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Issue 08 | March 02, 2022
<<Salutation>>,
International travel is again the subject of several news items in this newsletter edition: The lift of travel restrictions is seen as the most important dimension for the "bounce-back" of exhibitions, finds the UFI Global Barometer, enforced by the call from UNWTO and WHO to lift travel bans. This newsletter goes out as we see a war on European soil, causing pain and suffering for millions of people. If you want to support an institution that provides humanitarian aid, you can donate to the International Red Cross here. To help children affected by war, you can donate to UNICEF here.
Gwen Kaufmann (kf)
for the m+a | UFI Exhibition Newsletter Team
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Research confirms accelerated recovery
The pace of recovery of the exhibition industry is quickening, after the continuing impact of COVID-19 throughout 2021. There is a strong belief that the sector, primarily driven by physical exhibitions and business events, will bounce back quickly, finds the latest edition of the UFI Global Barometer. Global exhibition revenues are expected to reach 71% of 2019 levels in 2022, according to the research provided by UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. Globally, the industry expects two-thirds of markets to operate at normal levels in the second quarter, and one-quarter of the global market to operate at reduced activity levels. The lift of travel restrictions is seen as the most important dimension for the "bounce-back" of exhibitions, as seven in ten companies view it. Overall, 53% of companies received no public financial support, and for the majority of those that did, financial public aid represented less than 10% of their overall costs. "The sun is finally rising at the end of a long, dark pandemic", says Kai Hattendorf, managing director and CEO at UFI. "The perspectives for 2022 are brighter and continue to improve quickly. As the industry bounces back, the key issues now facing companies are around internal management issues and the impact of digitalisation. As the value of physical events is constantly reinforced, we are well on track to achieve pre-pandemic levels of activity". Diving deeper into the results, "Internal management challenges" represents the key business issue across Australia, Argentina and Mexico (22% of respondents), Spain (21%), Colombia (20%), Thailand (19%) and South Africa (18%). In Germany, "Impact of digitalisation" is matched with "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business" as the most pressing issue (20% of respondents). The picture is different depending on the activity type of respondents. For organisers and venues, "Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the business" is the top issue (20% and 19% of respondents respectively), followed closely by "Internal management challenges" (18% for both categories) and "Impact of digitalisation" (17% and 14%). (kf)
www.ufi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02.pdf
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Going cashless
The Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky, is going cashless with all its venues, including the Central Bank Convention Center. Cash will no longer be accepted as a form of payment for parking and concessions, effective March 3, 2022. "As consumers have embraced digital engagement during the pandemic, we have a timely opportunity to create a better experience for our patrons while streamlining our own operations", said Oak View Group's Brian Sipe, general manager of Central Bank Center. Oak View Group and Levy Restaurants are partnering to innovate the payment processes across the entire complex. Acceptable forms of payment include all major credit cards (American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa) and mobile payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay). (kf)
www.centralbankcenter.com/news/detail/keep-the-change
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Next steps towards Net Zero Events
To raise the standards and enhance sustainable MICE events, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is on a journey to a 'Net Zero Events' goal, starting from 2023. The bureau has integrated the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model, which is a national agenda, aligning it with United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). TCEB aims to create awareness for carbon calculation and compensation while encouraging MICE entrepreneurs to adopt to carbon neutral MICE events. "Alongside, we have crafted a special support scheme for sustainable events, the main focus of which is the use of minimal resources, such as recyclable or locally sourced materials or products, use of electronic mode in event management, food waste prevention. We have also certified event venues with standards of sustainable development, environment, energy management, and many more, such as Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS), Thailand Sustainable Event Management Standard (TSEMS)", TCEB states. Furthermore, TCEB, in collaboration with Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), has created tools for organisers to host 'Carbon Neutral Events'. The key tool is the Carbon Footprint Calculator. "In years to come, TCEB will maintain and promote CO2 emission policy and initiatives. 'Net zero' is both a national agenda and global call and is in line with our master plan to make Thailand a sustainable MICE destination", TCEB adds. (kf)
blog.ufi.org/thailands-exhibitions-to-grow-sustainably-as-tceb-takes-lead-on-road-to-net-zero-events-from-2023
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Fire & Flame for CO2-neutral solutions
Messe Frankfurt has a hot topic for ISH 2023 (March 13 to 17, 2023). The new format Fire & Flame – forum for the stove industry – will provide a new platform that focuses on exchange, networking and knowledge transfer. The market share of renewable energy sources such as wood is rising steadily. The demand for CO2-neutral solutions is greater than ever. The new platform in Hall 9.2 demonstrates how future heating technologies based on wood, the number one renewable energy source, will meet tomorrow's needs while at the same time inspiring with aesthetic design. Messe Frankfurt highlights another advantage: "Only at ISH can the synergies with other heat generation and air conditioning technologies be used and demonstrated". For example, single-room fireplaces can be coupled with other heating technology components, for example, heat pumps, photovoltaic systems or solar thermal systems, to make them completely CO2-neutral". (ch)
ish.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html
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New exhibition for temporary structures
Messe Stuttgart offers the ideal setting: From November 29 to December 1, 2022, the tent and flexible structure industry will be able to showcase its portfolio in Stuttgart for the first time. The newly launched trade fair International Tents and Structures offers the sector a platform for showcasing the many and varied solutions for tents, flexible structures, accessories and services. The format sees itself as the new reference fair for Europe. "It is not only warehouses for extra space that are in demand, but also solutions which can be quickly converted into urgently needed temporary shelter in the event of an emergency", Messe Stuttgart's exhibition executives say. Besides being big enough, event tents also have to satisfy many safety standards and customisation options. Nor do tents consist only of the frame and sheeting. Today, customers are interested in comprehensive solutions that cover flooring, heating, complex ventilation systems through to high-quality interior fittings. (ch)
www.messe-stuttgart.de/itas/en
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Alan Grottle has joined Freeman as chief financial officer (CFO) to lead the finance organisation focused on accounting, financial planning, tax, treasury, and business analysis. Prior to joining Freeman, Alan Grottle was chief financial officer of National DCP (NDCP), leading a team of nearly 100 focused on finance, inventory control and IT. He earned his Master of Business Administration at Ohio Dominican University and completed his Bachelor of Science in Finance at Bowling Green State University. He has participated in the Executive Education Program from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. (kf)
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The impact of COVID-19 on the marketing of exhibitions
How has the marketing for exhibitions evolved? To answer this question, the UFI Marketing Working Group has conducted a survey among UFI members, collecting empirical evidence about whether there are relevant changes in the marketing of exhibitions, comparing the pre- and the post-COVID worlds. There have been fundamental shifts in the importance of marketing topics: Compared with the pre-crisis period, marketing hybrid, digital and confex events became significantly more important during COVID, whereas visitor and exhibitor acquisition as well as the marketing of physical events remained as important as before. Another trend: More than half (51%) of the marketeers now focus their marketing on different regions than before the pandemic, frequently concentrating more on their home regions.The survey revealed some pressing challenges in the marketing of exhibitions. These are: coping with the uncertainty and restrictions resulting from COVID, recovering the trust of exhibitors and visitors, dealing with budget constraints and cost efficiency, convincing international exhibitors and visitors despite travel restrictions, building and selling digital platforms and events, hiring, motivating and retaining talents, reaching the right target groups, making matches, competing with other marketing channels (budget shifts), and automating marketing. (kf)
www.ufi.org/archive-research/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-marketing-of-exhibitions/
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UFI NGL Grant
The UFI NGL Grant promotes next-generation leadership in the exhibition industry, rewarding professionals who show clear initiatives in driving change and innovation in their area of activity. The five selected NGL Grant winners will participate in an eight month-long project with other talented individuals from around the global industry. This year, they will focus on developing a dynamic talent narrative for the exhibition industry, a topic of critical importance to the future of our sector. They will develop and hone a new narrative throughout the course of the programme that will culminate with a group presentation at the 89th UFI Global Congress.
For more information visit ufi.org/ngl
Deadline for entries: 28 March 2022
Contact us at nglgrant@ufi.org for more information or any further questions. (ufi)
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UN agencies call for risk assessment for travel measures
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have called for the lifting of travel bans as they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to economic and social stress. The two UN agencies are collaborating on a global trust architecture for recovery of the travel sector. UNWTO and WHO agree on the importance of easing or lifting travel bans. They suggest blanket restrictions to be replaced with risk-based, evidence-informed, context-specific policies. "Guided by UNWTO, global tourism has followed WHO advice from the very start of this crisis", said UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili. He underscored the need to "continue to do so, and to open up again, safely and responsibly, and allow tourism to deliver on its unique potential as a driver of recovery and growth". The two UN agencies also stressed the need for clear and consistent rules relating to health and travel. There is a need for building a global trust architecture for societies and economies in the context of the pandemic, and there is a "real opportunity for tourism to contribute to that process, with UNWTO playing a critical role", said Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme. Tourism has the potential to act as a force for development and opportunity, the agencies state, as highlighted in the sector's enhanced relevance in the wider United Nations development agenda. Destinations around the world report increased tourist arrival numbers on the back of easing or removing restrictions. This trend offers the potential to kickstart economic recovery and put social development progress back on track, UNWTO and WHO point out. (kf)
www.unwto.org/news/unwto-and-who-travel-measures-should-be-based-on-risk-assessment
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UFI Market Status Tracker
The UFI Novel Coronavirus page is updated weekly. Please go to https://bit.ly/3GKx0oa to view most recent updates on the reopening/closing of markets across the globe. Please contact us on reopen@ufi.org should you wish to report the safe reopening or any changes to the market in your region. (ufi)
www.ufi.org/industry-resources/coronavirus
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