Expo Event: Determined lobbying is needed now

Now is a good time to lobby the federal government. One that has historically been neglected by the association. The secretariat of Expo Event Live Kommunikation is located in Bern at the Centre Patronal, and it does an excellent job. The president of the association lives in Bern, and the association's communications agency is one of the most renowned in Bern. And the former CEO of Olma Messen, Nicolo Paganini, sits on the National Council. This network must now be used, otherwise it is not a network.

Here is the media release from Expo Event Swiss Live Com Association: "No land in sight for hundreds of companies with thousands of employees: At its press conference yesterday, the Federal Council announced the current roadmap regarding the lockdown phase-out. For hundreds of companies in the LiveCom industry, these latest regulations are devastating to deadly. That's why the Expo Event Swiss LiveCom Association is formulating a new list of demands to the authorities on behalf of its members and all affected companies and industries."

It is no longer a secret and it is dramatic: Without a specific aid package for the LiveCom industry, many small, medium and large companies are facing immediate ruin. "Our industry, specifically organizers of major events, sporting events, festivals and trade fairs were the first and will be the last to be affected by the Corona crisis," said Eugen Brunner, president of the Swiss LiveCom Association (pictured). "The consequences of this are as manifold as they are frightening, because the very long value chain is being torn into its component parts."

• Numerous trade fairs, conferences or conventions will not be able to take place at all, not only in this Corona year, but also in subsequent years - or at least not to the normal extent.
• All companies around the conception, design and construction of these occasions lose substantial orders
• Exhibitors lose authoritative platforms to present and sell their products and services
• Hundreds to thousands of workers are on the street before summer starts; and they won't find work anytime soon

Two catastrophic points still play out here that are lost in the discussion of the future after Corona:

• Almost all companies, especially in the trade fair sector, have already provided their services weeks and months ago without being duly compensated. This is an unparalleled neck-breaker.
• In contrast to other sectors of the economy that have also been severely affected, the situation in the trade fair and LiveCom industry is such that the relevant events cannot be ramped up again overnight, but rather - if at all - only in a few months' time.

The association's demands are now as clear as they are sober as they are unmistakable:

• An early and gradual lifting of the event ban, in order to ensure a certain degree of planning security for both customers and the affected companies, and to pave the way for the latter to be able to resume their activities.
• A differentiated approach to "events". After all, trade fairs, congresses and conferences are not fun events, but an integral part of our economic system. Hence the demand that these events - taking into account all necessary safety precautions - be made possible again as quickly as possible.
• An additional differentiated handling of visitor numbers for events. After all, it is by no means the number of visitors alone that is decisive, but the measures taken to protect them. Security is an essential part of our business. This was already the case before Corona, and it will be even more so after Corona!
• Therefore: Consistent and regular involvement in the planning of this gradual repeal. We will contribute our suggestions regarding the safety of events in a constructive exchange and thus advance the repeal in a realistic and sensible manner.
• All these demands do not even take into account the extremely precarious financial situation of the entire industry. The aid packages that have been granted and quickly "delivered" so far are also very much welcomed and gratefully received by the association. However, the situation must be monitored closely and evaluated on a daily basis. In order to prevent this eco-system from completely collapsing and dragging an entire industry into the abyss, targeted aid packages à fonds perdu are almost certainly indispensable.
• As has been the case since the beginning of the corona crisis, our focus remains on constructive cooperation with authorities at the national, cantonal and regional levels. And most especially, we are all about protecting the health of everyone living in Switzerland with all our might!

Expo Event Swiss LiveCom Association, Eugen Brunner, President" (end of press release).

Go live communication now!

Something is missing from the media release: live communication. Now there must be live lobbying that goes beyond a press release. Bernese politicians must be taken into confidence. They have to be talked to. In order to then fill the second gap in the media release: a package of measures for the live communication industry of trade fair organizers, event organizers and the service industry that flanks them.

Live communication deserves that. And the economy benefiting from the event business. According to estimates, one franc spent in the trade fair and event business generates 8 to 10 francs in economic effects, and in Switzerland that amounts to around 7 billion francs according to the latest estimates by Expo Event.