Interview |
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felt like we had created a platform for one big reunion and customers were extremely grateful for that . People had been apart for too long . Yes , they could gain CPD points from virtual conferences or set up Zoom calls to look at new products , but it ’ s just not the same . The sheer joy on the faces of visitors and exhibitors was plain to see .
LD : Did you face any challenges in the operations
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of the events , maybe with regards to Covid-secure guidance ? AJ : Pre-show , we had some exhibitors and visitors question the policy as they could not find it on the Government website and therefore felt we might put off people attending as there were fewer restrictions in other public places . We simply said that while no environment could be |
billed as ‘ Covid free ’, after 18-months of no live events , we wanted to create as safe an environment as possible , so we required proof of vaccine or a negative lateral flow test . We had few issues onsite with these measures and virtually everyone complied . We even used a few hundred tests on-site for unvaccinated people who had not done a test and the |
NEC worked hard with our teams to ensure this process was hassle-free . I believe most of society are accepting of these measures if it means they can get back to face-toface business .
LD : Considering travel restrictions , has your show ’ s international draw changed your strategy on the domestic market or how you engage with international stakeholders ?
AJ : Our NEC events do have an international draw , although they are largely domestic . In fact , more international exhibitors attended than we forecasted this year , and some chose to roll their contracts to 2022 . We did organise some virtual and face-to-face meetings for international visitors at The International Security Expo , which took place from 27-28 September at Olympia London , as this event has more of an international focus . This was received extremely well , and we plan to roll this out across all our events next year . EN
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“ During the pandemic , we were brave , took risks and kept the team together .” |
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Autumn — 29 |