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“ So , in a way , the pandemic forced us to make the decision and we ’ re delighted the way it ’ s been welcomed by everyone . It also gives us a different story to go out with , giving us a positive message to focus on .”
about in the past , but as they were all strong , market leading stand-alone events , with amazing support from their sectors , we shied away from it . However , Covid-19 has changed the landscape for hospitality and led to many operators becoming multichannel ( delivery , food to go , meal kits , e-commerce etc .), so the shows , while completely focused on their own sector , suddenly had more in common than ever . “ So , in a way , the pandemic forced us to make the decision and we ’ re delighted the way it ’ s been welcomed by everyone . It also gives us a different story to go out with , giving us a positive message to focus on . You could argue that the pandemic has helped us to make a great decision , which will enable us to take this already successful market-leading portfolio of shows , to another level .” Another great example of how the event industry has adapted and changed , using a potentially devastating occurrence to try something different , how do they compare in terms of size , I ask Holm . “ We are actually not too far short of what we had budgeted for in 2020 , and by bringing the shows together , there will be more to see , and each show will feel bigger . In total , we will have over 600 exhibitors , all focused on supporting the recovery of the hospitality industry .”
The industry is supporting us The hospitality industry has certainly had its fair share of ups and downs in the last 18 months . How are
Holm ’ s exhibitors feeling , and are they looking forward to a return to physical events , I ask .
“ Most exhibitors are incredibly supportive and want to see the return of live events , as this is by far the most effective route to market for them . I also think , given that these events are focused on the hospitality sector , which has suffered in the same way as events , that our visitors and exhibitors understand the importance of getting back to normal . So , I don ’ t sense the same level of apprehension as you might see in other sectors . “ We have also seen a lot of new exhibitors and lapsed exhibitors returning after a few years off , because they feel it ’ s more important to exhibit and reconnect with their customers , than ever before . “ But of course , not everyone feels that way , but on the whole , when you explain the ‘ Covid safe ’ measures being put in place and the importance of everyone getting behind the event , the vast majority are incredibly supportive . So , the main difficulty has been international exhibitors , who are unable to come due to travel restrictions .”
A lack of clarity Clearly that is great to hear , and the international issue is one that is clearly impacting on most shows , something that we can do very little about but hope that it will be a short-term issue that is resolved over time . I was curious to find out how Diversified had adapted their approach to running events and wondered whether Holm felt they had clarity post ‘ Freedom Day ’? “ As of today , we are still waiting for the final AEO / AEV / ESSA industry guidelines , as we think it ’ s imperative that our industry adopts a similar approach across all events , to avoid further chaos and confusion . Once we have that , we will send clear guidelines to all exhibitors and
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