On 04 March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 or Coronavirus was announced in South Africa. At this time, two more cases have been confirmed. What does this mean for the local events industry?
Internationally, the response to the Coronavirus outbreak has been varied. Many event planners have erred on the side of caution and have cancelled upcoming events, such as the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (which was expected to draw 100,000 people) and the travel trade show ITB Berlin (which would have attracted 13,000 attendees).
A few governments have forced cancellations, due to the temporary restrictions they have put in place: Switzerland has banned all events of more than 1,000 people, France has put a temporary ban on public gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces, and northern Italy has introduced travel restrictions and banned public events.
Some events will go ahead, but online.
But many events are continuing and industry bodies are working hard to allay fears and encourage event participation. The Society of Independent Show Organizers and UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, have launched a campaign called ‘This Show Is Open’ to assist members who are carrying on with their events. As part of this initiative, they are providing downloadable materials at www.supportingevents.org which can help planners counteract negative headlines with more measured communication.
“[We need to] strike the right balance between keeping people safe from a health threat today AND keeping people safe mid to long term by stabilising and supporting trade and economies.”
They say: “More than 400 shows around the world have already been affected. These shows are in the news – and they are creating the image that our industry, our market places and meeting places, are dangerous. We want to counter this narrative. We want to highlight the importance of our market places and meeting places around the world.”
They argue that the industry needs to foster greater public and political debate, show which events are open and running successfully around the world, and “strike the right balance between keeping people safe from a health threat today AND keeping people safe mid to long term by stabilising and supporting trade and economies.”
Just hours before the first local case of COVID-19 was confirmed, the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) and Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) had issued statements offering support to their industries.
“SAACI’s recommendations… encourage all industry members to support measures to restore and build confidence in event participation.”
SAACI’s recommendations, together with the International Congress and Convention Association, the Joint Meetings Industry Council and 19 international meetings industry associations, encourage all industry members to support measures to restore and build confidence in event participation. These include:
- Ensure that all policies and procedures that help secure the health and safety of event participants are in place and up to date;
- Maintain detailed awareness of both local and global actions and restrictions to advise on factors that may affect upcoming events;
- Co-operate with local and national authorities to implement any measures that have been determined to potentially impact event attendees;
- Consult with event organisers and service providers any programme adjustments in response to outbreak-related impacts that can be accommodated; and
- Continue to support awareness of the essential role of meetings, conventions, exhibitions and business events as drivers of recovery and advancement of global economic and societal development.
The statement concludes, “Let us demonstrate resilience and confidence by maintaining, where possible, our ongoing schedule of activities. Where it is not possible, let us work together to develop alternatives to exchange information and insights. And let us ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to ensure the safety and well-being of staff, delegates and the broader community.”
Making the decision of how best to respond to the outbreak will naturally depend a great deal on the type of event you are planning. Larger events carry more risk, while those that draw attendees from high risk countries should be approached with greater caution. Currently, these countries are: China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Of course, being well informed is paramount, and there are many reputable sources of information available, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), and the National Institute for Disease Control (NIDC). The Events Industry Council also provides a lot of useful information here.
The cover image is an illustration of the Coronavirus, supplied by Unsplash.
