"It is time to meet safely again!"

"It is time to meet safely again!"

Sounds great, but does it apply to the trade fair industry? Or is it just wishful thinking? Do you go "hurrah!" or more like "yeah, right...."

Well, the organizers of Gulfood seem to have the answer. Just look at the messages they are trying to convey:

- "Taste again"
- "Smell again"
- "Be ready, because we are"

Now, let's shake the emotions off and face the facts. The trade fair industry was close to a collapse in 2020. Germany, as the flagman of the event industry tried the cheerful, optimistic approach at times (at least Saxony and Nordrhein-Westfalen did), but the results were disappointing. So, can Dubai and Abu Dhabi do it? Gulfood and IDEX are broadcasting a clear message - the events will take place. But is it really about safety regulations, health protocols, H&S labels? 

Arguably any trade fair professional is keeping fingers crossed, hoping that the two exhbitions will kick-start the revival of the industry. The bold statements, though, will not do the trick. Because it all comes down to confidence and predictability. Confidence that one can travel safely and predictability that the leading industry players will attend. To rephrase - it all comes down to whether the top-notch companies will take part or not.

To wrap up - will the events take place? Our answer would be as good as a guess! Do the industry needs those events to take place? A definite "YES"! Will the flagmen exhibitors trigger the restart of the whole industry? An optimistic "HOPE SO".