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A new era for delegates Going forward , the experience on site for attendees will likely be very different to a pre-pandemic setting . With social distancing , hand sanitisation and Covid-19 testing being the order of the day , what do these changes mean for organisers ?
Singapore ’ s Future Economy Council created the Emerging Stronger Taskforce early in the pandemic . One of Singapore ’ s biggest pilot events was TravelRevive , the first international travel tradeshow to take place physically in Asia Pacific during Covid-19 ( and attended by CMW ’ s editor – see reports on www . c-mw . net ). The event was a testing ground for protocols including : contactless registration platforms , and a Safe Travel Concierge which provided travellers with a customised checklist of pre-entry requirements to Singapore . Andrew Phua , executive director , Exhibitions & Conferences , Singapore Tourism Board , said : “ An agile approach with safety at its core will allow us not only to survive , but succeed as the
Covid-19 situation remains highly dynamic .”
Upskilling employees Ultimately , the people behind events are often the differentiating factor between a bog-standard exhibition and a show experience that delivers the ‘ wow ’ factor .
Creating a more digitally native workforce also proves to be top billing for events businesses , the White Paper uses The Singapore Association for Conventions & Exhibitions Organisers and Suppliers ( SACEOS ) as a case study .
SACEOS partnered with Singapore University of Social Sciences to develop training courses , such as the BSc Events Management programme , to equip students with practical knowledge on real challenges emerging from the pandemic .
Richard Ireland , vice president , professional development , SACEOS , said : “ Training business events professionals for a Covid-19 environment needs to go beyond technology . “ Business events staff also need to cultivate skills in broadcasting , strategic narrative building , content production , data management , and cyber security ”.
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre ( MCEC ) is also detailed , as it aimed to diversify the voices making the key decisions . The business hosted a hackathon for both internal and external members of the industry to identify new revenue streams for the venue .
A brighter tomorrow The case studies detailed in the White Paper are examples of agility and success during an unprecedented time for events . But the important takeaway should be that this mindset should carry forward post-pandemic .
Innovation amid a pandemic is not a sprint for the sector to resume to pre-Covid levels , but a marathon to transform . There are learnings such as the multi-channel approach , upskilling employees , being digitally native and organising unique event experiences that should transcend the difficulties of the day .
More and more are combining the best bits of the adaptable technology world with the community building and networking that remain the core of business events . Whoever meets customers ’ needs in the most effective and economical way will recover fastest and serve as a beacon for the rest of the sector .
Download and Read the MICE White Paper now .
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 4 2021 11