Editor ’ s Note
Unsung heroes
W e read plenty of articles and testimonies about the pent up demand in our global exhibition industry and many voices enthusiastically talking up their events and , quite rightly , their power to affect economies and socially important issues , but some caution should be exercised lest we get ahead of the game and rush into bottlenecks , rather like a motorway tailback that suddenly forces us to put on the brakes .
We are in a global competition for skilled workers and , as our businesses increasingly rely on digital technology , we are competing with sectors such as banking & finance and IT for such talent . Here it is important to be strengthening our industry ’ s ties with academia and apprentice and training programmes to open up as many different avenues into our sector , aside from that famous route of just ‘ falling ’ into it . Let us support , therefore , our various lobbying initiatives , such as the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance ’ s campaign Stateside , The Business of Events in the UK and other strong campaigns by the likes of UFI and our individual national industry associations .
Of course , Global Exhibitions Day , this year on 5 June , is a key rallying point , so visit the UFI website to find out how you can get involved and download some of their digital tools for making a deeper mark .
Among the professionals working hard , often unsung in our sector , are those involved in keeping things running – the exhibition logistics teams . We celebrate these people in our main feature ( pages 17-21 ) and shine a light on this often overshadowed but vital part of our events universe . These are our worker bees on whom we depend for all our shows and big events . IELA has collaborated with us to showcase their work and challenges and also offer some insight about personal journeys into this profession .
It can be a rewarding career choice , and we must be constantly reminding our young people , as well as our older politicians about that and the value of our industry and all who serve it , both to the bottom line of event companies , to national GDPs , as well as to our communities and their wellbeing .
Paul Colston Editor Twitter : @ ExhibitionWorld Instagram : @ ew _ magazine
Managing Editor : Paul Colston ; Portfolio Director : Iain Stirling ; International Reporter : Charlie Carter ;
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