Taking the stage
f one is looking for silver linings from the
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Covid pandemic one may be that it has forced our industry to galvanise itself and work harder to promote its value before politicians and economic leaders . It is also clear that different countries and regions are at varying stages and some are able to move faster forwards now than others .
The relationship between exhibitions and local political and economic authority has always been a close one in Germany thanks to the Messe system , and the US is showing just why it is an economic superpower in the way it is able to gain traction quickly and leap forward with momentum : witness the trade shows that are now flowing again in Las Vegas ( see our Stateside with Stephanie column pages 12-13 ).
Then again we have countries badly affected by Covid still and those that are ultra cautious about opening up , such as New Zealand where the philosophy towards accepting an endemic situation around Covid appears anathema .
Our global trade association UFI has breathed confidence into many members by championing policies to support the sector , lobbying and sharing best practice widely . In this issue our report on a recent IELA virtual event illustrates again just how important it is to share the human approach and coping mechanisms widely through our associations .
Meanwhile , some trends accelerate apace , and recent news of acquisitions of virtual event platforms and tech tools by Informa ( Totem ) and Hopin ( Vectorly ) show how new alignments are shaping fast . Steve Monnington again surveys the M & A scene which also appears to be picking up pace .
Another beacon shining for our industry ’ s future and its aspirations is the Expo2020 in Dubai , which I was privileged to visit recently ( see report on p29-33 ). This is a huge marketing and promotional opportunity for the power of exhibitions . Our professionals are the ones who have built these marvellous country pavilion-altars to innovation and progress . Not only are these activations living and standing testament to our industry ’ s DNA being entwined with economic , social and technological advancement , many will be repurposed along with new venues and infrastructure to form an events hub in Dubai worthy of leading the industry in the whole Middle East region .
A final heartfelt word of appreciation to our guest editor of the past six months , Paul Woodward , who has made a huge contribution to our EW content , with top interviews and insights . We hope Paul won ’ t be a stranger to these pages in future and wish him well on his new projects . A man certainly in demand !
Paul Colston Editor Twitter : @ ExhibitionWorld Instagram : @ ew _ magazine
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