AIPC
Convention Centres: New
Roles, New Expertise
AIPC PRESIDENT ALOYSIUS ARLANDO ILLUMINATES HOW MANY CENTRES
ARE RE-ENGINEERING THEIR ROLES IN THE COMMUNITY AND THINKING
t what is likely to be seen as
the height of the Covid-19
pandemic, centres around
the world are engaging
with clients and communities in some
very different ways – all of which will
leave them better positioned to play their
role in driving not only industry
recovery but recovery in all those other
areas – economic, professional,
educational and social – that will be so
desperately needed to return to some
form of normalcy.
Globally, they are repurposing to
engage in emergency and overflow uses
that are becoming essential to how
communities respond to the immediate
demands of the crisis – not only as
hospitals but staging areas, testing
facilities, emergency accommodation and
critical storage. The lessons they learn
will enable them to better accommodate
future events where security and health
confidence will be an essential
component of giving nervous delegates
the confidence they will need to
re-engage.
At the same time, they are redeploying
and maintain many services that would
otherwise risk the kind of deterioration
that many businesses are likely to
experience in a world of enforced
reductions in activities. Kitchens are
serving larger community and
emergency health needs, exhibition
set-up crews are creating hospital rooms
from modular hard-wall supplies;
electricians are wiring new medical
facilities – all resources that will be
needed to re-build event capabilities once
the wave has passed.
How else will centres be better
prepared to a return of business?
First, they will have fine-tuned
policies and resources to manage events
safely in the face of ongoing health and
safety concerns. These in turn will be
closely tied into other local resources that
For further
information, visit:
www.aipc.org
Below: AIPC
President
Aloysius Arlando
24 /
CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
/
ISSUE 106
are not necessarily available or even
known to organisers.
Second, they will have gained even
more experience and insights into how
their venue facilities and service
resources can be used to greater
advantage. This means they can suggest
new ideas, including in areas like social
distancing and other protocols that are
becoming more important under what
will likely be ongoing expectations. It
also means they will have insights into
how events may be reconfigured to
better accommodate different event sizes
and formats that may be part of a
transition moving forward.
Third, they will be on top of a supplier
situation that is likely going to be very
different than in the past as many
companies experience staff reductions
and changes arising from the economic
impacts that are accompanying the
pandemic. This may well result in
changes of both products and
relationships, and here again centres are
going to be in the best possible position
to advise on local and regional resources,
based on their ongoing experiences with
other clients and events on their
premises.
Finally, centres and their technical and
AV suppliers will have had a lot of
opportunity to advance their knowledge
and capabilities around the requirements
of hybrid and remote meetings and
content. The demand for webinars and
other interactive components was already
growing rapidly before the pandemic, but
is likely to be even more important
moving forward. Here again the centre
will be well equipped to deliver the best
possible advice and services.
At a time when many parts of the
global economy are slowing or already
dormant, centres are carrying on and
learning in the process. As a result, they
will be in the best possible position to
help organisers respond to the kinds of
adaptations that will be needed to restore
the industry to full strength and
organisers should be planning how best
to utilise this as we all move forward.