Page 43 - Taiwan Hand Tools 2022-03 Edition

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INDUSTRY EVENTS

Expect hybrid e
Expect hybrid events, restricted vents, restricted

tr
travel, but hope for the bestavel, but hope for the best

Stephanie Chao
he global trade exhibition industry has seen its most Omicron Tests Recovery Eff orts
Tturbulent period in the past two years, brought to an
abrupt halt by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, seen As of writing, the Omicron variant, fi rst reported to the
further setbacks in 2021, and it’s expected to continue into World Health Organization in December, is now fueling the
2022, though to a lesser degree, as the industry expects in- world’s latest surge, and has wreaked havoc on society’s
person events to open gradually. systems and services, disrupting what would’ve been a
slow recovery to pre-COVID times.
In an early December press release from 2021,
globally-renowned event organizer Messe Frankfurt stated Some international expos in early 2022 were postponed
throughout last year, they were unable to hold “scarcely” due to concerns regarding the Delta variant. This included
any events during the first half of the year in Germany, the International Hardware Fair Cologne, slated for Sept.
which is typically the busiest season for the company. In 25 to 28 instead of the initially scheduled Mar. 6 to 9. At
addition, outside of Germany, events under the Messe present, the with the vastly more transmissible Omicron
Frankfurt banner were either continually postponed or variant, there are fears that the variant will continue to
moved to a digital format. weigh on the economy and travel.

The exhibition industry is on track to follow similar However, that’s not a concern on the U.S.’s biggest
footsteps in various sectors, which have turned to bank, JPMorgan Chase’s radar. Media abroad reported that
localization as global supply chains endure prolonged in a letter to their clients, JPMorgan Chase global research
disruption due to the pandemic. Messe Frankfurt President leader Marko Kolanovic offered an optimistic view of the
and CEO Wolfgang Marzin noted that the restrictions on future ahead in 2022. He suggested that 2022 will show
global travel will continue to impact the industry, as in- a full economic recovery, followed by a forecasted strong
person international events would still pose too much risk. consumer spending, and return of mobility after over two
As a result, in the short term, Marzin expects to see the years of restricted travel and border controls; whether that
industry, depending on the sector in question, trend towards will come to remains to be seen.
hosting events at a continental scale.

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