Exhibition World Issue 4 — 2020 | Page 5

Welcome Confidence: the necessary wind in our sails While in some regions in Asia there has been a steady restart to exhibitions, using to the utmost the full set of safety and health standards developed by our industry and endorsed by governments, for other regions the past weeks have seen two steps forward and one step back. While the advocacy work our industry leaders and associations have pushed forward on many fronts has resulted in many new agreed regulations for operating again, coronavirus flare-ups - and, in some countries, the first wave is still rolling – mean that even where business travel and venues are open for business, there remains a lack of confidence. Until people are back at work physically and able to travel freely, our industry is not likely to see large numbers of feet on the show floor, whatever level of hygiene and safety measures are in place. This issue celebrates, of course, the momentous work done on standards and advocacy by the Joint Meetings Industry Council and its component parts. We are finally speaking with one voice and have a Manifesto ready to run with. Part of regaining confidence will be by providing quality research and this digital edition has three key pieces of industry research to digest, including UFI’s latest (and 25th jubilee edition) Global Barometer (showing revenues in the industry likely to shrink 60% globally this year). While the dashboards may provide some grim reading in parts, the silver lining of the dark Covid cloud is that we can point to the value of our industry – proven by its absence. So, having weathered plenty of storm (and the financial updates from our global organisers, page 6, lay bare the hit the industry is taking), the industry has been able to come together, albeit in different boats on a still raging sea. Let us now keep our nerve as we try to stay afloat in hope of calmer waters. The good ship ‘Exhibition’ is a trusted vessel containing a valuable cargo of opportunity for all other industries around the world and as we hope to spy some familiar land ahoy for our in-person events, let the digital lessons we are learning at breakneck speed also be a new sail to power our events into new dimensions. Paul Colston Managing Editor Twitter: @ExhibitionWorld @paulcolston Publishing Director: Simon Farnfield; Managing Editor: Paul Colston; Global Account Director: Iain Stirling; Global Account Manager: Jon Howell; News Reporter: Stuart Wood; Graphic Designer: Kateryna Smirnova; Production Manager: Elizabeth Nixon. Contact us: Subscriptions:+44(0)20 8481 1128, Editorial: +44(0)20 8481 1152, Advertising: +44(0)20 8481 1122, Production:+44(0)20 8971 1132. Exhibition World is published by Mash Media, Second floor, Applemarket House, 17 Union Street, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 1RP, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 8481 1122 fax: +44 (0)20 8481 1144, Email: [email protected] Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publishers. Printed by Pensord Press Ltd. www.exhibitionworld.co.uk Issue 4 2020 5