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faktexhibitions-blog · 4 years

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For Exhibition Industry: A light at the End of the Tunnel

While standing next to the chair with the window shades down, absorbing the silence of the room with a cup in my hand that explicates the legacy I have created, I was pushed to contemplate over something majestic and deep that had crossed my eyes. It was from a book that I got as a gift from one of my most liked friends Nadeem Mazhar-an amazing human, publisher and editor at the Pakistan Textile Journal, I was hooked by the powerful words written on the first page of the book, ‘As a Man Thinketh’, authored by James Allen. It says:

“Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,

And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes.

The tool of thoughts, and shaping what he wills,

Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:

Environment is but his looking glass.”

Isn’t it so thought-provoking, making man ponder upon the incredible power of intellect he is bestowed with by the God? ‘Man is Mind…Tool of thoughts’, doesn’t it imply that humankind holds the power to shape up its own destiny?

Indeed, humans have progressed in the arena of technology, sciences, art and literature where the achievements are not limited merely to our planet rather it extends from putting first human step on the moon to exploring the mysteries of the universe for decades. The quest to demystifying the wonders of the cosmos is incessant!

“Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:”, I had to put a stop to my train of thoughts while reading this line. Spot on, isn’t it? As we look around, our eyes can witness this assertion translated so aptly into the current quagmire our world is grappling with in the form of COVID-19 which has affected each strand of our lives be it social, economic, religious or political aspect. It seems like humans have excelled in technology and advancement but struggle to push back the baggage all this advancement has brought with it.

For the past couple of months, I have observed my industry falling prey to the deadly virus forcing both national and international event organizers to postpone and, in some cases, cancel the trade exhibitions and fairs in their countries. Many field experts came to fore with solutions such has virtual and hybrid exhibitions.

In no way I am against virtual expos or webinars. In fact, FAKT Exhibitions, is also conducting webinars the most recent one is on Solar Pakistan, which no doubt was a success and building upon the extent of its success we probably go for a virtual exhibition in the future but I believe that the yin and yang of the virtual/hybrid exhibitions or webinars can only be garnered through experimentation which requires huge investment, time, education and engagement of all the stakeholders involved. There is no denying the fact that each solution must have something substantial to offer however, the digitalization of what’s supposed to be a physical and tangible human experience pares down the entire purpose of exhibitions altogether, I reckon!

The existing health crisis has fostered a huge amount of frustration and negativity among my peers from the MICE industry in Pakistan, but I see the entire situation as a blessing in disguise. Sardonically, it appears to me as the nature has taken a break from humans to breathe and has cornered us to reflect upon our lifestyle, personal and professional dealings. I consider this phase as an opportunity to critically analyse the pitfalls of our convectional practices and how responsibly can we ameliorate the current ethos of our industry.

Akin to what I am a proponent of is a post that I have found on the LinkedIn page of UFI (UFI is a global association run by the world’s leading trade show organizers) the recent initiative of Germany for reopening of Expos by separating exhibitions from mass gathering. I concord with what Germany is trying to establish that we offer more than mere mass gatherings and re-opening of Expos instead of exploring digital solutions should be the way forward.

I can see my peers hemmed in the labyrinth of uncertainty, humming and hawing to come forth and create census among each other to have a dialogue with the government for the re-opening of Expo centres. If man is the master of his own destiny than what’s the point of holding back? Why we are reluctant to reclaim our spaces and start with the exhibitions while strictly abiding by the essential SOPs regulated by the Government? The intent of sharing my thoughts is not to stir up a controversy or fan the already blistering condition of our country rather it’s an honest attempt to instigate a much needed discourse on the impact of COVID-19 on the MICE industry and exploring the possibility of reopening of the Expo centres that will ultimately contribute towards the economy of the country.

#faktexhibitions #miceindustryinpakistan #miceindustry #tradeshows #exhibitionindustryinpakistan #exhibitions #tradeevents #trade shows #webinar

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faktexhibitions-blog · 4 years

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Impact of COVID-19 on MICE Industry in Pakistan

Impact of Covid-19 on MICE industry:

The detrimental effects of COVID-19 are surging with each passing day from trimming down social activities to putting economic activities in jeopardy that will eventually consequent in major unemployment throughout the world. The travel and tourism industry, according to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), is assumed to bear a job loss of around 50 million across the globe where Asia would be the most adversely impacted region. We cannot ignore the fact that tourism industry alone contributes around 10% of global GDP. With the COVID-19 clawing up global tourism, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions(MICE) industry is inevitable to suffer adversely.

Impact of COVID-19 on MICE Industry in Pakistan:

In Pakistan the situation is not different than the rest of the world. The implications of pandemic can be bifurcated into two main streams in the context of Pakistan. On one hand COVID-19 has swooped down upon the international trade of the country. One such example is the Post-Brexit Pakistan-UK free trade agreement that could have brought about insurmountable economic benefits for the textile industry is now at a standstill. Besides the delay of trade agreement, a complete halt in the export activities has put up a deteriorating effect on the balance of trade. On the other hand,the movement of imports has also succumbed to the same quandary making it challenging to maintain the flow of business.

The MICE industry in Pakistan has been hit hard as the nature of this business is highly dependent on the human-to-human interaction. With a social distancing approach propagated by the Government, the industry is struggling to sustain its objectives and existence as many businesses rely solely on the business trade events to generate leads. In the similar vein, exhibitions such as International Exhibition for Garment, Textile Machinery and Accessories (IGATEX)run by FAKT Exhibitions had a phenomenal input towards infusing not merely industry related benefits but promoting tourism and a progressive image of Pakistan is deemed to be postponed.

Many exhibitions and conferences akin to IGATEX has faced the same fate due to social distancing and locked down imposed for an unprecedented time period by the Pakistani Government. In the wake of such catastrophic events, a stark proliferation of virtual events and exhibitions has been observed throughout the world. Such manoeuvres stir up the much-debated questions on the viability of virtual exhibitions as the future of MICE industry. How virtual exhibitions would impact the businesses worldwide and Pakistan in particular? Are we ready for this change?Are we ready to explore these question and deal with the baggage it brings?It’s an entirely different debate!

Local authorities’ regulation for the MICE industry:

The moot point is the current condition of Pakistan, engulfed in huge foreign debts, with a dilapidated health system and wavering economy, is vividly unequipped to curtail the grave impact of COVID-19 on the MICE industry. Reason being the fact that Pakistan is a third world nation where its’ priority is ensuring the provision of basic life necessities to the public.

The health system of the country is devoid of modern equipment and sufficient space to accommodate the plethora of COVID-19 patients surging and multiplying every day. Many countries such as UK and US have turned their Expo Centres into hospital wards for COVID-19 struck patients.

Federal government in corporation with the local governments of all the four provinces are taking prudent steps to curb out the disasters of the pandemic. One such example is the appropriate usage of Expo centres. To cater the scarcity of beds for the growing number of patients, Punjab government and Sindh government has decided upon establishing 1000 and 2000 bedded field hospital in Expo International Centre Lahore and Karachi, respectively, for the confirmed patients of COVID-19.

It is apparent that the government is actively taking measures to normalize business activates in Pakistan and as soon as things get better the MICE industry will effectively start functioning on the same pace as before.To use the exhibition spaces for accommodating COVID patients seems to be the most effective use of the ideal spaces by the government.What do you think?

#covid19 #miceindustry #miceindustryinpakistan #exhibitionindustryinpakistan #tradeshows #faktexhitions #conferenceandexhibition #tradeevents

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