshow On Floor “We hosted the first Virtual Tradeshow as a challenge. We wanted to show that business can happen virtually and we can bring people together. Organisers were not convinced and wanted a proof-ofconcept. Therefore, this event was put together as a way for them to visualise how they can incorporate virtual & hybrid event in their future plans.” Moving forward, Mr. Mayank Chowdhary, Cofounder, 10 mes said, “We saw a posi ve response and a massive surge in requests since we registered our presence online through FLOOR. With the aim to bring the community together and allow unlocking of opportuni es through events, we are thrilled to be able to successfully execute a 100% virtual trade show & conference from India.”

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0Times, the world’s largest business events discovery pla orm successfully powered the na on’s maiden virtual F&B Tradeshow and conference.

The first-of-its-kind grand event comes at a me when the lockdown has completely wiped the modes of physical engagements and restricted poten al networking avenues for businesses across the country. Leveraging its video conferencing solu on, FLOOR, it got 100+ exhibitors to virtually meet and engage with 3000 par cipants across India.

India’s first ever virtual F&B tradeshow & conference garnered an extremely posi ve response from across all segments of the industry. FLOOR, recreated the experience of an in-person event by providing a welcome recep on to a networking lounge. Visitors got an opportunity to listen to renowned speakers on the stage, while jumping inand-out of mee ng with exhibitors in their private booths. The most popular feature of this the tradeshow could grab a table with fellow colleagues from the industry and virtual pla orm appeared to be its networking round tables. Anyone a ending start a discussion. Exhibitors

were seen talking to groups of poten al customers on these networking tables.

Visitor got an opportunity to listen to a line-up of speakers, from big food companies like CG Group to young upcoming food brands. Tough ques ons were also posed to Food Tech companies like Dineout on the way forward. The event opened with a keynote by Kri Malhotra, India’s first lady cer fied sommelier and a top 10 change maker women of the country by CNBC. It was followed by a powerful discussion with Vivek Kapoor, Co-founder of Dineout.

The virtual event successfully connected prospec ve business partners in the food & beverage industry and sent a much needed posi ve message to businesses amidst Covid-19. It witnessed ac ve par cipa on from various segments of the F&B and Hospitality industry discussing the scope & challenges moving forward, sustenance strategy through a pandemic, and the future of food tech among other keynote addresses.

Speaking on the occasion, the Mr. Atul Todi, CEO & Co-founder, 10 mes said,

The global pandemic has put the trilliondollar event industry at stake and singlesession webinars cannot address the needs. FLOOR unlocks the much-needed op on for event planners world-over to leverage their brands virtually, in parallel to their physical events in due me. This state-of-art virtual technology provides a safe and digital real- me correspondence between singular and mul ple par es without compromising on the privacy and ethical concerns of the end-user.

The recent development reinstates the 10Times vision to revolu onize the eventspace with path-breaking concepts taking par cipants’ experience notches higher.

The company has gained prominence over the years for helping drive millions to people to events around the world. So while the world awaits a vaccine to go back to normalcy, 10Times hopes to con nue doing what it started off to achieve – “Connec ng Opportuni es” via events. To conclude, Atul Todi added, “Globaliza on would con nue via virtual, un l we have a vaccine and the worlds goes back to normal. It’s me for the economies around the world to revive.”

News Buzz

Handicra s Sector Hails Announcement For Co age, Village And MSME Sector Made By Hon’ble Finance Minister, Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman Boost For Bharat Becoming 'Atamnirbhar’

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on’ble Prime Minister of India has announced a Rs 20-lakh-crore s mulus package, equivalent to about 10% of India’s GDP, aimed at making the country self-reliant and reviving the stalled economy yesterday. The details of the s mulus package have been unveiled by the Hon’ble Finance Minister, Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman today. Some of the important announcement having implica ons for the handicra s sector include the following: Ÿ Collateral-free loans worth Rs 3 lakh crore for MSMEs with turnover up to Rs 100 crore ll October 31, 2020, Move likely to benefit 45 lakh units so they can resume their businesses, Loans to have 4 year tenor with moratorium of 12 months on Principal repayment. Ÿ Defini on of MSMEs being changed, Company with investment upto Rs 1 crore and turnover upto Rs 5 crore is a micro enterprise under new defini on;

one with upto Rs 10 crore investment and turnover of upto Rs 50 crore a small enterprise; one with upto Rs 20 crore investment and upto Rs 100 crore turnover a medium enterprise Rs50,000 cr. Equity infusion for MSMEs through Fund of Funds Ÿ Global tenders to be disallowed in Government procurement up to Rs 200 crores. Indian MSMEs and other companies have o en faced unfair compe on from foreign companies, this will make self-reliant India, will also then be able to serve ‘Make in India’. Ÿ EPF Payment was paid by Govt for Mar, April and May now Extended by another 3 Months. 12%+12% will be paid by Govt of India. EPF Step-2Contribu on reduced from 12% to 10% for those organisa on having more than 100 employee is done now Ÿ

e-market linkage for MSMEs to be promoted to act as a replacement for

trade fairs and exhibi ons.

Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Director General –EPCH said that Export Promo on Council for Handicra s (EPCH) welcomes the announcements and hope that these measures will give much needed respite to the handicra s exporters in these difficult mes and will certainly help India become ‘Atamnirbhar Bharat’. He further added, that ini a ves like collateral free loans; EPF payment; crea ng fund of funds; promo ng on-boarding on the emarketplace and the much-needed change in the defini on of MSME will definitely go a long way in building confidence amongst the MSMEs and encourage them to sail through this crises.

Export Promo on Council for Handicra s is an apex body of the exporters of handicra s from the country and the exports of handicra s is around USD 3.8 billion.

News Buzz

FICCI Launches First Interna onal ‘Virtual Healthcare And Hygiene Expo 2020’

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r Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI today announced the launch of ‘Virtual Healthcare and Hygiene Expo 2020’ (VH&H Expo 2020) India’s first Interna onal virtual exhibi on and conference organized by FICCI from 22-26 June 2020.

This is the first me that an event will be organized on virtual pla orm and digitally accessed by buyers from across the globe.

The first edi on of VH&H Expo 2020 will comprise of five-day comprehensive virtual exhibi on on sectors like AYUSH & Wellness, Medical Devices, Medical Tex les and Consumables, Pharmaceu cals and Sani za on. The virtual event will also feature webinars and discuss various issues and opportuni es in focus sectors, post Covid19.

Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI said, “Covid-19 is one of the biggest disaster mankind has ever faced in recent mes, bringing disrup on to the human life worldwide. With no vaccine or treatment currently in place, containment and social distancing has become the only solu on to prevent the spread of highly contagious

virus.” “We at FICCI are commi ed to support and help the Indian business houses, manufacturers so that they generate business and the exports gain momentum. FICCI team is working towards this and I am pleased to announce the 1st Virtual exhibi on & Conference i.e. Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene Expo 2020 – which will be the first of many such in pipeline from 22nd – 26th June, 2020,” Dr Reddy added.

“This will be first of its kind event which will organized on virtual pla orm indigenously built in the country and will be digitally accessed by the buyers from across the globe. I am sure the manufacturers of the ecosystem i.e.

Pharmaceu cals, Medical Device, AYUSH & Wellness, Medical Tex le, Hygiene & Sani za on will get benefited by this ini a ve and I welcome you all to be part of this mega program,” said Dr. Reddy.

Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI said that the Chamber will invite buyers from over 120 countries to par cipate from the comfort of their home-countries to interact live with exhibi ng companies. He added that the par cipants will have an

immersive experience and the virtual pla orm will be close to a conven onal exhibi on which can’t be organized in current scenario. “FICCI is also in touch with central and the state governments for their par cipa on in the exhibi on,” said Chenoy. Anurag Sharma, Chair, FICCI AYUSH Commi ee; Member of Parliament and Director, Shree Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan Pvt Ltd, said that in these tes ng mes, AYUSH systems of tradi onal medicines is playing an important role in suppor ng the government efforts to tackle the crisis. “Ministry of AYUSH also plans to conduct a study to find ‘evidence’ about the efficacy of AYUSH medicines to fight Covid-19. Industry will work towards the goals set by Hon’ble Prime Minister for AYUSH manufacturers,” he added.

VH&H Expo 2020 will be a unique experience for the par cipants to interact at the ease of their office or home in these difficult mes and get business. The expo will comprise of a Dedicated Virtual Exhibi on showcasing products and services of over 100 manufacturers.

Various webinars and digitally enabled B2B mee ngs will also be organised between the exhibitors and buyers.

News Buzz

#WeSupportExhibi ons crosses 1 lac impressions on Twi er @ni n_gadkari hashtag#WeSupportExhibi ons hashtag#Exhibi onsBuildEcono mies hashtag#GED20

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pdate on Last Week’s Ac vity: The immense support and ac ve par cipa on of all our fraternity in the hashtag#WeSupportExhibi ons campaign is receiving great trac on across all pla orms. Messages with hashtag#WeSupportExhibi ons have already crossed 1 lac impressions on Twi er alone in just a week’s me. We urge to kindly con nue pos ng these messages on all social media pla orms, retweet and share others’ messages as much as possible typing all the hashtags men oned below.

Please post the below message and image across all social media pla orms adding your message, your organisa on’s logo and picture. Text Message: Exhibi ons provide numerous business opportuni es to MSMEs at a single pla orm. @PMOIndia ; @cimgoi ; @minmsme

These are unprecedented mes. In these tough moments, our face to face industry has been hit very badly. With the future uncertain, it is very important that we all come together and reflect one common voice for our industry.

Let us be posi ve and let us amplify our voice by ge ng together in a meaningful campaign for our industry. Our mo ve should be to reach out to the policy makers so that they understand that Exhibi ons are different from Mass Gatherings.

It is now or never for us and we appeal to the exhibi on fraternity to support this cause. Get involved and ask everyone in your team to support this. We need to achieve significant trac on through this exercise if we wish to be heard by the policy makers.

Message from Mr. Balasubramanian, President, IEIA Dear Industry Colleagues, Indian Exhibi on Industry Associa on (IEIA) has spearheaded the campaign ‘WE SUPPORT EXHIBITIONS’ with an aim to establish the importance of ‘Exhibi ons’ as the most effec ve tools for economic recovery. Through this campaign, we aim at having our collec ve voice heard by Government of India for re-opening of exhibi ons at the earliest.

IEIA has also published the SOPs for conduct of safe exhibi ons post lockdown and are taking this ahead with the Government, with improvised versions, advoca ng the fact that ‘Exhibi ons’ are different from general Mass Gatherings and should be allowed to be conducted under safe condi ons.

We invite all the stakeholders of the

exhibi ons sector to join this campaign with zeal and zest enable achieve our common goal.

We would be releasing a crea ve with a tagline every day through mailer and whatsapp, for pos ng across the social media portals as ‘WE Support Exhibi ons’ Campaign Message for the Day. Request all to post the same message by tagging the specified Govt. representa ves and hashtags men oned with the message. Please also invite and take endorsements from exhibitors associated with your organisa ons and get them and all your team members involved in the campaign.

We are sure that the collec ve efforts, par cipa on and support of the whole fraternity will frui ully work towards the earliest opening up of our sector and enable us get back to business soon.

‘We Support Exhibi ons’ Campaign Message for 18th May, 2020: Share the message by adding your organisa on’s logo or your picture in the image below and post it across all social media pla orms: For Twi er: Exhibi ons act as the catalysts of economic growth and are the most effec ve pla orms for business and trade in the country. #WeSupportExhibi ons #Exhibi onsBuildEconomies @PMOIndia ; @PiyushGoyal ; @nsitharaman ; @DIPPGOI We look forward to your support and ac ve par cipa on in this ‘For-industry’ campaign. Sincerely, Balasubramanian, President, IEIA

Glimpses of

EEA 2019

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InfoComm 2020 Connected Brings the Show Directly to the Pro AV Industry

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VIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Associa on, will host its first completely virtual show, InfoComm 2020 Connected, this June 16-18. The event will showcase top manufacturers’ pro AV products and solu ons, hold training and thought-leadership presenta ons, and feature opportuni es to network with professionals around the world.

“We couldn’t imagine a year without our June show where AV professionals have the chance to learn about the latest technology and solu ons, meet with each other, and share business challenges and triumphs,” said David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA, CTS, CAE, RCDD. “Since people are unable to travel to an in-person show, we are bringing InfoComm to them. As an industry quite in tune with virtual collabora on, we’re excited for everyone to join this new edi on of InfoComm.”

InfoComm 2020 Connected will host a virtual trade show where pro AV companies will present their products and solu ons in virtual showcases and host live and on-demand exhibitor presenta ons.

An AI matchmaking feature will recommend exhibitors to a endees based on a endees’ interests. A endees can customize their experience and use the scheduler to request and schedule one-onone or group mee ngs.

The show’s educa on program will encompass new technology trends, design best prac ces, and business needs with a focus on the effects of COVID-19 on the industry. AVIXA CEO David Labuskes will deliver a keynote presenta on about finding a be er normal in the form of a digital and physical hybrid world on Tues., June 16 at 2 p.m. EDT. In addi on, Sean Wargo, AVIXA’s Senior Director of Market Intelligence, will present a session on the state of the industry, highligh ng key findings from the new 2020 Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) on Wed., June 17 at 2 p.m. EDT. Jeff Day, Chairman of AVIXA’s Board of Directors and President of North of 10 Advisors, will be joined by a group of his fellow board members for a fireside chat on Thurs., June 18, at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss the future of AV. All three sessions will include live “Ask Away” sessions.

“It’s important for AVIXA to be able to easily adapt and create a new sustainable virtual experience for AV professionals from around the world to come together,” said Rochelle Richardson, CEM, Senior Vice President of Exposi ons and Events, AVIXA. “With InfoComm 2020 Connected, we’ll expand our reach and offer a robust program for all regions and all AV professionals.”

To make it a truly global show, InfoComm

2020 Connected will take place from 6 a.m. un l 10 p.m. EDT each day. All three days will feature regional programming for Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and La n America. This includes AV standards sessions in German, state of the industry sessions in Italian and French, discussions on the rela onship among content, space, and technology in the La n American market in Spanish, and Q&A sessions with AVIXA instructors and EMEA regional managers. InfoComm 2020 Connected will also present “New Tech Lightning Rounds,” where exhibitors will present their most exci ng products in categories including conferencing and collabora on, audio, higher educa on, and more. A endees will be able to compare solu ons side by side and get answers to their ques ons live.

The winners of the inaugural AV Experience Awards will gather for a panel discussion on Tues., June 16, to share their stories on employing AV to create various types of experiences – from dynamic art to individualized.

The show will have several opportuni es for networking, from all-council mee ngs, the Women’s Council Breakfast, and live group chats, to nightly entertainment. In addi on, the annual AVIXA Awards ceremony on Wed., June 17 at 5 p.m. EDT, will recognize AV professionals who are making las ng impressions on the industry.

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How To Safely Host Face-To-Face Events Post-Covid

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nce your associa on can resume holding face-to-face events, things are going to look a lot different. A newly released resource from the event consultancy Freeman offers insights into how planners can create an experience that makes health and hygiene a top priority.

“Gone are the days of ‘what we’ve always done,’” Freeman writes. “Event professionals will make conscious decisions on what to do, when, based on the overall business objec ves versus a date on a calendar.” In “The New Normal: Considera ons for Business Events in a Post-COVID World,” experts from across the company outline ideas, processes, and protocols to help ensure the safety of controlled business events. Here’s a look at how some of those could play out in six elements that are common to most mee ngs. Pre-event marke ng. While in the past organiza ons may have touted the size of the event as a way to get exhibitors and a endees to register, Freeman’s experts say to avoid this in today’s environment. Rather, event marketers should shi their focus to the smaller, more in mate connec ons that will be made.

“Recognize that many a endees will be balancing the desire for connec ons and community with their fear of crowds,”

states the report. “Address this by promo ng the connec ons that can be made within smaller se ngs (e.g., matchmaking programs, a CEO breakfast, an LGBTQ recep on, a mentor program, etc.). For exhibitors, focus on the quality of the a endee you are a rac ng through your marke ng campaigns.” Registra on.

“It’s me to up your reg game,” the firm writes. This could include an en rely digital process and staggered check-in mes to avoid a mass rush. In addi on, organiza ons should consider mailing a endees their badges in advance or allowing a print-at-home op on.

Naviga on. To help a endees maintain proper social-distancing protocols, use floor graphics to illustrate how far apart they should stand while in line. Also employ a chatbot or AI-driven service to help with naviga on and answering common ques ons. “Show organizers can benefit from improved efficiency and reduced person-to-person interac on,” stated the report.

Educa on. “We must op mize face-to-face events for ac vi es that are best accomplished in person, such as discussions, networking, and discovery, rather than long-form speeches and oneway informa on delivery,” Freeman writes.

That will likely involve reimagining the tradi onal general session. “Use your

general session for high-value moments that can only be delivered live,” the report recommends. Freeman also suggests using second-screen technology for audience engagement by having a endees use their own devices to par cipate in polls and ask the presenters ques ons.

Networking. Associa ons are going to need to think differently about helping their a endees make connec ons. Digital matchmaking and business-card-exchange tools are one way to go. However, groups are also going to want to allow for inperson connec ons, which will require rethinking layouts and venues. For example, Freeman suggests using open-air venues and crea ng conversa on pods with appropriately spaced sea ng and even an an bacterial screen between the two sides.

Expo floor. “While show floors may need to be reimagined with fewer crowds, this is an opportunity to enhance and personalize the experience,” Freeman says. A few ideas: larger lounges with individual sea ng, one-way aisles, measurement technology and heat maps to determine and control capacity levels, and mul ple cleanings throughout the day. What changes are you considering when the me comes for you to host face-to-face mee ngs once again? Please share in the comments.

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4 Stats That Point To The Future Of Events A er Covid-19 recent events to a virtual format, however we believe that the most successful event marketers will be looking beyond our current moment to shape their event strategy.

Engagement is key to virtual event success.

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he events industry is rapidly changing with the ongoing health crisis. Learn how COVID-19 has impacted the events industry with four breakthrough stats.

Here’s the scoop.

It’s no secret that the ongoing health crisis has drama cally impacted and changed the event industry. In an effort to be er understand the evolving state of events, Bizzabo recently surveyed over 400 midto-senior-level event marketers to learn how they are adap ng to the new normal.

The results were shocking.

We asked ques ons around event marke ng budgets, event strategies, technology, trends, and more to get a full picture of how organiza ons are responding to COVID-19. Based on the comprehensive repor ng, we’ve iden fied the four most important stats that illustrate the current changes, trends, and probable outcomes for the events industry as we con nue to navigate new territory.

For a more in-depth report on the impact COVID-19 has had on events and current trends around event strategy, check out the Post COVID-19 Event Outlook Report.

Resources for Event Teams are Becoming More Scarce According to Bizzabo’s data, nearly half of event marketers report that their

organiza ons have made personnel changes in response to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the majority of event marketers report ghtening budgets.

As budgets and resources become more scarce, event leaders will need to focus on crea vity, efficiency, and flexibility to maximize their output and create meaningful experiences for a endees.

A endee engagement is by far the most important KPI for event marketers execu ng virtual events, yet event marketers agree that this is also one of the most challenging aspects of virtual events.

A endee engagement is a cri cal metric of success, however there is an uphill ba le to determine the best strategy and technology that will enable event marketers to accomplish that goal in new virtual territory. This is a key area of opportunity in the coming months and years as event marketers gain more familiarity with virtual events.

The Future of Events Is Hybrid

Virtual Events Are The New Focus

More than 95% of event marketers agree that in-person will be back. Likewise, the majority of event marketers are looking for technology that will support both inperson and virtual events.

A whopping 90% of event marketers plan to invest in virtual events moving forward, while less than a quarter have historically invested in virtual events. According to this data, most event marketers are entering new territory producing virtual events.

Countless organiza ons have pivoted

At the end of the day, in-person events are a resilient force. The desire to connect and build meaningful connec ons can only happen in-person. As we peer into the future, we can expect virtual events to play a key role in organiza ons’ overall event strategy, but we’re confident that inperson events will return with a bang.

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The Exhibi on Industry's Resilience

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er a weeks-long delay because of the coronavirus pandemic, the most popular baseball season began Tuesday in South Korea, with umpires wearing protec ve masks and cheerleaders danced beneath rows of unoccupied seats

as professional baseball got back on the field. There were many faces in the stands in at least one stadium, but they were videos & pictures instead of real people because fans weren’t allowed inside. While games are being played without fans for now, officials said the KBO hopes to begin allowing a endance levels up to 20 percent capacity, with incremental increases from there.

The league’s stadiums hold between 13,000 and 27,000 fans. While the KBO hopes to play a full 144-game schedule, its season comes with a caveat: It will be

paused for at least three weeks if any member of a team tests posi ve for COVID-19. That could provide a return-toplay road map for MLB. The country’s professional soccer leagues will kick off Friday, also without spectators in the stadiums. As one of the world’s first major professional sports to return to ac on amid the pandemic, the Korea Baseball Organiza on (KBO) is working to create safe playing environments. Players and coaches go through fever screenings before entering stadiums. Umpires and base coaches must wear masks during games. Masks and latex gloves will be required at training facili es.

Poli cs Are Sending The First Signals For A New Fair

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n the future, the federal states should decide when the organiza on of trade fairs is permi ed in compliance with the hygiene and distance rules. At the same me, trade fairs are no longer considered part of the major events category. This is the result of the agreements between the federal government and the federal states.

The managing director of the AUMA – Associa on of the German Trade Fair

Industry, Jörn Holtmeier: “This is an important step in the direc on of restar ng the trade fair industry, because trade fairs will provide important s muli in the short and medium term as innova on and coopera on pla orms for the recovery of the German economy.”

German trade fair organizers and AUMA are available to advise the competent authori es with their exper se and experience in carrying out trade fairs.

AUMA has already developed proposals for this which also meet high requirements for hygiene and distance rules when carrying out trade fairs. ĻŪ ĚÙ Ü Ů Ŭ Ų W ŠV ŦŨ ȚU ŤTH ȘŊ Ñ Ẁ ĚŮ Ū Ù Ŭ W Ũ ŠŲ ŤV ŞTX U ȚĦ ĚM ȘÙ Ẃ Ŭ W Ẁ Ų ŠŤV Ū Ũ U X Ů ŦĚȚŞŬ TW Ų Ẁ Ü Ù Ū ȘV Ĥ ŤŠẂ Ũ Ħ

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EEAA Calls On Federal And State Governments For A Start Date For Exhibi ons And Business Events stringent public health guidelines to manage exhibi ons, conferences, mee ngs and events and ensure exhibitors, speakers, a endees, customers and venue/contractor employees are safe.

The EEAA is recommending that Governments provide a clear metable on when the business events industry can restart. The planning cycle for exhibi ons and events is of paramount importance require adequate lead- me for planning and implementa on. “The sector needs support now with a clear metable on when we can run events – August / September and the last quarter of 2020 is vital to recovery, but the industry needs a confirmed date to commence planning,” said Ms Sagripan . “An August restart allows government and the health authori es further me to ensure the state’s COVID numbers con nue to decrease and stabilise and to enable an agreed Bio-Safe environment for our controlled and organised events where the business community comes to do business,” said Ms Sagripan .

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he Exhibi on and Event Associa on of Australasia (EEAA) has made an urgent call to Federal and State Governments to dis nguish exhibi ons and business events from mass gatherings to expedite a restart date for domes c events in the Australian market. Claudia Sagripan , EEAA Chief Execu ve said that it was vitally important that Government, at both the Federal and State level understood that the business events industry can operate under a controlled set of ‘bio-safe’ principles and should not be subject to the ‘mass gathering’ restric ons that apply to other large scale public events such as spor ng fixtures, fes vals large-scale consumer events.

“The business events industry run highly organised events where we can trace every one of our visitors, delegates, speakers and exhibitors as well as monitor, track and put in place a range of measures that can ensure these events comply with Government measures on hygiene and physical distancing,” said Ms Sagripan .

“The business events industry, which includes exhibi ons, conferences and business mee ngs contributes $35 billion to the na onal economy, with another

$17.2 billion in value add and employs over 229,000 people across a range of sectors and trades. The re-opening of this important sector will support the Government’s objec ve to implement work safe guidelines to get Australian’s back to work. It is of vital importance to ensure that Governments understand the role business events plays in restar ng the economy,” said Ms Sagripan .

The EEAA together with the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA)along with other major industry associa ons including the Venue Management Associa on (VMA) is developing Safety and hygiene principles for the Government and Health officials and the business events community. The principles will support

The EEAA has been in talks with all State Governments and the Chief Medical Officers in each state this week to nego ate the restart terms for the exhibi ons and business events industry.

The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) has lobbied at the Federal level to ensure a consistent and clear message regarding the dis nc on between business events and mass gatherings is achieved na onally.

The business events sector contributes more than $35 billion in GDP, runs over 430,000 events annually and employs more than 229,000 people. The sector is a major contributor to Australia both financially and for its powerful enabling ability to deliver prac cal business outcomes,” said Ms Sagripan .

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Informa Markets and NuORDER Partner to Deliver Fashion's Largest Digital Tradeshow Informa Markets Fashion Por olio and Leading B2B Wholesale E-Commerce Pla orm NuORDER Join Forces on Cu ng-Edge Wholesale ECommerce Experience, Set to Launch Alongside MAGIC, PROJECT, COTERIE, and MICAM AMERICAS in Fall 2020 500,000 retailers, paired with Informa Market's global fashion network will create the industry's largest digital trade event.

The partnership will bring an already established, dynamic, and highly curated marketplace to a virtual environment, accelera ng connec on and commerce for both brands and retailers. Brands will be able to tap into NuORDER's advanced digital capabili es, including custom digital catalogs, line sheets, in-pla orm ordering and the latest interac ve 360 degree Virtual Showroom technology, to more accurately tell their brand story and virtually present new collec ons.

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nforma Markets Fashion and wholesale ecommerce pla orm NuORDER have partnered to launch the industry's largest digital tradeshow, which will debut alongside Informa's currently scheduled physical events in Las Vegas and New York in Fall 2020. NuORDER, the leading wholesale pla orm in the B2B ecommerce space, will power the future of Informa's digital trade events, the first of which will launch with men's in August followed by women's in September.

The partnership comes on the heels of a longstanding digital evolu on for the Informa Markets Fashion por olio and is a collabora on of exper se bringing together NuORDER's technology and

revolu onary approach toward wholesale e-commerce with Informa's product cura on and expansive global network of brand partners and retail buyers.

"We see this as an important next step in the evolu on of our business, and the fashion industry as a whole. The live event experience is irreplaceable; fashion in par cular is a very tac le business — buyers want to feel fabrics in their own hands and see colors with their own eyes.

But we also believe that the future of fashion wholesale is a synergy of physical and digital," said Nancy Walsh, President of Informa Fashion Markets. "Our first step in this direc on is our partnership with NuORDER and the digital tradeshow we will debut this year, which we believe will help translate the experience of discovery and connec on that is at the heart of our physical events to a new and exci ng virtual environment."

NuORDER's extensive network of thousands of premium brands and

Retail buyers will now be able to more easily and efficiently discover, connect, and do business with new brand partners through category and price point search func onali es, access to curated content and relevant product recommenda ons, and in-pla orm order placement.

"Both NuORDER and Informa are market leaders and we are excited to power the largest global pla orm for fashion brands and buyers," said Heath Wells, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of NuORDER. "Our partnership marks a defining moment in the industry solving real customer needs at a cri cal me. This is the beginning of a new era for fashion markets and the standard for discovery and commerce moving forward."

Informa Markets Fashion and NuORDER hope to champion and inspire change towards the true digitaliza on of the industry. The pla orm will unite the industry and soon be expanded to include new shows, categories and regions bringing to light major opportuni es available to forward-thinking fashion brands and retailers who embrace a hybrid future of B2B fashion commerce.

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Conference Call By The Chancellor To The Heads Of Government Of The Federal States

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he Federal Chancellor and the heads of government of the federal states take the following decision: The exponen al rise in the number of infec ons in Germany at the beginning of March made it clear what a high infec on poten al the SARS-Cov2 virus has.

Nevertheless, Germany has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of new infec ons every day.

Even a er the first opening measures have been carried out gradually since April 20, the number of new infec ons has remained low. As of today, no renewed infec on dynamics are discernible. This is due in par cular to the fact that the ci zens with the highest degree of personal responsibility have complied with the ban on contact as well as the hygiene and distance rules.

That is why the federal government and the federal states are now taking a significant further step towards opening up, in par cular to safeguard the educa onal opportuni es of young people, to further limit the economic damage caused by the containment of the virus, and to take the freedom-restric ng

measures for the ci zens where absolutely necessary limit. The federal and state governments have thus jointly defined the path to gradual opening. If, in view of this second major opening step, the newly infected numbers remain low, the federal states are to take the remaining steps on their own responsibility against the background of country-specific peculiari es and the respec ve infec on process on the basis of hygiene and distance concepts of the respec ve ministerial conferences.

With every addi onal degree of opening, it becomes all the more important that distance and hygiene rules are consistently adhered to, because the increasing number of contacts increases the risk of new infec on chains developing. These have to be recognized and interrupted quickly. The public health service makes a key contribu on to this, for which the federal government and the federal states thank all employees in the health services and the many helpers in contact tracking. In addi on to the followup of contacts by the public health service, if regional high infec on dynamics develop, the mely introduc on

of local restric ons plays a major role in preven ng the spread of infec on dynamics across Germany and thus the reintroduc on of Germany-wide restric ons.

Against this background, the Chancellor and the heads of government of the federal states agree : 1. The joint resolu ons as well as the accompanying ChefBK / CdS resolu ons as well as the decisions of the Corona Cabinet remain valid, unless otherwise specified in the following.

2. The most important measure, especially in view of the openings, remains for a long me to keep your distance. That is why it remains crucial that ci zens keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters in public. This measure is supplemented by a mask requirement in certain public areas. The contact restric ons should basically con nue un l June 5. In view of the low number of infec ons, however, living in public spaces should not only be allowed alone, with the rela ves of your own household or with another person, but also with the

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From a certain relevance, a regional dynamic with high numbers of new infec ons and a rapid increase in the infec on rate must be reacted to on site with restric ons.

important measure to support the quick and complete tracking of contacts. In the mean me, the federal government has decided to develop a decentralized approach and to enable the use of this app by the ci zens according to the principle of “double voluntariness”. This means that the European and German data protec on rules are strictly observed and only epidemiologically relevant contacts from the last three weeks are saved anonymously only on the user’s mobile phone without recording the movement profile. In addi on, the use of the app should not only be voluntary, but also a possible transfer of data to the RKI to op mize the app and for epidemiological research should only take place voluntarily. If a ci zen does not release this data, this has no nega ve impact on the app’s usage op ons.

For this reason, the federal states will ensure that in coun es or independent ci es with a cumula ve number of more than 50 new infec ons per 100,000 inhabitants, a consistent restric on concept with the involvement of the responsible state authori es is implemented immediately within the last 7 days.

The app is provided transparently “open source”. As soon as a widely applicable applica on so ware (app) is available, it will be important that large sec ons of the popula on use this opportunity to quickly find out when they have had contact with an infected person so that they can react quickly to it. The federal and state governments will call for this.

The state health authori es inform the Robert Koch Ins tute about this. In the case of a localized and clearly delimitable infec on event, for example in a facility, this restric on concept can only include this facility. In the event of a distributed regional outbreak and unclear infec on chains, general restric ons must be reintroduced regionally.

5. The schools should enable all pupils to be trained step by step, taking appropriate hygiene measures or observing distance rules. These relate to the lessons as well as the break events and the school transport.

people of another household. Decisions already made remain unaffected.

3. Especially when far-reaching openings have taken place, the risk of dynamic development increases. At the beginning of the pandemic, this was o en promoted by local events and then spread further.

For this reason, the federal and state governments are con nuing to develop support measures that can be called up quickly for par cularly affected areas, and con nue to coordinate closely between the crisis teams of the federal and state governments.

These measures must be maintained un l this value falls below at least 7 days. In addi on, restric ons on unnecessary mobility into and out of the par cularly affected areas are required at the latest when the number con nues to increase and there is no certainty that the infec on chains have already been interrupted comprehensively.

4. The use of digital “contact tracing” is an

The resump on of teaching in the form of par al face-to-face teaching for schoolchildren has begun and is to be con nued in further steps in accordance with the decision of the Conference of Ministers of Educa on under the responsibility of the federal states. The aim is that, depending on the infec on process un l the summer holidays, every student can go to school once. At the same me, digital teaching concepts and offers are to be further developed.

6. In accordance with the decision of the youth ministerial conference on April 27,

2020, childcare will be introduced in all federal states by a flexible and gradual expansion of emergency care at the latest from May 11th. This ensures that every child at the transi on to school can visit the day care center again before the end of their day in the summer vaca on. The details regulate the countries.

7. For hospitals, nursing homes, senior and disabled facili es, the federal and state governments have already agreed that special protec ve measures will be taken with the help of external experts in accordance with the respec ve local circumstances and in the respec ve ins tu ons. It was emphasized that it must also be taken into account that the relevant regula ons must not lead to complete social isola on of those affected. Against this background of the low number of infec ons, it is now decided that a rule should be included in all concepts or the general decrees issued regarding the contact restric ons with regard to these facili es, which enables every pa ent / resident of such a facility to have a return visit by a defined person , 8. Also in the pandemic, we want to make safe work as possible as possible in industry and medium-sized companies.

Employers have a special responsibility for their employees to protect them from infec ons.

Infec on chains that arise in the company can be iden fied quickly. That is why the federal and state governments have already decided that every company in Germany must implement a hygiene concept based on an adapted risk assessment and company pandemic planning. This remains current. We con nue to live in the pandemic, which is why unnecessary contacts in the workforce and with customers must be avoided, general hygiene measures implemented and the risk of infec on in the case of necessary contacts minimized through special hygiene and protec ve measures.

Global News and distance concepts of the culture minister conference.

14. The federal states will decide on their own responsibility against the background of the respec ve infec on and countryspecific peculiari es about the gradual opening of the following remaining areas with condi ons based on common hygiene and distance concepts of the respec ve ministerial conferences:

Companies con nue to be encouraged to do homework wherever feasible. The authori es responsible for occupa onal health and safety and the accident insurance ins tu ons advise the companies and carry out controls. The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has presented a concept with the essen al rules together with the social partners, the federal states and the DGUV. 9. All shops can reopen under hygiene, control of access and avoiding queues. It is important that a maximum number of people (customers and staff) is specified in rela on to the sales area, which on the one hand serves to reduce the risk of infec on in the shops by ensuring distances, but also aims to increase public traffic in public and public transport as a whole limit.

10. Sports and training ac vi es in mass and leisure sports under the open sky are permi ed again under the condi ons provided for in the decision of the sports ministers of the federal states for gradual re-entry into training and compe on opera ons.

11. The special posi on of professional athletes requires – also legally – a separate assessment. The Chancellor and the heads of government of the federal states consider the con nua on of play in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga to be jus fiable for the 36 clubs eligible to start there at their expense from the second

half of May. The DFL determines the specific match dates. The statements of the BMAS, BMG and BMI on the protec on concept of the DFL as well as the provisions of the decision of the sports ministers of the federal states from April 28, 2020 must be taken into account.

A quaran ne measure, possibly in the form of a training camp, must precede the start of the game, as provided for in the tested concept. In the event of any tests that may be necessary for gaming opera ons, it must be ensured that test requirements registered in the healthcare system are treated with priority at all mes. The DFB is asked to develop sustainable future concepts for the other leagues.

12. The federal states are responsible under the background of the respec ve infec on and country-specific peculiari es about the gradual opening of the gastronomy and accommoda on industry for tourist use (in par cular hotels, pensions and holiday apartments) with condi ons based on common hygiene and distance concepts of the Decide conference of economic ministers.

13. The federal states will take responsibility for the gradual opening of the theaters, operas, concert halls and cinemas , subject to the background of the respec ve infec on and country-specific peculiari es, based on common hygiene

Lectures at universi es Transi on of childcare to restricted regular opera on according to the decision of the youth and family ministerial conference Adult educa on centers, music schools and other public and private educa onal ins tu ons outside of school Bars, clubs and discos measure up Driving schools Service companies in the field of personal care such as cosme c studios, massage prac ces, ta oo studios and similar companies Sports in all public and private indoor sports facili es, swimming pools and fun pools Gyms and similar establishments Opera on of other sports and leisure facili es as well as the resump on of compe ve and compe ve sports Smaller public or private events or celebra ons as well as non-fes ve events Amusement parks and leisure ac vity providers (indoor and outdoor) Amusement arcades, casinos, be ng shops and similar establishments Pros tu on centers, brothels and similar establishments 15. As the federal and state governments have already decided, major events such as folk fes vals, larger spor ng events with spectators, larger concerts, fes vals, village, city, street, wine, shoo ng fes vals or funfair events are currently prohibited. Due to the s ll exis ng uncertainty of the infec on, it can be assumed that this will remain the case un l at least August 31

Global News

Brussels Expo To Install Disinfec ng UV Lamps In Bid To Relaunch Ac vi es

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major events venue in Brussels has announced it will start using ultraviolet (UV) disinfectant lamps in a bid to safely relaunch ac vi es a er the coronavirus lockdown. Brussels Expo said it will ou it its Heysel Palace events venue with UVC lamps “which are very effec ve against pathogens, namely viruses and other diseases caused by bacteria.”

The events manager, which hosts hundreds of major musical and cultural events yearly, said that the installa on of the germicidal lamps would begin in all of

its venues in June. The decision would allow for the relaunch of the events sector which has ground to a halt under lockdown regula ons imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Brussels Expo CEO Denis Delforge said the installa on of the lamps would ensure that the restart of ac vi es takes place under “op mal sanitary condi ons.” The lamps that Brussels Expo would employ would be the same already used to disinfectant hospital and surgical rooms, ambulances or public transporta on.

The use of the lamps by Brussels Expo would accompany other measures imposed on the public, such as the use of masks and disinfectant gel and complement measures to cut down on the number of visitors. The use of UV ligh ng to kill the new coronavirus (Covid19) has been gaining widespread a en on in global media a er US

President Donald Trump speculated on their use on humans to kill the virus during a press conference.

While UV rays have been proved to be highly effec ve at disinfec ng surfaces and killing viruses and bacteria, it also poses significant health hazards to human health. Following Trump’s comments, members of the scien fic and medical community warned that UV light has been “shown to be extremely damaging to human ssue, in par cular, the skin and eyes.”

“The UVC purificators use a combina on of technologies allowing their safe usage in the presence of the public,” the events venue said, according to the Belga news agency. “We foresee a restart of ac vi es on 1 September, but we are of course bound to the decisions taken by the Na onal Security Council,” Delforge said.

World Expo In Dubai Postponed: “We Mustn’t Lose Sight Of Monaco 360” health crisis could have on public health, considering that the economic downturn which we are facing, the vast majority of countries were in favour of this postponement. Restric ons on interna onal travel will also most likely remain.

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he World Expo which Monaco will par cipate in “Expo 2020 Dubai” s postponed to 2021. It will be held from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022, nevertheless keeping the name “Expo 2020 Dubai”. Following a group decision made by its member countries, the Bureau of Interna onal Exposi ons (BIE) has decided to postpone the 2020 World Expo in Dubai for one year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In assessing the consequences that the

Cancella ons in the past Many World Expos have experienced issues in the past. In 1942, authori es in Rome had to cancel its event because of the World War. In 1955, Brussels postponed its turn for three years due to the Korean War and rising interna onal tensions.

More recently, in 2002, the Prime Minister of France, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, decided to cancel the World Expo in 2004, in Seine-Saint-Denis, because of the

financial risks surrounding its go-ahead.

Monaco Pavilion on its way to 2021 Albert Croesi, Managing Director of Monaco Inter Expo (MIE), points out that the MIE teams remain in Dubai with among to complete construc on on the Monaco Pavilion before the end of next summer. “On the other hand, I must now rethink the calendar of events that was planned for this year, and I will contact all the partners and par cipants who have commi ed themselves to work with us in Dubai,” he stated.

“I hope that their commitment will be the same despite this postponement, as their contribu on is priceless in demonstra ng the many facets of the Principality on an interna onal level. We mustn’t lose sight of Monaco 360.”

Global News

Florida Keys To Reopen To Visitors June 1 Keys, which had shut down to non-residents March 22. Monroe has reported about 100 cases of Covid-19.

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he Florida Keys will reopen to visitors on June 1, allowing hotels and vaca on rentals to operate at 50 percent capacity. Monroe County plans to suspend checkpoints on U.S. 1 and State Road 905 to allow visitors to return to the

Lodging establishments, which include hotels, campgrounds and vaca on rentals, will be required to follow sanita on procedures and Covid-19 guidelines from the American Hotel and Lodging Associa on, according to a press release from the county.

Hotels, such as Li le Palm Island Resort & Spa, are accep ng reserva ons on their

websites as of June 1. The tourismdependent Florida Keys had been recovering from damages incurred from Hurricane Irma in 2017 when coronavirus forced mass closures throughout the southernmost county of Florida. The 50 percent capacity limit will be li ed at a later date. The announcement to reopen hotels could be changed or reversed if there is a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.

Miami-Dade County has not yet announced a date to reopen hotels, though it is expected to begin in June.

Miami-Dade and Broward joined the rest of the state in entering phase one of reopening non-essen al businesses on Monday, with capacity limits at 50 percent for restaurants and some retail.

World Expo In Dubai Postponed: “We Mustn’t Lose Sight Of Monaco 360”

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he organisers of Accountex, Europe’s largest accountancy exhibi on, have raised £30,000 for the NHS through cket sales. Diversified Communica ons UK used their Accoun ng & Finance Virtual Summit which starts today, 13 May, to help raise the money to support frontline workers tackling Covid-19.

Zoe Lacey-Cooper, Accountex’s por olio director, said: “This is the best thing to have come out of all this crazy me we are living in! With over 13,500 registra ons and £30,000 raised for the NHS, how can you not feel good about what this collabora on has done for our

accoun ng community. We love working with ACCA, Prac ce Igni on and Genera on CFO around the Expos that we run – but this exci ng joint venture has taken it to another level. A new family has been formed. And it is strong – and it is doing great things to all support our community.” The Accoun ng & Finance Virtual Summit, delivered by Accountex, ACCA, Prac ce Igni on, and Genera on CFO. This free, two-day virtual event will see over 13,500 CFOs, accountants and business owners take part in a programme of 46 sessions with over 100 speakers.

The Virtual Accoun ng Summit is then followed by Virtual Finance Summit on 14 May, and is for accountants working in business and finance. Although registra on is free, delegates upgraded to a VIP cket for £10. The VIPs will get access to all session recordings while the NHS will receive all monies raised.

Trent McLaren from Prac ce Igni on says: “Collabora ng on this scale with other influencers in the profession has been an absolute pleasure. We’re all coming together to support our accoun ng community to help everyone through these challenging mes, while also raising money for a great cause.

I’m really looking forward to it!“ Chris Argent from Genera on CFO says: “The Virtual Summit talks were designed specifically for the accoun ng and finance community following GENCFO research into the impact on the CFO and what finance teams were going through right now. We realised we had an opportunity to do something good and inspiring for our communi es and thousands of people have responded. We’re extremely proud of what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and who we’re doing it for.”

Global News

Asia Fruit Logis ca Reschedules To November

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SIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is rescheduling to 18-20 November 2020 in Singapore to ensure a successful trade show for every exhibitor and visitor coming from all over the world.

“We’ve come to this decision a er a long, detailed, and very careful assessment of the situa on with our exhibi on venue partner and the authori es in Singapore as well as with key people in the interna onal fresh produce business,” says Will Wollbold, Commercial Director of Global Produce Events (GPE), the organiser of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA.

“We want to help the global fresh fruit and vegetable industry to reconnect in Asia in 2020,” explains Wollbold.

“Registra on numbers from all over the world for ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA 2020 are good and broad. But in light of COVID-19 we believe it is right for exhibitors and visitors alike that we reschedule to midNovember. This will give them more than six months from now to plan their par cipa on.”

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) welcomes the move. “ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is truly a significant pla orm for the global fresh produce industry, and we’re pleased to host the event at Singapore EXPO on 18-20 November 2020,’ said Mr Andrew Phua, Execu ve Director of Exhibi ons and Conferences, STB. “We understand Global Produce Events’ decision to reschedule ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, and are commi ed to working closely with them towards a successful show. We remain confident in Singapore’s

strong reputa on as a preferred des na on for business events, and look forward to welcoming our delegates to Singapore.”

Singapore is a very reassuring loca on for ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, Asia’s premier event for the interna onal fresh fruit and vegetable business. “Singapore is applying some of the strictest health and safety measures to fight this pandemic, including state of the art technology which we want to make available to our exhibitors and trade visitors,” said Wollbold, “And let’s not forget that Singapore is a key global transport hub with one-flight connec ons from hundreds of ci es around the world.

It means it’s so much easier to come here.”

Singapore was also the loca on of the first-ever ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS in 1998.

The one-day conference event will now take place at Singapore EXPO on Tuesday 17 November 2020.

Heimtex l 2021 Now More Than 95% Booked

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espite disrup on from the current coronavirus crisis, exhibitor registra ons for next year’s Heimtex l expo are running strong.

The 2021 interna onal home and contract tex les trade fair, which will take place Jan. 12-15, is now more than 95% of the space occupied in the 2020 fair has now been booked. The most recent event hosted 2,918 exhibitors from 64 countries. “Even though predic ons are difficult to make at present, we expect to be able to offer interna onal players in the industry a first-rate, posi ve environment for their businesses in January 2021,” said Olaf Schmidt, VP of tex le & tex le technologies at show organizer Messe Frankfurt.

“The fact that more than 95 per cent of the space as compared to the last

Heimtex l is now booked makes us feel very op mis c.”

Heimtex l 2021 will organize the numerous events that are aimed at various target groups in a clearer and more concise way, focusing on three areas: Show: This comprises presenta ons by interna onal exhibitors at their stands in halls 3 to 12, including guided tours featuring innova ve and trendse ng companies that provide product solu ons.

Trend: The Trend Spac’ in hall 3.0 will showcase the colors, materials and designs for the upcoming season – curated and staged by Anja Bisgaard Gaede and her team from SPOTT Trends & Business.

Conference: This component will bring together all the presenta ons, discussion

panels and workshops that are offered at Heimtex l in five different areas for visitor target groups. Workshops and presenta ons by furnishing experts will take place in the DecoTeam (hall 8.0). In addi on, Heimtex l will offer expert contribu ons to the themes Tex le Technologies (hall 3.0), Design Dialog (hall 4.2), Sleep (hall 11.0, foyer) and Green (hall 11.0, foyer). The Interior.

Architecture. Hospitality theme will include lectures and a curated product selec on in the library in hall 4.2.

“As far as the pandemic is concerned, we are convinced that people will s ll want to meet in person to exchange their products – and perhaps more so than ever a er this crisis year – and that personal contacts are the best prerequisite for good, long-term business,” said Schmidt.

Global News

Tarsus Confirms China Show Loca on And Dates

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he organizer of the Labelexpo and Brand Print Global Series’ of interna onal trade shows, Tarsus Group, has today confirmed Shenzhen as the loca on for the latest addi ons to its expanding print por olio in China, which take place between 8-10 December 2020.

The two co-located shows, Labelexpo South China and Brand Print South China, announced last December,* will be hosted at Shenzhen World Exhibi on & Conven on Center. The venue, which opened in late 2019, is set to become the world’s largest purpose-built event space when fully completed, offering 500,000 sqm of indoor floor space.

Returning to South China for the first me since 2014, Labelexpo South China 2020 builds on the major success of Labelexpo Asia 2019 in Shanghai. As a measure of the advances in China’s label and package prin ng industry in the last few years, in December the show reported its largest edi on to date, with an 18 percent

increase in visitors and a floorspace that increased by 26 percent from 2017.

for our very first co-located prin ng shows in the region.”

The inaugural Brand Print South China 2020 is aimed at printers of all types of signage, promo onal materials and collateral for brands, as a one-stop shop for all their large format and digital prin ng needs and focusing on fastgrowing areas of the print market. Show floor exhibitors will primarily be leading manufacturers of large format prin ng machinery, so ware and materials, there to educate printers on the best technology choices for them to grow their business in this rapidly expanding market.

Collec vely, Labelexpo South China and Brand Print South China 2020 will cover 10,000 sqm of floor space and present a unique opportunity for printers to explore the synergies between different parts of the whole print industry from a single loca on. This includes large format and digital print, as well as ways of growing a label and package prin ng opera on. This is especially relevant now that China is the second biggest producer of packaging in the world.

Kevin Liu, event director for the two shows, said: “We are delighted to confirm Shenzhen as the loca on for our new 2020 shows in China; the city is a magnet for business and opportunity, and strategically extremely important for Tarsus. Shenzhen World is one of the most inspiring venues in the world to host a large trade event, and the natural choice

Liu added: “Crucially, these shows will be a vitally important catalyst for the label, packaging and wider print industry as we move into the post Coronavirus/COVID-19 recovery phase in December. I urge the whole industry to take advantage of this investment opportunity and come together to help reignite our dynamic industry – in China and beyond.”

Global News

IELA RELOAD Programme: It’s Now All About Bouncing Back To “out Of The Ordinary” Normality In The Exhibi on Logis cs Industry seminars, regional sessions and recovery talks, with a highlight on par cular content to support the IELA membership in implemen ng successful and effec ve business measures in order to navigate through the shutdown and rebound periods.

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xhibi on logis cs suppliers are ge ng prepared for the NEW NOW in the Exhibi on Industry by joining the new IELA RELOAD Programme to be launched on May 4th 2020 to address and adapt to the fast-changing and s ll uncertain rules regarding interna onal forwarding.

With 173 Member companies from over 56 countries, IELA is in possession of comprehensive data resul ng from the IELA COVID19 IMPACT SURVEY, a means of prepara on for global recovery planning.

IELA RELOAD provides IELA Members with a recovery pla orm to share, conceive and ini ate best prac ces in the NEW NOW. Ac vi es include e-learning, recovery talks and regional sessions which focus on successfully rebounding by limi ng losses and increasing strengths in profitable service areas. As a major tool in its #togetherSTRONG Campaign, IELA has created a new recovery pla orm for its members to exchange on the expecta ons and foreseeable needs to be addressed in order to achieve a faster global recovery in the exhibi on and event logis cs industry. The key word: An cipa on.

From Monday to Thursday, the IELA RELOAD Programme will propose a diversified programme of e-learning

The goal of IELA is not only to overcome this global health and economic crisis as a unified associa on, but to emerge from the experience even stronger than before and with greater solidarity from both an individual perspec ve as well as with regard to its network. During May 2020 there will be weekly RECOVERY TALK sessions, overseen by Sandi Tro er, IELA BOM Member and Director TWI Group, Inc., Canada, in the spirit of a Global Brainstorming Captain.

The first online session taking place on May 6th will be RECOVERY TALK 1: Coping with the new scenarios, implemen ng damage limita on measures. It will be moderated by Mariane Ewbank, IELA Board Member and Director of Fulstandig Shows e Eventos MC Ltda Brazil. The discussion will address how the exhibi on logis cs industry should cope with 6, 9 or 12 months without shows actually taking place.

The sessions currently programmed are then: May 13th: RECOVERY TALK 2 “Special Logis cs, Leading Opera ons, and Managing Supply Chains: How to navigate through the shutdown and rebound?” – moderated by Guido Fornelli, IELA Board Member and Director of Expotrans S.p.A., Italy, and Claudia Leoni, Marke ng at Expotrans.

May 20th : RECOVERY TALK 3 “Con ngency Plan for the New Now”– Moderated by Niseth Boerrigter, Director Fairs, Events and Special Logis cs APAC, Schenker Australia Pty Ltd, Australia May 27th: RECOVERY TALK 4“Why only “back to normal”, why not back to be er?”– Moderated by Garcia Newell, Business Development Manager, Agility Fairs & Events Logis cs Ltd, UK With the goal of promo ng best prac ces, the IELA RELOAD Programme is comprised of REGIONAL and WORKING GROUP TALKS. IELA invites industry partners to par cipate and exchange on their experience and possible solu ons strategies.

It will be of great importance to learn from colleagues beyond na onal borders in order to be able to create the global picture on differing frameworks and situa ons at both regional and na onal levels. As the industry representa ve of global exhibi on logis cs, IELA will hold these regional talks to reinforce the connec on between stakeholders of the industry and its partners. By giving a voice to all concerned, considerable local awareness can be boosted to iden fy viable solu ons during this cri cal me.

Specialising in experience at a global level, the first two regional talks will take a look at Asia Pacific and Europe. IELA invites industry partners from these regions to join the sessions.

The IELA TALK ASIA PACIFIC will be moderated by Ravinder Sethi, Chair of the IELA Commi ee, Execu ve Member & Interna onal Ambassador of the Indian Exhibi on Industry Associa on, and Chairman & Managing Director of R.E. Rogers India Pvt. Ltd. IELA TALK EUROPE will be moderated by Barbara Weizsaecker, Secretary General EEIA European Exhibi on Industry Alliance.

Global News

TCEB Launches Campaign To Strengthen MICE Entrepreneurs In Response To COVID-19 Outbreak entrepreneurs.

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he first called "Virtual Mee ng Space" (VMS) will help MICE entrepreneurs run business events online and re-skill their employees via virtual pla orms. The second, called "Simple Ways to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Your Mee ngs and Events", offers MICE venue owners and operators an incen ve to upgrade their safety and health standards. The two projects are in response to the business disrup ons brought about by COVID-19 and lockdown measures worldwide.

According to Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, TCEB President, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the postponement and cancella on of MICE events worldwide. Amidst the tough mes, online or virtual pla orms have become an alterna ve for events that can ensure business con nuity. Thai entrepreneurs need to adapt to such business pla orms.

In this respect, TCEB has designed two key projects. The first -- "Virtual Mee ng Space" (VMS) – is aimed at enabling Thai MICE entrepreneurs to con nue opera ng their business and to re-skill their employees.

Under VMS, TCEB will support three categories of virtual mee ngs: Webinar - TCEB will provide support in the prepara on and management of this online pla orm, including the prepara on and set-up of a studio for live streaming,

as well as technical co-ordina on and system monitoring during live streaming.

Organisers can run slide presenta ons during the session, enable interac on between par cipants and speakers, or conduct a Q&A or poll. Such sessions can cater up to 10,000 a endees at a me.

O2O (Offline to Online) - This pla orm is for trade exhibi ons. TCEB will support the arrangement and management of O2O pla orms for exhibitors, as well as live streaming" from either a studio or the organiser's venue. This includes sequencing, produc on, controlling, system monitoring during live streaming and technical prepara on. Exhibitors can showcase their ac vi es, products and services as needed. An online payment system can also be installed to boost sales.

E-Learning Pla orm - This is a pla orm for MICE entrepreneurs to re-skill or upskill their employees through six learning courses conducted by Southeast Asia Center (SEAC) on its YourNextU pla orm: 1. Project Management 2. Inter-personal Skills 3. Management 4. Communica on 5. Entrepreneurship and 6. Digital. These courses are available to 250 users from May to October 2020. Learners will receive a cer ficate from TCEB if they complete the course requisites. TCEB welcomes applica on from all MICE

For the second project, "Simple Ways to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Your Mee ngs and Events", aims to assist MICE venue operators to upgrade the safety standard of their facili es". TCEB will provide a 30,000-baht subsidy for each MICE venue to formulate and implement COVID-19 screening and preven on measures as s pulated by the Ministry of Public Health. Examples of these measures include the screening of body temperature before par cipa on, the screening of a delegate's travel history, the prepara on of hand-washing guidelines and supply of alcohol-based sani sers, and the prac ce of social distancing. This project aims to equip venues with the enhanced health and safety standards that clients will be demanding.

To be eligible for "Simple Ways to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Your Mee ngs and Events", a venue must hold a Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) cer fica on. Hotel applicants must be members of Thai Hotel Associa on (THA).

With an alloca on of 6,480,000 baht, the project run from April to June 2020 and will benefit up to 216 MICE venues na onwide.

"Apart from the two projects, TCEB has set up the TCEB COVID-19 Informa on Centre to serve the MICE community during this cri cal period. The centre's primary role is to monitor, compile and assess informa on on the pandemic, especially those that impact our MICE industry, and produce the necessary recommenda ons. The centre's secondary role is to update industry members on the COVID-19 situa on, such as government rules, regula ons and announcements, so that they are kept abreast of the latest developments," said Mr. Chiruit.

Global News

Cook & Associates Advances Event Evolu on With Exhibi on 3.0 Exhibi on 3.0 addresses the limita ons associated with conven onal one-way communica ons op ons, such as live streaming, by offering flexible mul - ered op ons, with each project being customdesigned to meet the brief, deliver on strategy and above all, ensure customer engagement and maintain the human touch.”

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nterna onal brand experience company Cook & Associates, has today unveiled a new event concept, Exhibi on 3.0, designed to combine the latest digital tools within a fully interconnected custom-designed event environment.

Represen ng a significant evolu on in strategic event management, Exhibi on 3.0 provides a powerful, flexible and costeffec ve solu on for online events, as well as a dynamically configurable complement to physical exhibi ons.

The result of intensive development and tes ng, Cook & Associates’ Exhibi on 3.0 por olio is suitable for a wide crosssec on of applica ons, from full-scale events for large audiences of 500+ to specialist training solu ons designed to overcome social distancing challenges and ensure that organisa ons can operate successfully. Exhibi on 3.0 incorporates proven digital tools in a uniquely customisable environment, with the comprehensive component op ons including fully interac ve live AR virtual stages, virtual collabora on spaces and mee ng places with different communica ons op ons, as well as VR

elements and customer-specific designed smart content. Each project is individually designed to deliver memorable experiences, secure brand engagement and provide a fully managed event solu on.

Kim Bradbury Cook & Associates’ Managing Director Exhibi on 3.0 represents a completely new approach to staging events, with the emphasis on connec ng people in the virtual world without losing the human touch, as Cook & Associates’ Managing Director Kim Bradbury explains: “Our clients rely on us to create compelling solu ons that deliver brand engagement and surpass expecta ons, whatever the event environment involved. Recent circumstances have reinforced the need for ingenuity and the ability to think out of the box, which is the driving force behind our Exhibi on 3.0 concept. Over the years, we have invested extensively in the development of interac ve brand ac va on tools, conceiving a hybrid combina on of customisable, easily configurable digital and face-to-face communica on op ons.

“In the absence of major events such as the Farnborough Interna onal Air Show this year, many of our clients are already turning to our Exhibi on 3.0 solu on as a genuinely dynamic and compelling alterna ve. Organisa ons benefit from the hallmark Cook & Associates’ blend of crea vity, inspira onal design, innova ve digital technology and execu on excellence. We are excited to be working on our first full-scale projects for delivery later this summer. We believe that Exhibi on 3.0 will become an important element in future event strategies, integra ng seamlessly with physical events to provide an exci ng new dynamic.”

The driving force behind Cook & Associates’ Exhibi on 3.0 development is a team of dedicated developers, marketeers and AV technologists, headed up by Brand Experience Architect Yvar Brouwer. Between them they share over 300 man-years’ exper se across a mul tude of disciplines and pla orms, working to create flexible and costeffec ve solu ons to help brands thrive in the digital era.

Cook & Associates has a long-standing track record as strategic exhibi on design and management partner, suppor ng leading blue-chip brands at aerospace and avia on events around the world. A key element involves innova ve design and execu on, integra ng new technologies that provide a cu ng-edge differen a on to clients’ exhibits. Underpinning the front-end delivery is an expert team that ensures seamless produc on with stable connec vity.

Global News

Apparel Tex le Trade Shows Expanding, Launching Virtual Event To Go Live May 25 a endees will also receive online links, catalogues, cer fica ons, and further informa on electronically. ATS-Virtual will feature apparel and tex le manufacturers’ interac ve booths stocked full of readyto-order apparel, tex les, home tex les and fashion accessories featuring:

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pparel Tex le Sourcing Trade Shows officially announces the addi on of Apparel Tex le Sourcing Virtual as their fourth trade show on the 2020 calendar.

The new event will take place from May 25 to 29, 2020. In a me when many event companies are cancelling, ATS is expanding and innova ng to meet the needs of their market.

The virtual event is a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ATS strategic response was to move the Apparel Tex le Sourcing Miami (ATSM) physical trade show from May 27-29 to November 11-13, and add the ATS-Virtual trade show from May 25-29. The May event evolu on to ATS-Virtual will now expand the audience reach to include global a endees from the United States, Canada, La n America, Europe, Australia, and more.

“The global pandemic demands business industry solidarity, speed, and a response,” said Jason Presco , CEO of JPC Inc. and producer of ATS Trade Shows.

“We first surveyed thousands of buyers and sellers and over 90% conveyed an eagerness to a end virtually. Then we engaged our B2B trade pla orms – TopTenWholesale.com and Manufacturer.com. We used these same large B2B pla orms to launch the ATS brand in 2016. Finally, we are subsidizing manufacturers from hard-hit regions to significantly lower their booth costs. We are here to support our community.”

Interna onal and domes c manufacturers will be able to interact with a endees live, via voice chat, WeChat or text. All

• Men’s, Women’s & Children’s • Denim, Linen, Knits, Synthe cs, Fibers & Blends • Formal, Ac ve, Leisure & In mates • Leather, Footwear & Hardware The Apparel Tex le Sourcing brand is built on connec ng buyers and sellers and on providing top-level content, seminars, and sessions to benefit a endees. ATS-Virtual will expand this philosophy by featuring live seminars from industry leaders focusing on the global supply chain perspec ve and shelter/rebound business strategies in the wake of the pandemic.

Featured ATS-Virtual speaker Avedis Sefarian, CEO of Worldwide Responsible Accredited Produc on (WRAP), the U.S.based non-profit social compliance organiza on with the largest independent facility cer fica on program in the world said “Now is definitely the me to introduce a virtual solu on to Apparel Tex le Sourcing Trade Shows. We are excited to par cipate and advocate. I look forward to it.”

Desi Jordanoff, Interna onal Trade Administra on / U.S. Department of Commerce Global Team Leader for Tex les, Apparel, & Spor ng, said: “It would be a good idea to be on the forefront of this development; people are able to purchase everything online without going to the brick and mortar stores. I don’t see why the companies can’t go this route.”

Invited a endees will include: • 5,000+ currently registered a endees for ATS-Miami 2020

• 3,000+ currently registered a endees for ATS-Canada 2020 • 12,000+ previous registered a endees from ATS-Miami 2018-19 • 21,000+ previous registered a endees from ATS-Canada 2016-2019 • 1,000,000+ buyers and brands on TopTenWholesale.com • 1,250,000+ buyers and brands on Manufacturer.com The first 30,000 a endees will have immediate access. The virtual event is spread out over five days to provide easy naviga on. Matchmaking professionals from TopTenWholesale.com and Manufacturer.com will be available to help connect any buyers and sellers. All seminars will be recorded and available.

Categories will be clearly defined and the manufacturers will be wai ng to answer any ques ons or fill any requests.

“We know digital works,” Presco said.

“Virtual will take me ge ng used to, especially for overseas producers to buy into the concept, but it’s here to stay.

Touch, texture and rela onships will never go away, but virtual is the natural evolu on.”

Apparel Tex le Sourcing tradeshows are supported in coordina on with a range of interna onal and domes c partnerships, including the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Tex le and Apparel (CCCT), TopTenWholesale.com, Manufacturer.com, the Bangladesh High Commission, The Export Promo on Bureau of Bangladesh, Trade Development Authority Pakistan, India Exhibi ons, PromPeru, Pro Colombia, ProNicaragua, Proesa, VESTEX, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Produc on, TESTEX, Miami Conven on & Visitors Bureau, Canadian Apparel Federa on, Canadian Merchandiser, Apparel Export Promo on Council, and The Sourcing Journal.

Global News

UFI Connects… On The Economy With Roger Mar n-Fagg The results: 10% - Y/V; 68% - U and 22% - L. Mar n-Fagg quickly took issue with those 68% inclined to think the U shaped recovery most likely. “I hope those who think it will be a U shape will be wrong,” he said.

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lobal associa on for the exhibi on industry, UFI’s series of online talks and sessions, UFI Connects, is proving a popular pla orm in these new mes. On 9 April behavioural economist Roger Mar n-Fagg gave ‘The Economist’s View Beyond Covid-19’ during a webinar moderated by UFI CEO/MD Kai Ha endorf.

Ha endorf welcomed all those tuning in and said: “Our need to learn is bigger than ever and UFI Connects serves as a proxy to do that while we cannot meet in person. www.ufi.org/UFIConnects has all previous sessions on demand as well as announcements for future sessions.”

Ha endorf reminded the audience that, in early February, UFI had run its annual CEO Summit in Rome – the associa on’s most recent physical event, where Mar nFagg had spoken and been rather upbeat about developments – with the proviso that Covid-19, s ll in its infancy, did not spread widely.

We all know that the scenario has accelerated in the wrong direc on since then, so what now economically?

To warm up the audience and test the waters, our UFI MD put out a short poll with the following ques on: ‘What type of economic recovery do you expect a er Covid-19 pandemic?’

Y or V shape (fast in fast out); 2. U shape (more extended process) or 3. L shape (recession)?

And, a er a basic micro lesson in macro economies, he outlined his own view of a likely far quicker recovery and central to that was, he said, what was happening to ‘real added value’. One difficulty in extrapola ng global lessons from Mar nFagg’s theories is that he draws heavily on UK data, which he knows well, while referencing other, mainly Western, economies. Provided one keeps this in mind the arguments and conclusions give plenty of general food for thought, but may not be applicable in the same degree in some more centralised and command economies around the world. Sales for most businesses, said Mar n-Fagg, were currently a disaster although there was some (Western) government support for wages.

Lockdown, he said, was affec ng 15% of the labour force in the EU, (a figure that seemed at least to this observer somewhat low). The majority of those, he contended, were young and low paid.

Mar n-Fagg illustrated the complexi es of measurement to reach any firm conclusions, poin ng out that measuring UK GDP over the next six months using the expenditure method would give a figure represen ng a drop of around 15%, yet if one used the yards ck of income it would only drop by 5%.

Sta s cians should try, he believed, to create an average, although he expected the media to report worst scenarios most prominently. Western governments were trying to maintain short-run economic ac vity, he pointed out, but much would

depend on how much money there was and how quickly it got spent. A normal recession, he said, came when the money supply contracts. And Mar n-Fagg likened money in this situa on to water going through a pipe – or rather in the coronavirus context, ge ng stuck in the pipe. Paradoxically, money is not being reduced in this pandemic, but actually government ac vity is increasing it, he noted. Adding to the problem is the fact that people can’t go out and spend.

There was, he said, a situa on with central banks effec vely “crea ng money out of thin air” and lending it to their governments. “Around $7 trillion of new money will enter the global economy over next 18 months,” said Mar n-Fagg, “and that is equivalent to 10% of global GDP flowing into businesses through wage support and loans to keep them liquid.”

There was a situa on brewing, Mar nFagg noted, where we keep paying employees even though they’re not doing any work. Incomes are being maintained [in some cases] while expenditure contracts. Many small businesses, of course, rely on cash flow and Mar n-Fagg said many were likely to go under unless lockdown is relaxed in the next month.

Tradi onally, he said that the biggest flow is household spending; the second being government spending; and third investment by businesses. In the current situa on, however, there is li le household spending, he said.

Mar n-Fagg’s op mism of a recovery process star ng as soon as the end of May springs from a belief that, as soon as lockdown is over, the economy will then manage to grow by the end of year. He based this theory on the “plenty of money” in various countries’ ‘pipes’ with s ll more being created by governments.

“All we need is for money to move through the pipe, for us to socialise and shop,” said Mar n-Fagg. The economist then explained that the Eurozone

Global News

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Covid’s effect, said Mar n-Fagg, was likely to be “considerable but short-lived”.

Like no other And this global recession is like no other, Mar n-Fagg summed up. It is not due to a shortage of income, it is due to a shortage of spending, he said.Looking at the exhibi on industry, the economist said there could be a more more pessimis c outcome than for the economy in general due to its dependence on interna onal travel. Ques ons such as, ‘were delegates coming from virus-free countries?’ needed to be taken into the equa on.

Purchasing Managers’ Index had reached its lowest ever seen, crashing to a figure of just 28. In the USA it had dropped to 38, with a massive collapse in March in both regions.

However, China’s manufacturing actually rebounded in March and is growing again.

Money is beginning to flow in the country whence the virus sprang. Key to any forecast, said Mar n-Fagg, therefore, is when countries release lockdown. He added into the mix the thought that peak hospitalisa on rates, in large parts of Europe at least, would come in the second half of April, although he foresaw that people could be released from lockdown by the end of May. Another complexity, said Mar n-Fagg, was that some countries used different mathema cal models for their calcula ons, with the Boston Consul ng Group’s model predicted Europe will only begin to emerge from lockdown at the end of July and Africa in August. Mar nFagg ruled out a prolonged L-shape recession completely, saying that such a scenario could only take place in Western economies when people save much more money because the value of their key asset (usually a house) is falling.

collapse in residen al property prices affects the situa on even more than stock market falls, he argued. But Mar n-Fagg doesn’t think house prices can fall. “Prices will s ck and that is the key reason there will not be an L shape,” he said.

While admi ng that varia ons in tradi ons and age demographics affected the picture in some countries, and he men oned Italy had more deaths than South Korea - possibly one factor being because of a more elderly popula on - he maintained that, “as soon as governments release lockdown economies will take off.

And, if UK can be released by the end of May it will save most small businesses”.

Touching on exchange rates, again Mar nFagg said the rela ve amount of money between Western countries would remain similar, despite release of new money.

The Russian rouble, however, he forecast to gather value.

Cas ng his gaze into 2021, Mar n-Fagg reminded, for context that, a er SARS, global growth didn’t collapse, although swine flu did seem to have more of an affect, possibly because the banking system collapsed around the same me.

The Zika virus effect on the economies, by comparison, was barely percep ble.

Shows that were dependent on local markets would face a different outlook and could be confident of coming back straight away, said Mar n-Fagg. And, in a nod to Asia Pacific, he said countries in that region would have the most headroom for fiscal expansion. There are three countries where Mar n-Fagg is predic ng a prolonged downturn, however. “The USA is going to suffer more than most,” he said, and gave two reasons: “Federal money seems to be going to Republican states. It is clear also that many Americans are ignoring isola on requests. This will result in con nuous spread [of the virus]. “India will have a tough me because income support schemes are non-existent and this affects some 45% of the popula on.

“The South African government seems also reluctant to act.” His conclusion was that we would see, over the next six months, GDP falls of 5-7% in most countries. But as soon as lockdown is over next year we will see growth of over 2%.

Issues for event organisers to consider hard over the next nine months or so, Mar n-Fagg listed, including the ques ons of ‘Do I have enough people?’

‘Is my supply chain organised well enough?’ and ‘Will infla on will take off due to money supply increase?’.

Challenges will, under such circumstances, likely include managing higher sales and automa ng processes, as well as finding newer ways of working.

Global News The UFI Connect session, as always, had me for a few ques ons, including one from Montgomery’s Chairman Sandy Angus who asked when liquidity would come back. “My experience is that people are very nervous and (the disease) will flare up again. Will it be a start-stop process?

“Nobody is paying anything now. We’ve had no money in for three weeks,” he added that he thought much depended on how quickly sen ment turned. He also asked Mar n-Fagg, what he thought would give people a sense of confidence?

Mar n-Fagg answered that it depended

on the sector. Restaurateurs were notoriously bad payers to suppliers, he said, but most businesses were using government schemes and ge ng money from banks and paying suppliers.

“They can only manage rates of pay out for the next couple of months,” he warned, however, saying that much also depended on media comment. “The sooner we get a date for end of lockdown confidence will return. If lockdown con nues we are then in trouble.”

Hugh Scrimgeour, CEO of Scrimgeour Capital, also weighed in with the view that, ‘The big thing is confidence. Whole

ranges of industries that will have a very difficult me. The exhibi on industry needs to focus on how we build confidence. It took two years before me lag ameliorated in the 1980s. With travel restric ons, I think we’re in for a long period of pain. We need incen ves for buyers.”

Mar n-Fagg conceded there may well be a longer lag in some areas and said that although na onal tradeshows could come back soon, he thought interna onal major events involving cross-border travel for a endees would take un l 2021 to return properly. So we wait – and hopefully act – and see.

ICCA Expects Hybrid Mee ngs To Significantly Increase : USD6 bn Worth Of Interna onal Associa on Mee ngs Cancelled Due To COVID-19 mee ngs to significantly increase in the future, which will no doubt also be a part of the solu on; but most importantly this crisis will show just how powerful and important live events and face to face gathering are to the hearts and minds of the people around the world.

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lobal challenges such as COVID-19 crisis do give an opportunity to be a part of the global solu on, say think tanks at Interna onal Congress and Conven on Associa on’s (ICCA).

Due to the significant uptake in home and remote working, ICCA expects hybrid

COVID-19 is s ll con nuing to affect ICCA members and associa ons, so to say poten ally USD 6 billion worth of interna onal associa on mee ngs being cancelled between 1 March and 1 September 2020, according to ICCA’s es mate. Economic impact of COVID-19 is demonstra ng the challenges ahead all across the globe.

As this figure just represents registra on fees and total delegate expenditure (flights, hotels, local expenditure) rather than addi onal direct or indirect expenditure there are many beyond our venues, des na on, supplier and PCO partners who are also suffering, not to men on the economic, scien fic and societal development driven by associa on mee ngs.

However, ICCA top officials say that business events, and especially associa on mee ngs, have always been facilitators of change. ICCA has already significantly increased its output of virtual events and online content to support its members and the Associa on Community, to keep on facilita ng knowledge sharing.

Ul mately, the mee ngs industry is gathering people in their home offices, living rooms and kitchens, and that ability to gather will not change.

“We will not only recover ourselves; we will be a part of the recovery,” says the official.

Global News

Global Exhibi ons Day (GED) to be celebrated on 3 June 2020

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FI, The Global Associa on of the Exhibi on Industry, has informed that the Global Exhibi ons Day (GED) will be celebrated on 3 June 2020. Global Exhibi ons Day (GED) is held annually on the first Wednesday of June. To make the biggest possible impact, Global Exhibi ons Day this year will focus on just one message: “Exhibi ons are keys to rebuilding economies.” The exhibi on industry represents business: big and small. It represents trade: global and local. It represents: star ng and renewing.

And it represents people close by and across the world.

So, GED is open to everyone interested in increasing the visibility of the Exhibi on Industry regionally and on a global scale.

In the previous edi ons, this ini a ve

mobilised thousands of industry professionals all over the world: associa ons, exhibi on organisers, venues, service providers, universi es and individual professionals, just to name a few.

The 41 GED partner associa ons under the UFI umbrella are: AAXO (South Africa), AEFI (Italy), AEO (UK), AFE (Spain), AFECA (Singapore), AFIDA (Colombia), AMPROFEC (Mexico), AOCA (Argen na), AUMA (Germany), CAEM (Canada), CEFA (Austria), CENTREX (Hungary), CFI (Italy), EEAA (Australia), EEIA/EMECA (Belgium), EFU (Ukraine), EXSA (South Africa), FAIRLINK (Sweden), FAMAB (Germany), HKECIA (Hong-Kong), IAEE (USA), IDFA (Germany), IECA (Indonesia), IEIA (India), IELA (Switzerland), IFES (Belgium), LECA (Lebanon), MACEOS (Malaysia), MFTA (Macao), PCEI (Poland), RUEF (Russia), SACEOS (Singapore), SCEIA (China), SECB (Singapore), SISO (USA), TECA (Taiwan),

TEA (Thailand), TFOA (Turkey), UBRAFE (Brazil) and UNIMEV (France).

This year the focus will be on the idea of connec ng, reconnec ng, star ng and rebuilding communi es and economies.

The industry wishes to promote the message that face-to-face exhibi ons are the fastest way to reconnect with marketplace, and that the connec ons made at exhibi ons will lead to the renewal of our economy. Towards this goal, UFI invited anyone in the exhibi on industry to get involved in the celebra on to promote the industry and exhibi ons as business pla orms.

Members can submit stories about their events. UFI wants to showcase how the connec ons at exhibi ons help to build our world. Professional from the industry will find GED visuals, infographics, logos and informa on in the online resource, which is updated regularly. The visuals, logos and social media guides can be used in campaigns and ac vi es.

MITEC Awarded Green Building Index Cer fica on

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iCo Milan Conven on Centre in Italy has deployed Shure’s ULX-D Digital Wireless and QLX-D wireless systems throughout an 18,000 seat, 65 room conference and exhibi on venue that occupies over 54,000 square metres of exhibi on space. Each year, the Venue, which hosts over 500 events, is part of the Fiera Milano Group.

It is one of the largest trade fair and

exhibi on organisers in the world and part of Fiera Milano Congressi, Italy’s leading interna onal conference centre operator and venue management company.

According to the Venue officials, the choice of wireless system was crucial for such venue, delivering best possible audio and intelligibility for the audience,

especially with so many devices in daily opera on throughout the venue space, as well as the poten al for DVB-T interference. One of the top priori es was to have a system that ensures the reliability of at least 100 channels in ac on within less than 48 MHz usable space, with high transmission power to ensure long distance coverage inside the main theatres. Enabled DANTE devices were also requested in order to match the exis ng audio network of the main rooms.

“The challenge of this project was the complex nature and sheer size of the project: more than 30 mee ng rooms. I asked the lead AV Microphones Technician to run a test in the MiCo space to try the sound quality and stress the RF reliability. I was impressed by the Shure wireless systems,” said Francesco Alafaci of the MiCo A/V Technical Department.

Global News

Virtual Accelera on

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ovid-19 will force systemic changes on the events industry. One already apparent is the headfirst rush to virtual.

Hundreds of brands are now running some kind of virtual offering in the vacuum formed by postponements and cancella ons.

Virtual is not new for conferences, as content is already largely replicable online and it is easy to follow the e-learning trend. But it is new for tradeshows and mee ngs-led events. The difference now is that users are ge ng crash courses in remote, organisers have to react with the cash cow of stand sales in suspended anima on and cri cally, the technology has improved substan ally.

Virtual is not new. UBM made much heralded a empts at virtual more than a decade back and a empted solu ons based on avatars, trying to make an event like a computer game also flopped. But the false starts of the past should not tarnish current thinking. Virtual is no longer just suited to those events which are more conference and content-led, or with publishing surround sound. Three core elements of face to face are now

more accessible electronically – connec on, product and mee ngs.

Connec ons can be suggested and managed through matchmaking solu ons; these already support the hard yards preevent for physical events - and they translate well to virtual. Products and suppliers can be served up and browsed through e-directory and marketplace pla orms. These have had some false starts and, with some excep ons, remain less developed by organisers; the technology works, it is mostly implementa on that has been the challenge. Mee ngs can be facilitated by robust broad-based pla orms such as Zoom and Whereby. Everyone is now ge ng used to these.

There are s ll plenty of challenges. With 4,000 event tech vendors, selec on can be a minefield. Integra ons are also not all straigh orward. Securing a endee sign up and engagement requires effort and resource. Execu on also requires new skills; preparing for and fixing problems onsite is different to online. As is the case with so much in tech, this calls for a culture that embraces innova on. Virtual

will not recreate the in macy of live and not all tradeshows will be immediate candidates for virtual, but examples of successes such as private viewings of art fairs and other cancelled events replica ng their main elements virtually will spread. Virtual will not be just about maintaining contact with communi es in the case of cancella ons. When normal business resumes virtual will have earned its place, extending reach both during and also between events.

Revenue genera on methods remain nascent; just as in the print to digital conversion that has played out, we are looking at ‘physical dollars and digital dimes.’ So, while to a large extent virtual supports the brand and keeps the database fresh, some sponsorship is available and in some cases content can be mone sed.

We will see other systemic changes in the industry. But we already know that virtual will be an opportunity, with its place in AMR’s Exhibi ons 2.0 framework. It will also be a threat for some organisers that are slow to adapt or for weaker events where value is ques oned.

Global News

Messe Frankfurt Throws Weight Behind UK Division

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esse Frankfurt, which played a key role in suppor ng the plans for tradefair recovery in Germany, is boos ng the sales and marke ng func on in the UK. Historically, Messe Frankfurt has relied on agents to help sell its 160 events in the UK and the move to bring the func on ‘inhouse’ signals the group’s long-term commitment to growing the interna onal

por olio and poten ally developing UK events. UK Managing Director Simon Albert (pictured) commented: “The decision by the board of management confirms their commitment to the UK exhibi on industry and strengthens our UK subsidiary. This is the latest step in our ambi on to develop further with the UK market.”

In the past, responsibility for outbound sales in the UK and Ireland had fallen to the official sales partner, Sherwood Event Services, but on 1 April, these ac vi es moved in house, along with the exis ng team.

Albert explained: “Remotely onboarding

six new staff with IT equipment, carrying out an induc on programme and ge ng to know them has been a challenge I had never come across previously in my career. “Communica on during the lockdown is so important, not only to work together efficiently, but also for mental wellbeing. As well as the more business related team conference calls, weekly a er-work video socials give the team a fun way to stay connected.”

On the announcement that tradefairs are to separated from 'mass gatherings' in Germany, Albert added: “It was fantas c news to hear about the news from the German government announcing Trade shows being separated from public gatherings - a huge boost to Messe Frankfurt. Fingers crossed the UK will follow suit." Once out of lockdown, the team will soon move to a new office near Guildford, UK.

MITEC Awarded Green Building Index Cer fica on

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also with strict inten ons to ensure that the development preserves the surrounding environment. Being awarded with the GBI status reassures us that we are on the right track in our efforts to leave posi ve footprints for the environment,” said Gunther Beissel, Chief Execu ve Officer of MITEC.

“From the start, MITEC is built with a vision for its func onality as Malaysia’s largest trade and exhibi on centre but

“I am thankful for the experts whom we have worked with, to cul vate a culture and knowledge of sustainable designs and the prac ce of efficiency when it comes to impac ng human health and the environment. I am also very proud of

he Malaysia Interna onal Trade & Exhibi on Centre (MITEC) further for fies its accolades with the latest success in obtaining the Green Building Index (GBI) cer fica on, awarded by the GBI Accredita on Panel.

MITECians who are very recep ve to the culture of preserva on, it is the li le habits in every day’s opera ons that count and make a great difference,” said Beissel.

He con nued to explain, “The benefits of a green and well-maintained building seeps through in many ways. Tangible advantages for a building include increased property value, increased employee produc vity and the pla orm for us to gain government and u lity incen ves.

These benefits will enable MITEC to do more for the community. At the end of the day, it is about reducing carbon footprints and spreading the word out efficiently as the Centre is a massive convening point for business events”

Global News

Hyve Launches £125m Rights Issue As It Tackles Covid-19 plc, commented: “We started this year in a very strong posi on. We reported strong like-for-like growth in Q1 and added two market-leading products, Shoptalk and Groceryshop to our por olio.

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lobal exhibi on organiser Hyve, which counts brands such as Spring Fair, Pure, Be , CWIEME and the Shoptalk and Groceryshop events in its por olio, has issued a £125m (US$154.6m) rights issue. Management took what it terms ‘decisive ac on’ along with new measures to reduce costs and manage cash and liquidity, as it ba les the effect on its business from the coronavirus outbreak.

In an interim report on 6 May, the company announced it had obtained waivers for the leverage ra o and interest cover covenants up to and including March 2022. Addi onal liquidity of £35m has been secured through deferrals of the next two term loan repayments un l December 2023, previously due in November 2020 and November 2021, condi onal on the successful comple on of the rights issue. The company’s interim results announcement clarified that Hyve’s Postponement Plan had moved 30 events to later this financial year, with 18 postponed to FY21 and 13 cancelled in this financial year. Talks were ongoing with venue owners to defer and rollover costs for postponed or cancelled events, the company said.

Hyve added that it was accelera ng its omni-channel strategy to connect with customers online, with Shoptalk leading

the way. Revenue in the interim report was down to £96.3m from £107.8m in 2019, impacted by various government restric ons connected to controlling coronavirus.

The company reported a statutory loss before tax of £168.3m (2019: profit of £1.9m), a er £166.8m of non-cash impairments, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The company suspended dividends. Hyve has also iden fied £10m worth of cost savings in FY 2020 (approximately £9m of which from HQ restructuring, non-staff savings and venue savings, and approximately £1m of which from reduced capital expenditure) and £42m in FY 2021 (approximately £40m of which from HQ restructuring, non-staff savings and venue savings, and £2m of which from reduced capital expenditure). The proceeds of the rights issue, the company said, would be used to reduce net indebtedness and provide working capital flexibility to the group to allow it to protect the value of its core events.

The rights issue, which is subject to shareholder approval at a General Mee ng on 27 May 2020, is fully underwri en by Numis (Corporate Broker), Barclays and HSBC. Mark Shashoua (pictured), CEO of Hyve Group

“When the pandemic began, we ini ated Project Fortress – Hyve’s immediate response to Covid-19 – leaving no stone unturned. We responded rapidly and decisively by rescheduling events, reducing our costs, managing cash and suppor ng our customers and people through this crisis. In these unprecedented circumstances we have done everything we can and at pace to protect the business. Today we have strengthened our financial posi on through a £126.6m fully underwri en rights issue, to provide addi onal security through this crisis and to support the long-term success of the business.

“Market-leading events act as a key trading pla orm for many industries and will play a vital role in reigni ng economies, and we are working closely with customers, government and industry bodies to make this happen. We have also accelerated our focus on building our omni-channel capabili es driven by the Shoptalk and Groceryshop acquisi on.

Digital will not replace face-to-face events, but it complements them with online ac vity that supports our customers year-round and maximises the profile of our brands. “Whilst the immediate impact of temporary government restric ons has been severe, we believe these are short-term challenges. Our strategy of building a por olio of market-leading events and the investment made over the last three years puts us in a strong posi on when we exit this crisis.”

Hyve group operates 133 events globally and, as at 31 March 2020, the group’s net debt was £177.6m rela ve to total commi ed facili es of £250m.

Global News

An Epidemiologist And An Exposure Scien st Explain: How To Stay Safe When Flying You’re going, now what?

If you choose to fly, check out airlines’ policies on sea ng and boarding. Some are minimizing capacity and spacing passengers by not using middle seats and having empty rows. Others are boarding from the back of the plane.

Some that were cri cized for filling their planes to capacity have announced plans to allow customers to cancel their flights if the flight goes over 70% passenger sea ng capacity. Federal and state guidance is changing constantly, so make sure you look up the most recent guidance from government agencies and the airlines and airport you are using for addi onal advice, and current policies or restric ons.

Excerpts from World Economic Forum's Recent Report We don’t know about you, but we’re ready to travel. And that typically means flying.

We have been thinking through this issue as exposure scien st and infec ous disease epidemiologist. We will walk you through our thought process on what to consider and how to minimize your risks.

Why the fear of flying?

The primary concern with flying – or traveling by bus or train – is si ng within six feet of an infected person. Remember: Even asymptoma c people can transmit.

Your risk of infec on directly corresponds to your dose of exposure, which is determined by your dura on of me exposed and the amount of viruscontaminated droplets in the air.

occupa onal health experts call the hierarchy of controls. This approach does two things. It focuses on strategies to control exposures close to the source.

Second, it minimizes how much you have to rely on individual human behavior to control exposure. It’s important to remember you may be infec ous and everyone around you may also be infec ous.

A secondary concern is contact with contaminated surfaces. When an infected person contaminates a shared armrest, airport restroom handle, seat tray or other item, the virus can survive for hours though it degrades over me. If you touch that surface and then touch your mouth or nose, you put yourself at risk of infec on.

The best way to control exposure is to eliminate the hazard. Since we cannot eliminate the new coronavirus, ask yourself if you can eliminate the trip. Think extra hard if you are older or have preexis ng condi ons, or if you are going to visit someone in that posi on.

Before you book, think While there is no way to make air travel 100% safe, there are ways to make it safer.

It’s important to think through the par culars for each trip. One approach to your decision-making is to use what

If you are healthy and those you visit are healthy, think about ways to subs tute the hazard. Is it possible to drive? This would allow you to have more control over minimizing your exposures, par cularly if the distance is less than a day of travel.

While this may sound counterintui ve, consider booking mul ple, shorter flights.

This will decrease the likelihood of having to use the lavatory and the dura on of exposure to an infec ous person on the plane. A er you book, select a window seat if possible. If you consider the six-foot radius circle around you, having a wall on one side would directly reduce the number of people you are exposed to during the flight in half, not to men on all the people going up and down the aisle.

Also, check out your airline to see their engineering controls that are designed or put into prac ce to isolate hazards. These include ven la on systems, on-board barriers and electrosta c disinfectant sprays on flights.

When the ven la on system on planes is opera ng, planes have a very high ra o of outside fresh air to recirculated air – about 10 mes higher than most commercial buildings. Plus, most planes’ ven la on systems have HEPA filters. These are at least 99.9% effec ve at removing par cles that are 0.3 microns in diameter and more efficient at removing both smaller and larger par cles.

Global News How to be safe from shu le to seat From checking in, to going through security to boarding, you will be touching many surfaces. To minimize risk: Bring hand wipes to disinfect surfaces such as your seat belt and your personal belongings, like your passport.

If you cannot find hand wipes, bring a small washcloth soaked in a bleach solu on in a zip bag. This would probably freak TSA out less than your personal spray bo le, and viruses are not likely to grow on a cloth with a bleach solu on. But remember: More bleach is not be er and can be unsafe.

You only need one tablespoon in four cups of water to be effec ve. Ÿ Bring plas c zip bags for personal items that others may handle, such as your ID. Bring extra bags so you can put these things in a new bag a er you get Ÿ

the chance to disinfect them.

Wash your hands or use hand sani zer as o en as you can. While soap and water is most effec ve, hand sani zer is helpful a er you wash to get any parts you may have missed. Ÿ Once you get to your window seat, stay put. Ÿ Wear a mask. If you already have an N95 respirator, consider using it but others can also provide protec on. We do not recommend purchasing N95 un l health care workers have an adequate supply. Technically, it should also be tested to make sure you have a good fit. We do not recommend the use of gloves, as that can lead to a false sense of security and has been associated with reduced hand hygiene prac ces. Ÿ

there are special considera ons. Ge ng a young child to adhere to wearing a mask and maintaining good hygiene behaviors at home is hard enough; it may be impossible to do so when flying. Children under 2 should not wear a mask. Each day, we are all constantly faced with decisions about our own personal comfort with risk.

Arming yourself with specific knowledge about your airport and airline, and maximizing your use of protec ve measures that you have control over, can reduce your risk.

A good analogy might be that every me you get in the car to drive somewhere there is risk of an accident, but there is a big difference between driving the speed limit with your seat belt on and driving blindfolded, 60 miles an hour through the middle of town.

If you are thinking about flying with kids,

Virtual v Live - A Real Life Debate

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in this industry and someone who was vehemently against virtual all along, I have modified my thoughts on it. I have not changed as virtual can never replace the face to face value of mee ng people at live events. I have seen 20-30 a empts at virtual shows over the last 20 years plus and none of them have worked and if I am honest have not seen a massive amount recently that will change my mind, however I am open to seeing what value it can create.

As someone who has spent over 25 years

For me, the worlds of digital and live are going on the same path and have many of the same goals but up to now have simply been on different roads albeit going the same direc on. If CV19 has taught us anything in the Exhibi on world, it`s that we need to work closer together in the

he world has changed, business has changed and nowhere is this more obvious than in the world of Exhibi ons.

As Social Distancing becomes the new norm and the fear that we will never get F2F again looms a lot of people are looking to the virtual world of Exhibi ons.

The burning ques on remains will they work?

future for the be er good of the important person in this equa on…The visitor. And I think we will. However, if people suggest that live exhibi ons won`t come back or that virtual will replace them, they are living in cloud cuckoo land.

The real strategy is to look at what both can offer each other and to work together for the greater good of the industry. There is not an exclusive but rather a way we can co-exist.

In brief, Digital offers a great opportunity to do something different and poten ally open shows to a far greater audience in one respect whereas live has the personal touch that digital just cant offer. For me I see virtual as the icebreaker and live as the close in sales. We need to embrace digital to develop stronger rela onships that will then ul mately be taken offline onto the show floor. This is the real power of these 2 industries coming together.

So, what are the pros and cons of each medium?

Global News

Monday Easing On The Way cha stressed the need for relevant agencies to remain vigilant and follow up on the results of the lockdown easing.

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rom Monday, the lives of people in the country will inch closer to normal as movie theatres, beauty parlours, fitness clubs, sports fields, recrea onal ponds, ballroom dancing venues, conven on halls and zoos will be allowed to reopen.

the Health Department, said on Friday that up to two people would be allowed to sit next to each other, but any individual or couple would need three seats between them and the next person or pair in the row.

The curfew will also be shortened to 11pm to 3am from June 1.

“This is to keep customers apart, as they will be watching a movie for two to three hours," Dr Panpimol said. While inside the theatre, ea ng and drinking will be prohibited and face masks must be worn, she said. Shopping malls will be able to remain open un l 9pm. Exhibi on and conven on halls can also stay open un l 9pm, but ac vity space at each will be limited to 20,000 square metres.

Hairdressers will be allowed to dye hair in addi on to hair cu ng, washing and drying but their services are s ll capped at two hours and customers are not allowed to wait on the premises. Child daycare centres can open only for the prepara on of food and drinks for parents to take home to their children.

Gen Somsak Roongsita, secretary-general of the Na onal Security Council, said on Friday that school buildings can reopen for admission examina ons and short training sessions, but not for normal classes.

Private tui on schools for voca onal training, arts and sport, however, can reopen. His comments were delivered at a mee ng of the Centre for Covid-19 Situa on Administra on (CCSA), chaired

by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, where the lockdown-easing recommenda ons were endorsed by a commi ee tasked with evalua ng the measures.

Meanwhile, cinemas will reopen with restric ons.

Thailand plans ‘travel bubbles’ when borders reopen Ÿ Thailand plans ‘travel bubbles’ when borders reopen Ÿ 1 new Covid death Panpimol Wipulakorn, director-general of Ÿ

Fitness clubs in and outside malls will reopen from June 1 but visitor numbers will be limited and sauna services are s ll suspended. Permission for inter-provincial trips will remain at the discre on of governors, Gen Somsak said. But the ban on entry into the country by land, air, and water remains in effect. During the mee ng, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-

As for prepara ons for the reopening of schools, Gen Prayut said that the Covid-19 crisis is a blessing in disguise as it has provided the opportunity to develop online learning tools so students in rural and/or remote areas can s ll have access to educa on. He also said that if the third phase of lockdown easing yields sa sfactory results, he will consider li ing the state of emergency. The CCSA also agreed in principle with the NSC chief's proposal that a commi ee be set up to consider which law will be used as an alterna ve to managing the pandemic when enforcement of the emergency decree is li ed on July 1. The commi ee will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.

Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Sukhum Karnchanapimai also said at the mee ng that the outbreak in Thailand has slowed as infected pa ents are all overseas returnees. He added that a survey by the ministry had found that the public's vigilance against the disease has dropped although people con nue to wear masks. Interprovincial-travel has shot up, with 26% of respondents engaging in such travel last week, as social gatherings have increased in frequency, said Dr Sukhum. The survey also found that most people visited venues that are essen al for everyday life such as markets, supermarkets, workplaces, hospitals, eateries and barbers, he said.

The CCSA on Friday reported 11 new cases of Covid-19, all returnees from Kuwait.

CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the returnees were of working age and were either asymptoma c or had mild symptoms. The total number of local Covid-19 cases is 3,076. Of these, 2,945 (96%) have recovered and 74 remain in hospital. The death toll is unchanged at 57.

Global News

Twelve Weeks A er Ini al Measures First Affected The Italian Exhibi on Industry, It's Time To Make A Second Evalua on.

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ut not the exhibi on industry.

Exhibi on ac vity in Italy remains on lockdown. Events drew to a halt in February, ini ally in Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna with regional measures, and then across the whole of Italy.

Some exhibi ons were forced to interrupt their prepara ons, while others got as far as se ng up the booths before being cancelled.

And yet the 4,200,000 square metres of exhibi on space have not been closed, lights off, wai ng for condi ons to improve so as to allow for a reopening. On the contrary, the Italian exhibi on industry has been very busy on various fronts in recent months. Italian exhibi on industry efforts Firstly, the exhibi on industry has helped our country in an emergency situa on, transforming venues into hospitals, shelters for the homeless, logis cal handling centres and emergency healthcare units.

ac vate new contacts in real me. In some cases this has resulted in brand new ini a ves. In browsing some of our associates' websites, we can see some of the different solu ons adopted for operators and the public. Mercante in Fiera for example, which should have taken place in Parma in early March, put together 'Mercanteinfiera a portata di mouse' in record me, opening to operators and a global public via the mercanteinfiera.it pla orm, the an que works of art and vintage objects transferred from a physical space to the on-line world.

Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF), the most important exhibi on for the exchanging of rights on the children's publishing market, ini ally scheduled for March and then postponed, was eventually cancelled for this year as a result of the Covid-19 emergency.

BolognaFiere therefore decided to bring the business, atmosphere, content and opportuni es the exhibi on presents for trade professionals on-line, with the crea on of a 'virtual BCBF': the centre of this virtual fair consisted of the Bologna Children's Book Fair Global Rights Exchange, a hub for the exchange of rights on-line which will remain open all year long.

All this without neglec ng its core business, or rather the organisa on of a new calendar and the rescheduling of exhibi ons. Ini al rescheduling only involved events in April and May, but has gone on to include other events scheduled to take place in subsequent months.

Organisers are nevertheless conscious that it would not be ideal to lose the year altogether. Not so much for themselves, but for all the sectors represented.

Anyone who understands what goes into planning an exhibi on, both in terms of the organisers' and assemblers' efforts as well as ac vity to provide related services, will know that it takes a year. Restricted planning me makes for very different costs.

While wai ng for its next event in late August, and in considera on of its public, RiminiWellness has come up with #RWatHome. The website features a 'virtual gym' that engages users with training programmes, ideas for home fitness equipment, ps on nutri on and food supplements so that enthusiasts can stay healthy while staying at home.

A desire to salvage the work companies have put into presen ng their new products and services has resulted in a real drive to find virtual alterna ves. These solu ons have undoubtedly boosted rela ons between operators and offered the possibility to view innova ons and

These examples, along with many others, prove that the digital exhibi on is posi vely regarded as an important integra on to the tradi onal exhibi on, an ideal dimension in which to highlight the quality of Italian products and all that is Made in Italy.

Research, in-depth analysis and safety protocols The lockdown has also given us me to look into new models and new market opportuni es; hence, there has been significant research that highlights changes regarding consump on and operators, the ini a ves and formulas to be tested, the events that an cipate trends and tendencies ahead of the newlook exhibi on.

This period has also served as an opportunity to adapt exhibi on structures, organisa on and access methods so that they play an ac ve part in containing Covid-19.

Firstly, exhibi on district management teams, in their role as employers, have made the necessary adjustments so as to adhere to the prescribed measures and laws in force in Italy. Covid-19 containment measures relevant to exhibi ons have also been iden fied, measures that conform with current legislature and the indica ons received from health authori es. All this work is now being considered by the authori es that will make the decision regarding a reopening.

Conclusions The exhibi on industry has shown great commitment to both tackling and overcoming the emergency, and making its own contribu on towards a safe relaunch, taking on extensive work in terms of studying and implemen ng the rela ve Protocol.

A er such a significant crisis, which is also financial in nature, this shop window for excellence - a business pla orm and important link to the regions - will be more important than ever before, serving as a fundamental tool with which to get the market moving again and create value for our country and our businesses.

The Italian exhibi on industry is now ready to contribute to relaunching the country, adver sing Italian talent and work to the world and bringing Italy to the World and the World to Italy once more

Global News

PATA: Asia Pacific Visitor Numbers Likely To Reduce By 32% In 2020

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nder the newly updated forecasts from the Pacific Asia Travel Associa on (PATA), the most likely scenario for interna onal visitor arrivals into and across Asia Pacific in 2020 is that visitor numbers are likely to reduce by 32% year-on-year. Taking into account the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of arrivals is now expected to reduce to fewer than 500 million this year.

That effec vely takes visitor volume back to levels last seen in 2012. At this stage, growth is expected to resume in 2021,

returning to forecast levels by 2023.

Much of course, depends on how quickly and completely the COVID-19 pandemic is contained and controlled. A more op mis c scenario suggests arrivals s ll falling in 2020 but by 16% year-on-year while a pessimis c narra ve predicts a reduc on of approximately 44%.

The impacts are expected to be most severe in Asia, especially Northeast Asia, which is now predicted to lose almost 51% of its visitor volume between 2019 and 2020 (most likely scenario), followed

by South Asia with a reduc on of 31%, and then Southeast Asia with a 22% drop in visitor arrivals. West Asia is projected to lose almost six percent in visitor arrivals, followed by the Pacific with a projected contrac on of 18%, and the Americas with a loss of a li le under 12%.

Recovery rates rela ve to 2019 are expected to occur in most des na on regions/sub-regions in 2020, however, Northeast Asia is likely to take a li le longer and exceed the 2019 volume of arrivals in 2022.

The same is essen ally true for visitor receipts as well as they are expected to drop by 27% between 2019 and 2020 under the most likely scenario, reducing to US$594 billion, significantly below the original 2020 forecast of US$811 billion.

Asia is expected to lose more than US$170 billion (-36%), with Northeast Asia predicted to lose more than US$123 billion (-48%) under this most likely scenario, followed by South Asia with a US$13.3 billion loss (-33%) and Southeast Asia with a US$34.6 billion shor all (20%). The Americas is projected to lose more than US$35 billion (-13%) and the Pacific US$18 billion (-18%).

Messe Frankfurt UK Takes On Interna onal Event Por olio acquisi on in 2018, and now adds the sales of Messe Frankfurt’s en re por olio of shows as a string to its bow.

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esse Frankfurt UK has this month grown to incorporate the sales and marke ng of the full interna onal por olio of the organiser’s 160 events into their team, based near Guildford, Surrey. Download press material Under the leadership of Simon Albert, the Messe Frankfurt UK subsidiary has been responsible for the organisa on of Automechanika Birmingham since its

In the past, responsibility for outbound sales in the UK and Ireland have fallen to the official sales partner, Sherwood Event Services, but on April 1st, these ac vi es moved in house, along with the en re exis ng team.

Managing Director Simon Albert commented “The decision by the Board of Management confirms their commitment to the UK exhibi on industry and strengthens our UK subsidiary.

This is the latest step in our ambi on to develop further with the UK market.” It’s

been an unusual me for such a change, as just weeks before the handover was due to take place, the country went in to lockdown, and offices everywhere had to close.

Albert explained “Remotely onboarding 6 new staff with IT equipment, carrying out an induc on programme and ge ng to know them has been a challenge I had never come across previously in my career!” “Communica on during the lockdown is so important, not only to work together efficiently, but also for mental wellbeing.

As well as the more business related team conference calls, weekly a er-work video socials give the team a fun way to stay connected” says Albert. Once out of lockdown, the team will soon move to a brand new office near Guildford, UK.