Participation in the trade shows in the
“Vaccinated-Recovered-Tested” mode
“Events such as trade fairs, congresses and company
events have to be planned in advance. Project planning security is needed. We
see it in the growing immunity in the population. In the Czech Republic, as of
today the immunity through vaccination will reach more than 60%! This puts us in a completely different
situation than we were a year ago,” explains Mr. Kuliš. Therefore, he is not afraid of
further closings or postponements of events.
The basic rule is the proof of
immunity of all show attendees based on the pre-condition of having been
vaccinated, recovered from the Covid diseas, or tested. Only those persons can
be admitted to events such as trade fairs. This corresponds to the development
throughout Europe when visiting restaurants, sporting and cultural events as
well as trade fairs. Visitors and
exhibitors at the exhibition center must prove immunity upon entry. The same
applies to the operating staff.
BVV Trade Fairs Brno Co. has a high ratio over 80% of
vaccinated employees, the non-vaccinated must be tested regularly. "The biggest organizational obstacle so
far has been the limitation of number of people in the exhibition halls. With
the new pre-condition, this criterion has been abolished, which has
significantly changed our situation for the better," specifies Mr. Kuliš.
Also, he admits that some of the regulations
and restrictions imposed may affect the number of exhibitors and visitors
attending. “There are exhibitors who want
to have the fair without any restrictions, and there are exhibitors who
hesitate about their participation for coronavirus-related reasons and who restrict
their employees to participate. The 3 principles of proving immunity lead to a
relatively safe trade fair environment. It is a reasonable compromise between
these two opposite views. In no case, we want to introduce restrictions that
violate the basic sense of a trade show, namely meeting people
"face-to-face with a handshake."
Further safety measures as respiratory
protection in accordance with current regulations or social distancing are in
place. Aisles in exhibition halls and resting areas will be increased a few
meters, disinfection stands are common. Conference rooms are disinfected before
and after the event. Exhibitors and visitors can buy services and tickets
online to avoid any queues.
New start in autumn
A recent survey among visitors and exhibitors
confirmed that 80% of the trade fair participants see live presentations and
face-to-face meetings at the trade fair as important for business and
irreplaceable through online formats. "If
companies do not want to take part in this year's event, it is not about the
rejection of trade fairs, but it is coronavirus-related. It is about mistrust
in the development of the pandemic and health concerns," emphasizes
Mr. Kuliš. "After recent discussions
with the responsible authorities, we see no reason for such worries and
lockdown anxiety!”
The fashion fairs STYL and KABO
open the new trade fair season on August 21st. The ANIMALTECH with the National
Livestock Show will be staged in early September, followed by the World Dog
Show. The professional defense and security fairs IDET, PYROS and ISET take
place in early October, while they confirm great interest of exhibitors.
Preparations for this year's International Engineering Fair, which has been
postponed to the beginning of November, are in full swing. The GAUDEAMUS, guest
fair for higher education, and Caravanning Brno, the caravan show, as well as
other hosting events are being prepared.
“Trade
fairs can take place under the circumstances given, but cross-border travel has
not yet been completely resolved, as well as the recognition of vaccinations
between countries, there are limited flight connections, and situation in some overseas
countries is difficult. For European participants EU Green Pass is a great
help. Participation from non-EU countries is a concern, but we are ready to
assist by any means”, adds BVV CEO Mr. Kuliš. For potential exhibitors who
are geographically distant and have difficulty in travelling to Europe, the
Brno Exhibition Center offers the option of hybrid exhibition booth with an
online connection.