The month of March saw the resumption of some major live in-person shows in India. I visited many of these shows namely, Ride Asia, IndusFood, Convergence India and SATTE 2021, and found them to be very successful. I talked to the participants and the visitors and also focused on learning about the safety measures implemented onsite, in order to provide safe and seamless experience to the attendees. I also observed that the role of venues is very crucial in the new normal, and they are an equal partner to the organisers for making an event successful. You can check out our event coverages on Exhibition Showcase’s official YouTube channel. In my interactions with the participants onsite, I learnt that they had been eagerly looking ahead to get back to live in-person events. They expressed their boredom and concerns over the efficiency of virtual events and were quite upbeat about returning to physical exhibitions.
In a significant development, the Government of India has released the revised SOP for holding exhibitions, much to the relief of the fraternity. In another significant development, the ‘Casual Performance License’ (required for organising exhibitions in New Delhi, India) which was cancelled by the Licensing Department of Delhi Police (citing rising COVID cases) has now been revoked, meaning that upcoming exhibitions in New Delhi, like AMTEX can now be held. Although, this comes after the ITPO has already announced the postponement of AAHAR 2021 and UNITY Conclave (which will now be held around August-September 2021).
The Indian Exhibition Industry Association organized its first physical meet since the pandemic and the participants were quite pleased to meet in person. SITE India has elected its new Executive Committee and reimposed its faith in young leadership to forge their mission ahead. And finally, in these times when the industry sentiments are rather low, we learn about the launch of a world class brand – Vinexpo in India. So, we decided to feature this as a cover story for you in this edition.
In this issue we bring to you some very insightful interviews of global industry players and latest news from around the world. Exhibition Showcase has been your committed partner to provide to you up to date information and insights from the world of exhibitions. You can write to me at raghav@exhibitionshowcase.com or connect with me on LinkedIn to help us know how we can serve you better and what content you would like to read going ahead.
