On Sunday 15 March, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in South Africa a national disaster. Doing so has enabled Government to launch a coordinated disaster management plan.

Some of the steps in the plan will have a severe and adverse effect on the events industry. For example:

• Gatherings of more than 100 people have been prohibited.
• Smaller, unavoidable gatherings may continue, but the organisers will need to put in place stringent measures of prevention and control.
• A number of travel restrictions are now in place, which will reduce the number of people able to attend an event.

At the same time, social distancing will likely discourage event attendance even when it is possible. 

Greg McManus, Chairperson of the Event Greening Forum (EGF) NPO, says, “Our sector is facing a very challenging period ahead. However we fully support the South African Government in taking this step, to better protect the health and wellbeing of our people.”

He adds, “Fortunately, as an industry and as individuals we have proven out strength under pressure and are able to stay calm in the face of stressful events. These traits are going to serve us well in the coming months as we figure out how best to mitigate the economic consequences of the coronavirus disease, and how to prepare ourselves to rebuild a more sustainable and robust industry.”

Various industry bodies are gathering data on the impact COVID-19 is having on their sectors, as accurate information will help them to create realistic plans for ‘what next’. The EGF encourages everyone to share their business experiences, where relevant:

• SAACI has a 5-7 minute survey on how the COVID-19 outbreak has affected your business, whether you are an event organiser, industry supplier or venue: https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/r7Chcj

SATSA has a survey for the tourism service providers who have received cancellations: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6BDXCJJ

• UFI and Explori have a survey for event organisers who have recently cancelled, postponed or gone virtual with their event: please contact research@ufi.orgor bespoke@explori.com if you would like to participate

McManus also notes that many of the professionals operating in the exhibitions and meetings sectors are likely to have been in contact with people travelling from the outbreak hot-spots as identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). He says, “I would encourage anyone who believes they could have come into contact with people travelling from these areas to keep track of everyone they have come into contact with recently. This way, in the unlikely event that the coronavirus disease has been transmitted, the circle of contacts can be quickly and easily isolated.”

Lastly, the EGF urges everyone to consult reputable sources when gathering and sharing information on COVID-19, in order to prevent misinformation and confusion. Examples of these include the South African Department of Health’s website: sacoronavirus.co.za and the WHO: www.who.int.

The exhibition industry has a notorious reputation for wastefulness with stands and many of their fixtures and fittings being skipped at the end of an event. But now things are looking up and the industry is giving itself a much needed green-over.

The last decade has seen a real shift in attitude: ’There’s an increasing emphasis on long term thinking and coupling sustainability with creativity.’

Sustainability is going mainstream in the exhibition industry. It looks like what’s good for the planet could also be good business for ethical exhibition companies.

• Ensure top level management buys into the greening plan.
• Select a venue that has green advantages such as: recycling; natural and low energy lighting; motion-sensor lighting, taps and escalators; dual flush toilets; water-wise indigenous gardens; is close to public transport; and so forth.
• Promote a paperless system for exhibitor and visitor registrations, and the exhibition services. Use electronic communication (SMS, email, websites and social media) to promote the expo.
• Request the catering company provide a menu made up of locally sourced produce, and ideally seasonal and organic too. Include lots of vegetarian options. Serve the food with re-usable crockery and cutlery, to minimise unnecessary extra waste.
• Although the venue may have waste sorting and recycling back of house, it is recommended you provide a twin-bin waste system in the hall to ensure the recyclables and non-recyclables are separated at source. The bins will need to be clearly labelled as to what can be put in which bins.
• .Ask your exhibitors to assist your greening measures, by opting for green stands. You can refer to the EXSA Green Stand Award Guidelines for more ideas on how to do this. You can also encourage them to reduce the amount of printed handouts they have on stand, to opt for indigenous plants on the stand and, if having give-aways, to source locally produced items rather than Chinese imports.
• Green Stand Awards are a nice way to acknowledge those exhibitors who have made an effort in this regard. Once again, you can refer to the EXSA Green Stand Awards criteria for stand judging  guidelines.
• You can also buying renewable energy to power your exhibition, through ZA Recs SA. This is an inexpensive but effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of your event.
• Clearly communicate all of your greening efforts to you suppliers, exhibitors, visitors and the media. This will help to profile the good you are doing, encourage conversations and awareness around greening, and also increase the likelihood that your greening efforts will be supported by everyone - and therefore be more effective.
• Remember; you cannot manage what you cannot measure. So it is a good idea to measure the environmental impact of your event. This will give you a good idea of where you can improve your efforts, and by how much. The carbon footprint of your event can be calculated through measuring the travel, power consumption, waste output and printing that can be directly attributed to your event. A good rule of thumb is, if you pay for it, you should offset it.
• Consider offsetting the carbon footprint of your event through planting trees, donating solar water heaters, or something similar for a community-based operation such as a school, orphanage or community centre.

If you are looking for anything green, be sure to check out the Green Database: