Exhibition News May 2020 | Page 6

News NEWS IN BRIEF Diversified Communications and IFEMA, the joint organisers of Organic Food Iberia and Eco Living Iberia, confirmed that this year’s event has sadly been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will now run in June 2021 at Ifema – Feria de Madrid The Executive Committee of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), organiser of the World Expo, has unanimously agreed to propose the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai by one year to 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022. The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that for the next twelve months all London Fashion Weeks will merge womenswear and menswear into one gender neutral platform. Dzine Furniture Hire International has made use of furniture sitting in its warehouse by offering it to NHS frontline hospitals battling Covid-19. The company, which has supplied Mobile World Congress, Cannes Lions and Sibos London, loaned the furniture to Leighton Hospital earlier this week. Betsy Vickery, MD of Dzine said: “Our furniture is currently just sitting in our warehouse and we really want it to be put to good use.” 06 — May The month at a glance The stories, topics and trends making headlines in recent weeks The Ops Foundation launches at ExCeL EventShaper is launching a new four-day event for junior operational staff at ExCeL London later this year. The course is designed to give students essential professional development in the field of event operations. They’ll learn from experts in the field and be guided through all technical aspects showing students where mistakes can be made and how to avoid them. If you’re interested in either the Summer course (dates TBC) or the Winter session, 30 Nov – 3 Dec, go to www.opsshaper.uk or email lou@opsshaper. uk Prysm launches four new shows in lockdown The Prysm Group has launched four new trade shows in London and Las Vegas since going into lockdown, with further launches in Hong Kong and the USA to be announced imminently. The new events are Smart Retail Technology and Retail Supply Chain & Logistics, which will both be co-located with Prysm’s rapidly growing White Label World Expo at ExCeL in March 2021, and Las Vegas Convention Centre in May 2021. They will join Prysm’s global division for Digital Retail Transformation which is set to expand with a raft of new events across Asia, USA and Europe in 2021. White Label World Expo (shortlisted for EN’s Rising Star Award) debuted at ExCeL in November and the Las Vegas Convention Centre in February. Despite a postponement for its Frankfurt edition, the show has bucked general exhibition industry trends with stand sales increasing during the period of lockdown. It’s already become PRYSM’s highest revenue generating event and the organiser says ‘it will become one of the world’s largest exhibitions’. The event is designed for the new generation of digital- savvy retailers and e-tailers of all sizes, to source white label goods from manufacturers and make them unique with their own branding. James Berryman, MD of International Future of Retail Division at PRYSM said: “The sector was enjoying rapid growth before Covid-19, but in recent weeks demand for products from online retailers has skyrocketed in every country, so the market we serve is enjoying a lockdown boom, and the next series of events are still well on track to enjoy 300-400% growth.”