The one enduring aspect over the last six months that I feel obligated to participate in for our Live Events industry is change. Over the course of my 25-plus year career between producing events, facility management and now as a product provider I have seen new events, new facilities, as well as many new technologies but very little in the how we “show”. This is not at all a sales pitch, but a call to improve how we think about how we show. It took a pandemic for us to realize what we have to offer for the long-term betterment of our industry. “Live Event PPE”, from the ground up, allowing the lifeblood of live events, the exhibitors, to feel safe, secure and confident in getting back to F2F events. 

The term “new norm” is not in our vocabulary in an industry led by trailblazers and forward thinkers who are able to pivot and hit reset to make the best for an industry as when the world was hit with this pandemic crisis. Just look at the response within weeks of the shutdown as we offered up our venues, equipment, technology, labor and logistics as temporary hospital installations were needed worldwide. Doesn’t our industry deserve that same reciprocated effort as we bring back F2F Live Events? In our discussions with the Global Biorisk Assessment Council (GBAC), whose certification has set the safety bar for venues, there is not currently a protocol in place for exhibition products; which we feel need to be held to those same high standards. Since this pandemic hit, we at SMT expo set out to achieve this endeavor by utilizing our over 40+ years of experience as a worldwide textile provider, market leader, innovator and expert. We took it upon ourselves to initiate our own product testing and after receiving the results that revealed our fabric ExpoKnit panels stopped the transmission of airborne contaminants, we concluded that what we provide truly serves as “Live Event PPE”. We also concluded that our high standards are something that we have been providing since our inception, but more importantly our high standards are what we will champion moving forward as our industry looks to advance in this pivotal moment for change. I am confident we will come back as an industry so let’s take this time that we have to make those vital changes that will allow for greater future success.

#liveevents #liveeventppe #f2fevents #golivetogether #smtexpo #ExpoKnit