Safer operations
The risk of litigation can be often under underestimated in the world of exhibitions . With the help of operations experts , Martin Fullard learns about a solution by Catenae Innovation
For an industry which is generally inherently risk-averse , the exhibitions sector is , in some corners , more analogue than many would believe . Yes , we use technology for our registration , and now we can stream our events and engage a remote audience . The user experience side of things is very much in the ascendency and it ’ s something most have embraced . But , to a point , it masks the less attractive – but just as important – backroom technology . It is often invisible , but have you wondered how you stay on top of who is building your event – not the contractor businesses , but the people themselves ? Or what about safety checks ? How are these logged and recorded ? Life isn ’ t always glamorous , and when something goes wrong it is usually the result of a chain of events . So , perish the thought , if something fails , like a piece of equipment or an exhibition stand , do you have enough evidence to support yourself in court ?
These are scary questions , but they are equally very real . To understand more about how the physical operations and health and safety of an event crew can be managed , I spoke to a company called Catenae Innovation , which through the use of blockchain technology , can effectively safeguard both your reputation and , more importantly , people ’ s safety . Blockchain , for the uninitiated , basically means that historical records are kept which cannot be altered , only added to . For example , if you send a technician to repair light rig 1A , the record of his repair on 1A will be kept forever . It can ’ t be changed . If he goes back to make another repair , that is added to the chain , it does not erase what went before it . To add another dimension , Catenae Innovation can also handle Covidstatus certification . So long as the NHS opens it data channel for sharing – which it must do if Covid- status certification is mandated by Government – then Catenae ’ s platform can manage it . It is a resource that is compliant and could prove invaluable as an immediate helper should we get a short-notice announcement . Returning to operations , we all know a show build is a stressful exercise , with multiple stands going up simultaneously together with riggers , scaffolders and electricians . If not managed properly , things can go wrong . To help understand the pain points , we drafted in the help of two operations managers , Kayleigh Williams and Tabitha Neill , to ask questions of Catenae Innovation ’ s Nick Delacamp and Guy Meyer .
Q & A
Q : KW : How does it work it terms of contractors ? As organisers we employ contractors who in turn manage their own staff . Therefore , as organisers we
24 — June