By Mehak Arora
In early 2019 when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic the world came to a pause. A few months in, 72% of destinations had shut their borders completely. All my summer travel plans went down the drain and I am sure yours did too. With lockdowns and travel bans around the world, almost all industries took a major hit. Among these top industries is the global convention industry which came to a grounding halt. The repercussions of this led to revenues plummeting, people losing their jobs, suddenly the industry wasn’t worth a trillion dollars anymore.
“Events are the lifeblood of the business events industry. And -with a total GDP impact of US 1.5 trillion and a direct effect on 10.3 million jobs worldwide- our survival is vital.” Chief Executive officer ICCA, Senthil Gopinath
Lately, whenever I get together with friends, who work in different industries, we often ask ourselves if we will be able to attend in-person corporate events or business meetings again. It’s sad because there is no definite answer.
Desperate to bring the world back to normal, initiatives worldwide are being attempted, in various ways, to try and create COVID free events. While some have been only partially successful, with no guarantees, others have failed miserably.
One of the many initiatives is the trial events happening globally with proper safety measures and some advanced technologies for rapid testing. These trial events have given event professionals and corporate people like myself, a glimmer of hope about in-person events making a comeback. These events abide by the safety guidelines, proper hygiene and have introduced technologies for testing even if the results are often long and complicated.
The ongoing pandemic is the biggest challenge faced yet. Innovating, collaborating, and transforming is the only way forward for this industry. Undoubtedly, the event organizers have demonstrated incredible resilience by leaning into creativity, collaboration, and digital transformation. Virtual events have made a comeback and many event companies are adopting a hybrid events model. This allows organizers to host events in-person as well as virtually. It is designed for people all over the world who can’t travel for several reasons to participate and network in the events. Experts believe that the hybrid model is here to stay and is going to be a part of the “transformed” industry. However, it’s not enough for the industry to rebound from the first global pandemic in this way — people need to connect in person. Abiding by rules and safety regulations, safe distancing and masks, although safer, won’t be enough to stop the spread of the virus as we know.
Safe Entry
Can you imagine being a part of a Covid-free event again? In a COVID safe bubble where everyone inside has tested negative outside the doors? It’s not unimaginable anymore. With the launch of Safe Entry by KrowdX, you can say with certainty that you are in a safe space and inside a COVID-free venue.
As this industry explores the trial events and incorporates the Safe Entry solution, it will transform into the much-needed economically viable events industry again.
Safe entry is an all-in-one solution that tests for the virus at the point of entry into your event, in under 10 seconds. By providing fast and accurate results using a saliva sample, Safe Entry has managed to provide a safe solution for the business events industry to kickstart again. Safe Entry blocks the virus at the door, keeping people safe and non-infectious inside. Screening and testing with accurate results is the way forward for the events industry and many, if not all industries, around the globe. The revolutionary solution of Safe Entry is here to change the world and make it a safer place to live in. Look out for this bubble and know that Safe Entry is a safe place to be with peace of mind!
“I love the whole idea of being safe, it has become the most important thing in all of our lives. I, like everybody else, want to be able to continue to move forward” Jennifer Lopez, Artist
