Exhibition News April 2020 | Page 13

News Focus The 2020 EN Awards will be in July The industry will come together, not now, but later this year A casualty among many in the wake of the coronavirus, the EN Awards will now take place on the 10 July, at Evolution London. The decision to postpone the awards was tough decision, as the awards have run for 13 years without interruption, but an obvious one for Mash Media’s directors. The event industry is one that has been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is hoped that the awards will allow all those who attend to come together and celebrate our industry, especially its resilience in the face of adversity. The EN Awards will return, stronger and more united alongside the industry. EN editor Saul Leese explains: “Very few people are immune to the devastating effects the virus has had on our industry. We’ve been working non-stop to do everything we can, alongside some incredible people, to ensure that your voice is heard both by government and people across the industry. “Every day presents a new challenge for all of us and this thick fog will lift in time and our industry will bounce back. It doesn’t change what is happening to each and every one of us but when the time is right, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, start rebuilding what we’ve lost and raise a glass to the people who will make a difference to the future.” EN portfolio director Duncan Siegle said: “We find ourselves in uncharted waters and are facing significant uncertainty in life generally, as well as the exhibition and events markets. We felt that the awards would have been a good opportunity for the industry to come together, and celebrate our successes, however, the health and safety of our attendees is of paramount importance and there is far too much risk associated with holding a public event. “Our plan at Mash Media is that by postponing the awards, we will give our industry the time it needs and create the ideal opportunity for us all to celebrate our achievements together. We are very fortunate to have Evolution London and Smart Group as our venue partner who have worked with us to support the postponement and secure a new date for this amazing industry event to take place.” EN The awards, were originally scheduled to take place on 20 March, and will now take place on 10 July at Evolution London. “We will give our industry the time it needs and create the ideal opportunity for us all to celebrate our achievements together” April — 13