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July 2021 has been an incredibly significant month for the exhibition and events industry. As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, and as the demand for exhibitions and events resumes at pace, the industry approaches this growing demand with a positive outlook and renewed vigour.
During lockdown, event creators became accustomed to delivering events in increasingly innovative ways. However, in England on 19 July all limits on social contact were lifted, with Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland eventually following suit, meaning venues that were closed until recently can now operate at full capacity again.
Boris Johnson has urged caution however, issuing guidance emphasising personal judgement and responsibility. Many venues and creators are bringing back live events with additional health and safety measures in place, with many venues requesting proof of vaccination prior to admittance. New guidance also comes into force on 2 August indicating that fully vaccinated travellers to England from an amber list country will no longer have to self-isolate, opening greater possibilities to kick-start in-person events and exhibitions overseas. This is welcome news to the UK events and tourist industry.
HEALTH & SAFETY TIPS FOR EXHIBITORS
If you’re about to attend or exhibit one of the first shows or events of 2021, we’ve created top tips in preparation.
- Send out a COVID-19 questionnaire prior to the event – if applicable, a health questionnaire will ensure no attendees have recently contracted or experienced any COVID-19 symptoms.
- Have lots of hand sanitizer and masks at hand – although mask-wearing is no longer compulsory, some attendees will still opt to wear one. Have a ‘safety station’ visible for those attendees who may require masks and plenty of sanitizer as a preventative measure.
- Complete a Health & Safety Risk Assessment – to be shared with your staff, this should consider any reasonable adjustments needed for staff and customers with disabilities.
- Communicate and train – keep all your staff, contractors, and visitors up to date on how you’re using and updating safety measures.
- Clean more often – increase how often you clean surfaces, particularly those which get touched a lot. Promote the use of hand sanitizer to minimize any potential spread of infection.
- Enable people to check-in at your stand – although there is no longer a legal requirement to collect contact details, doing so will support NHS Test and Trace to reduce the spread of the virus. You can enable people to check-in by providing an NHS QR Code poster.
At Aboveline, we’re now gearing up for an expected increase in production across the whole range of our services and looking forward to all the events taking place in the latter part of the year. In particular some local events to our HQ – and being a North-West company – we’re thrilled to see the return of the Royal Cheshire Show on 31 July. This summertime agricultural event promises to be a real celebration of rural life and its community within.
We’ve also recently been helping clients set to appear at forthcoming events including Exclusively Housewares on 24-25 August and the world-leading Defence and Security event DSEI, which is due to take place 14-17 September. This has meant that our team has continued to focus on great customer service and emerging trends in the exhibition industry so that we’re able to provide the very best for both current and new clients, whatever their needs.
As COVID restrictions continue to ease and with the UK and Ireland almost at the end of their exit strategies are you ready to plan your next event? Aboveline specialise in the design and manufacture of bespoke exhibition stands, office interiors, retail fitouts, and provide a range of detail and retail solutions. We can produce stunning 3-dimensional marketing and custom-made installations to showcase your brand, your product, and your service.
We work in a safe and controlled way to ensure that your projects are delivered on time and on budget and our expert team are always on hand to answer any questions you may have about our products or services. You can contact us here to find out more.
