Insight
A view from the Middle East
Ashley Roberts, General Manager, Omanexpo, says there is a responsibility for venues and destinations to
weather the viral storm and continue to be there for the industries we serve
ike the rest of the
world, here in the
Middle East we are
watching and waiting
eagerly for the latest updates
in relation to the ever-changing
situation with Covid-19.
It is one of the most challenging
times for the global exhibitions
industry in recent history, with
events around the world facing
postponements and cancellations.
We have built our businesses on
large-scale gatherings, which is
something that for practical reasons
is under scrutiny.
Like many of our industry peers,
the team here at Omanexpo has
faced tough decisions over the past
few weeks. We, along with our
venue and exhibitor partners, had
to make the choice to postpone two
of our largest international shows,
Oman Design & Build Week and
Oman Petroleum & Energy Show
(OPES).
Facing the challenges
The decision wasn’t taken lightly
and we worked hard to mitigate the
postponement but, as our customers’
businesses began to implement
limitations of travel to areas of
selected foreign nationals, we knew
that the challenge was real. As
limitations on travel grew, we began
to have more of an understanding
of what these corporate policies
would have on the international
nature of our attendee audience
and, of course, the growing concerns
from public on health. We were in
close consultation with the Omani
Ministry of Health, which, like all
governments, has been doing its
best to competently control the
spread of the virus.
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
associations, particularly UFI and the
AEO. We want to be as responsible
as we can.
We believe postponement will
mean that we can make sure the
event will come back even better
and stronger and be an important
platform for businesses to rebuild
and trade in the near future.
Look to the future
Oman as a nation is realising its
‘VISION 2040’ – and over the next
two decades there are so many
exciting initiatives in business,
tourism and economy. We know
Oman (and the Middle East as whole)
is a great option for organisers
longer-term. The longevity of this
vision has the foresight to weather
such financially challenging storms
while still allowing businesses to
invest, innovate and work with some
of the best talent out there.
The events community is an
industry that always pulls together,
and in 2020 that is happening on an
international scale. We look forward
to forging ahead and getting back to
welcoming businesses and attendees
to our events in what we hope will
be the near future.
It hasn’t been easy, we have truly
‘dug deep’ as a team to ensure we
are making the right choices for
everyone involved. Our customers
come first and their safety is
paramount.
Cancel or postpone
The uncertainty of this pandemic
means we’re unable to know now
(as we write Oman has cancelled all
tourist visas) what the future holds
when it comes to the coronavirus.
Our commitment to the events
industry remains strong and we
must drive forward our plans on
behalf of the industries we serve, to
ensure our business has a positive
future. It was this drive which helped
us to reach the decision to postpone,
rather than cancel our 2020 events.
We have been overwhelmed with
positive support from our industry
partners from across the oil, gas and
construction markets, plus the event
Right:
Ashley Roberts,
General
Manager,
Omanexpo
Issue 2 2020
49