Time to align international regulations and processes
arch is the month when , normally , the show season reaches one of the annual peaks around the world . Yet , one year into the Covid pandemic , venues around the world were serving as vaccination centres and emergency hospitals still in many cases , rather than welcoming show attendees .
In doing so , our venue colleagues are putting into practice the skills and expertise of our industry . Last year , we already aggregated and shared best practices around the conversion of venue spaces into temporary medical facilities . Now , again in collaboration with our G3 partners AIPC and ICCA , we are releasing a follow up report that covers the specific use of venues as vaccination centres . Please look out for it .
As the global rollout of vaccines picks up speed , some markets are already well ahead in immunising their citizens : The UAE , the UK , and increasingly also the US , are three nations where a fast-growing share of the population has been vaccinated . Within the European Union , slowly but surely , the speed of vaccinations is picking up as well . In parallel , a plentitude of rapid tests has been licensed and rolled out around the world , allowing for daily testing where needed and useful to reopen societies and businesses .
It is high time now to align international regulations and processes so that both tested and vaccinated people can travel normally to do business .
Kai Hattendorf UFI managing director / CEO
UFI supports the work of many players in the travel industry to roll out standardised vaccination certification (‘ vaccination passports ’) and testing documentation in digital formats . Through the European Exhibition Industry Alliance – a cooperation between UFI and EMECA in Europe – we make our industry ’ s voice heard in Brussels and across Europe . You can always read the latest policy statements on the UFI blog , and we have an update on the issue in UFI Info as well . What EEIA does in Brussels is also being set up in Washington DC , where the newly formed Exhibition & Conference Alliance ( ECA ) will drive advocacy for our industry with our own voice . Besides the push for vaccination
passports , the other defining issue is the need for governments to provide clear and reliable guidance and timetables that show when exhibitions and business events can take place again . Country by country , market by market , we need politicians to understand the lead time we need before a show opens , and the factors that need to be in place for exhibitors and visitors to book to attend .
In late February , the UK announced such a reopening timeline for the country , tied to pandemic milestones . Within hours of the announcement , exhibitors sent in their bookings for shows later in the year – showing yet again the eagerness of industries to return to the show floor . We will continue to support all our colleagues in their respective markets to keep pushing for other governments to follow that British lead .
Because , as we can see again and again , where shows reopen and take place – recently in Japan , and Dubai , and Abu Dhabi , and in the US – business is brisk , order books are filled , jobs are secured , and sectors can rebound from the Covid slump .
Before I close , a very warm welcome to Marie-Laure Bellon , who joined UFI as our association ’ s new COO on 1 March . I am excited to be working together with her going forward . She is an experienced exhibition organiser and a seasoned industry professional and we will all benefit from the industry knowledge that she brings to the global UFI team .
Our departing COO , Sonia Thomas , will work jointly with Marie-Laure this month to ensure a seamless transition . As of April , Sonia will then leave UFI to set up her own business . On behalf of the whole UFI team and membership , I would like to thank her for the unique part she has played in developing UFI as the global association for our industry in the various roles she had as her career evolved within UFI !
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 2 2021 9