International exhibitions in the Covid Are- Webinar summary

The exhibition world was shaken to the core by the outbreak of Covid19 some 2 years ago. What started as anecdotal cancelations and postponements quickly morphed into a standstill- the world was shut and no one in his right mind thought it was wise to seek the company of thousands of strangers coming from afar in a closed hall. Fast forward to the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022- Exhibitions are back, but with a twist.

We’ve hosted Amir Brin who’s been in the exhibitions business for several decades.

Amir described how at first his world stood still and then as Covid eased people were anxious to meet again and conferences were re-scheduled. While it seems that everything is normal again Amir warns that planning and executing exhibitions should be conducted in greater care and attention than before, because there is far less room for error.

When considering an event, read the R&R (Rules and regulations) carefully. Some rules relate to Covid dictate that booth should be of a certain size to accommodate a certain number of visitors. Some ban the use of roofs and only allow open spaces, others don’t allow demo stations within the booth. All these factors need to be considered when planning the booth design. Take into consideration that events could be postponed, so work with your design agency in a phased manner (you can complete the design phase then put the project on hold and only move to production when an event is back on).

Setup times are much longer than pre-covid. Setting up a booth used to take between 3-5 days, but schedules are much tighter nowadays (many expos are “cramped” back-to-back) and booth design needs to facilitate quicker assembly and disassembly.

Shipping and transportation costs have nearly tripled, while delivery times have at least doubled, requiring careful planning and much earlier shipping of the booth to its destination before the actual event.

Costs of raw materials (such as wood) have also increased significantly, impacting the cost of production. Amir recommends switching to wooden booths to booths made of aluminum skeleton and fabric. This allows greater flexibility, re-use, and easier/ quicker assembly. This design method also allows for a modular design that can be altered according to different venues and more easily stored.

Specific for the US, the additional taxes and payment associated with construction (union labor costs) are also an incentive to reduce assembly times and use modular design. Last but not least- reusing booth skeletons (and only producing new fabric ) reduces waste and pollution.

Try to identify hidden costs associated with operation under covid. For instance- costs of the covid test (and extended hotel stay) should be factored. Also, look for specific pitfalls that might surprise you- like the ban of serving drinks or handing out candies (or any other food items which are not sealed). 

All in all- Amir believes that there is no substitute for exhibitions. People need face-to face engagements and are extremely delighted to be able to meet people in real life. It is expected that the exhibitions world will continue to operate under covid restrictions for the foreseeable future, so plan well in advance, look closely at the R&Rs and above all, allow much more time for planning, manufacturing, shipping, and setup.

To view a recording of the webinar click here , and for additional questions, you can contact Amir directly: amir@kadmon-brin.com