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.
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www.exhibitionworld.co.uk Issue 4 2020 5