Country focus
initiative and says international association of the exhibition industry , UFI has also been a big support .
AEFI “ has always collaborated with UFI and the various tradefair associations all over the world who work well by equipping each country with fundamental tools for comparison and analysis ,” says its general secretary Loredana Sarti . She says the digital initiatives have allowed a continuous comparison even during the most critical phase of the pandemic , and an opportunity to share the strategies implemented by various countries in support of the exhibition sector . “ We used the tools made available , from the analysis of the impact of the coronavirus , to the guidelines for security protocols , but also the communication as an example , the highlighting of every positive news in every part of the world .”
Travel to Italy Italy currently permits travel to / from EU countries ( except for Romania and Bulgaria ) for any reason , and without the obligation to self-isolate on return . From 7 September persons entering the country for reasons that cannot be postponed , and that includes participation in tradefairs , are obliged to present a declaration on entry that they have taken a molecular or antigenic swab test , with a negative result , within 72 hours before to arriving in Italy .
There is also a list of countries which Italy is not accepting visitors from , mostly from areas with high levels of coronavirus .
The rules are fast changing and there are currently different rules concerning visitors from certain areas of France . The advice is clearly : check before you travel .
The future Looking ahead , and Sarti picks out two things for exhibition industry professionals to focus on and keep top of mind :
“ We have a value and a role that
Italian tradefairs have traditionally involved around 200,000 exhibitors and 20m visitors , annually , generating business worth € 60bn and giving rise to 50 % of the exports of the participating companies . And that is not taking into account the enormous value for employment and related activities generated .
that no one can strip us of , and we must permanently change our way of planning to adapt to the situation of uncertainty that has swept through the sector , the global economy and society as a whole . We must be aware that even though the world has changed , we still represent values that are relevant .”
She makes the powerful points that the industry is “ a flywheel of the country ’ s economy ” and that exhibitions are “ the place where ideas and creativity come to life , a junction of exchange , not just of products but also of knowledge ”.
Sarti adds that while we must accept the complexities of the situation , we must also find the courage to embrace new possibilities .
“ We must make room for ‘ young ideas ’ so that we can be transported to a future where imagination and reality rub shoulders in contexts of entertainment , amazement and new energies ,” she says . “ Let ’ s focus on what we do best : we create contexts of widespread information , we enable innovation , and we provide freedom of consumption and use , according to everyone ’ s needs and desires ,” she adds .
EW asked AEFi ’ s Loredana Sarti for some further insights into the lie of the exhibition land in Italy :
What of the Italian venues that were turned into emergency hospitals . Have they been returned to events use ? Yes . Only in Bergamo is the district designated as emergency status and the Bergamo Fiera Nuova and Promoberg fairs are hosted in neighbouring districts . We have become so used to working with emergencies that the next Technical Commission of our Association will have speakers from the South Tyrolean Alpine Rescue Units .
What has been the take up in Italy by organisers of the virtual event platforms available ? The digital transformation in tradefairs was already underway and digital helps the event stay alive 365 days a year . Covid has accelerated this process and in the future the integration between physical and virtual will increasingly accelerate . Although digital will have an increasingly important weight , it will be no substitute for the physical event which remains irreplaceable .
Do you have any fresh information to highlight ? The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has developed an extraordinary incoming programme to welcome professional organisers , buyers and key players to the relaunch of Italy in the world in complete safety . I would underline that our association is collaborating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health also to help our members and associates follow the correct practices for welcoming visitors and organisers to events in Italy .
28 Issue 5 2020 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk