Opinion
Recognise us!
Rachel Parker, director at the Association of Event Venues (AEV)
vents her frustration at the government’s lack of understanding
of the exhibition industry
We often hear the term disruptor
used in marketing and event
circles but who could foresee the
greatest disruptor in a generation, and
its effects upon our industry. The effect
of the virus on the exhibition industry
has been all-pervading, no part of it
has been left untouched. There will be
numerous casualties, be they individual
jobs, companies or venues, and the post
Covid-19 landscape will undoubtedly
look very different from that which
welcomed in the new decade.
The sheer scale of the impact has
caused everyone to have a major rethink
about how exhibitions are going to be
delivered in the future, and whether
they will ever return to the relatively
relaxed and carefree events they once
were.
There was the immediate clarion
call of the tech sector, and the rise
of proposed virtual exhibition
solutions, offering to fill the gap left
by the cancellation of exhibitions.
For a medium that is serendipitous in
nature, online is not its natural habitat,
however, some events may cross over
and possibly stay virtual, but most
exhibitions will inevitably return to
being a people meeting people in a
venue experience.
Where else can visitors have a chance
to meet, touch, feel, smell and taste
what is around them? Exhibitions
engage all the senses and they offer
the “come and see this” factor when
visited in groups. The whole experience
is visceral but the lasting question
is how much of this will we have to
rebuild once lockdown is lifted for
the exhibitions sector (and, with good
fortune, it may have already happened
by the time this article reaches print)?
However, despite the industry
associations harnessing the best
brains in the sector to create workable
guidance that will allow the opening
of exhibitions, and the ceaseless
efforts to ensure that the government
is aware of the scale of the sector and
the economic impact, that government
remains reticent to give us a ‘go-live’
date. And, while government offers
succour to the hospitality, hotels and
catering industries, it signally fails to
realise that, in many locations, these
very industries have located themselves
strategically around exhibition venues
to capitalise upon the millions of
attendees, exhibitors, organisers and
suppliers that create the exhibition
economic ecosystem.
Government has also failed to realise
that the customers who frequent
businesses in the sectors being opened
up need to have income with which to
pay for goods and services; over 600k of
these people work within our sector.
Exhibitions connect industries, buyers
and sellers, makers and consumers, it
is the engine room at the heart of our
economy. Some challenges will remain
if some of the Nightingale Hospitals
remain in place - reduced capacity may
require some very creative thinking
but that is what we do best - give us a
problem and let us fix it.
Once we have exited this pandemic
we, as an industry, need to ensure that
we are better known to the government,
highly visible and that we remain vocal
about our importance to UK plc. I hope
that by the time you read this we have
approved guidance and a ‘go-live’ date.
16 — August