the effects of COVID19 on the global business events industry

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company Acting General Manager, Dr Nicholas Ndebele has lamented the losses which were incurred by his company and others in the business events industry due to the COVID-19 containment measures taken by Government early this year.

Speaking to The Chronicle newspaper last week, Dr Ndebele described the 2020 business events season as “a year like no other.”

Dr Ndebele highlighted that the measures taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic such as the restriction of gatherings to 50 people and the local and international travel restrictions negatively affected his company’s operations and bottom line.

“The company was hit extremely hard in terms of cash flows and this negatively impacted on seasonal labour engagement and as such affected staff morale. The industry is estimated to have lost more than US$1 billion. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this around the world,” said Dr Ndebele.

The ZITF Company’s main event, the ZITF was set to be held from 21 to 25 April this year but was affected by the lockdown and other measures which kicked off at the end of March. The event was postponed in the hope that it would be held sometime during the year but the pandemic persisted. Despite some form of lockdown relaxation towards the end of the year, the event and others could not be held forcing the company to consider rolling over the payments for the event to next year.

“While we still stand guided by our principal, the Government of Zimbabwe, we want to point out that the event has not been cancelled but postponed. We realise that it is no longer possible to host the event this year given the time left and the prevailing situation as a result of the pandemic.

“We realise that refunding them a portion of what they paid for the 2020 edition will no longer be viable and/or advisable due to the lapse of time and the peculiar circumstances we both find ourselves in,” Dr Ndebele said.

Some of the ZITF Company’s events which were also affected by COVID-19 include the Mining, Engineering and Transport exhibition (MineEntra), whose slot is July annually, and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Energy (WASHen), which is usually held in September. The company had to hold the two events virtually.

Meanwhile, the ZITF is set to be held from 20 to 24 April 2021 with 20 to 22 being business days and the remainder being public days.

The government has put off the country’s premier trade show, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) which was set for next month as part of a raft measures to deal with the deadly coronavirus pandemic. This was announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday during a state of the nation address that he made at State House.

“Government has decided to postpone, curtail or cancel public events, gatherings and activities. In that respect, Government has postponed the ZITF, all national independence celebrations previously planned and pending international sporting fixtures until the threat of coronavirus recedes. All these activities will resume as soon as we are satisfied that our nation is no longer at risk,” said President Mnangagwa in the address.

Although Zimbabwe is yet to register a confirmed coronavirus case, government has also barred the gathering of people in excess of 100 as part of moves to curtail the spread of the virus.

“Gatherings of more than 100 people, including those for purposes of worship and weddings stand suspended for the next 60 days after which the suspension will be reviewed,” the President said.

Other events that have been affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic include the inaugural Rwanda-Zimbabwe Trade and Investment conference which was set for 24 to 26 March 2019 in the Rwandan capital of Kigali. The organisers of the event issued a media statement to the effect that the event has been put off “with due regard to the safety and health of people considering the growing risk of spreading coronavirus.”

Minex Shamva Expo, a mining show which was set for 26 March 2019 in Shamva, has also been postponed in line with government’s ban on gatherings of over 100 people. Minex official, Patience Tsikira indicated in a Whatsapp message that the event has been postponed until a new date is advised at the end of April.

“Following recommendations the government to avoid public gatherings as a precautionary measure (against) Covid-19, we have to postpone (the) Minex Shamva (exhibition) to a date to be advised at the end of April,” she said.

The coronavirus has cost the exhibition industry and the global economy in order of billions due to the resultant event postponement and cancellations. According to the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (the UFI) the pandemic has seen over 500 events being postponed or cancelled costing the industry and exhibitors an estimated US$26.3bn.

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