Conference & Meetings World Issue 106 | Page 3

Leader We are like the Higgs Bosons of industrial trade and knowledge exchange – an unseen glue From marketplaces to healing places Managing editor, Paul Colston ‘What did you do in Covids 1-18, it’s really boring?’ I heard a young girl ask her mother recently. It cracked a rare smile in these dark times at least. My own six weeks (and counting) of lockdown working from home has taught me a lot more about the resilience of our eventprofs around the world and the unquenchable desire and need to meet, albeit at the moment via platforms like Zoom. I have had more chats with industry leaders and discussed more industry issues than ever, ironically, possibly due to fewer distractions, but also because we are all thirsty for answers and crave MANAGING EDITOR PAUL COLSTON [email protected] GLOBAL ACCOUNT DIRECTOR IAIN STIRLING [email protected] GRAPHIC DESIGNER KATERYNA SMIRNOVA [email protected] CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SIMON GEORGE RAMY SALAMEH PRODUCTION MANAGER ELIZABETH NIXON CIRCULATION MATTHEW WILLIAMS measuring our understanding against that of our peers. Nothing beats face-to-face, I think we all agree, but we must make the most of our situation, using the time wisely – maybe to think of new marketing campaigns and how we will adapt to whatever ‘new normal’ is to come. Our meetings and events industry is gaining a clear identity at least, partly because of lobbying, but I think, crucially, because we are noticed by our absence. We are like the Higgs Bosons of industrial trade and knowledge exchange – the unseen glue that binds the supply PRINTED BY PENSORD MASH MEDIA GROUP LTD 2ND FLOOR APPLEMARKET HOUSE, 17 UNION STREET, KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES KT1 1RP TEL: [phone] FAX: [phone] EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: WWW.C-MW.NET @CM_WORLD chain, product development process and sales marketplace. Some of our marketplaces have been turned into healing places to meet the demands of our governments in battling Covid-19, and the skilled staff there have put their shoulders to the wheel of the common good, as our reports on the emergency hospitals show. Let society remember what we do in our ‘day jobs’ when we reach that ‘new normal’. Stay safe. © COPYRIGHT CONFERENCE + MEETINGS WORLD ALL MATERIAL PUBLISHED IN CONFERENCE + MEETINGS WORLD IS COPYRIGHT AND REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF THE PUBLISHERS. NO MATERIAL MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHERS. THE PUBLISHERS DO NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS, NOR DO THEY ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INTERPRETATION IN THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS PUBLICATION. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED, STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, OR BE TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM BY ANY MEANS ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING OR OTHERWISE WITHOUT THE PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHERS. ISSUE 106 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 3