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and then one main project based on a briefing from an exhibition organiser .” Much like Heinemann , Zanin says there is an increasing amount of importance given to the digital side of things : “ Accademia has always dedicated many hours to a digital laboratory but this year it has grown even more . We invited many guests to share their experience and case studies on how they were able to create value with digitalisation . In the future we want to develop our lessons on digital event production .”
UFI ’ S CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
For exhibition industry professionals who want
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their own lessons on digital event production ( without the need to brush up on their Italian ), UFI ’ s Certified Professional training now gives them a way to do so . The training courses offer a variety of modules on live and digital events , which can be worked through in your own time . The courses have been vetted by experts from UFI ’ s global community of eventprofs , and provide a symbol of quality for those who complete them . Angela Herberholz , programme manager for education and working groups at UFI , says the courses have four main goals : “ Tailored educational experiences to foster an agile workforce ; structured opportunities to expand industry expertise ; |
improving employability and enriching industry networks .” Training and upskilling staff will be crucial for businesses in the events industry moving forwards . The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a shake-up of existing positions , and the pivot to digital has caused a surge in demand for soughtafter technical skills . I asked Robert Heinemann what he thought would be the most important kinds of training that the industry needs in 2021 and beyond . He said : “ how to onboard new employees remotely , and how to manage customers and exhibitors onsite and virtually at the same time .” According to Heinemann , companies that were already providing workplace training before the |
pandemic are set up for post-pandemic success . Those which were not , however , may be in for a shock . “ Those companies who missed this part of enabling the workforce might have learned now how important it is ,” he says . “ They definitely should increase their efforts and budgets for workplace training .” This sentiment is echoed by Cinzia Zanin , who highlights some of the crucial skills the industry is missing : “ In times of crisis , people tend to be more careful when choosing their future career . The exhibition industry needs to develop a long-term strategy to attract talent with skills that are not organisational ( such as sales , IT , UX designers etc ). As an industry , we need to communicate more and show that during these last two years we have continued to discuss and experiment .” Rather than focusing on the negatives , however , Zanin sees this as an opportunity . When asked what message she would give to a young person thinking of joining the industry , she says : “ This is the best time to join the exhibition industry . People will come back , and we will gather again face-toface , but the last couple of years have taught us many important lessons . “ Thanks to technology and design thinking , exhibitions will have the opportunity to change , and we will need new skills . I am really excited to see how our industry will evolve .” |
58 — June |