THE RESILIENCE IN THE TIMES OF THE CORONAVIRUS
4 TIPS FROM CS EVENTS TO REWRITE THE MEETING INDUSTRY RULES
COVID-19 outbreak is seriously damaging the #mice and #tourism sector in Italy and in the rest of the affected countries. It is a blow to the meeting industry and we are called to rewrite the rules of the game. But what can we do in these days when practically our work has been abruptly stopped? We offer you our way of resisting this cause and continuing to work in 4 ways.
1. Limit the spread of fake news.
Our sector, in addition to the situation linked to the virus, has also been damaged by the choice of the tone in which information was communicated in Italy and the rest of the world: from the sensationalistic headlines of the newspapers and from the Italian and foreign media campaigns that have transformed Italy into the hospital of the world. Therefore what we can do in our small way is to commit ourselves to conveying information in the right way, to always refer to accredited sources, not to share opinions, but verified information. Only in this way can we confirm and strengthen the relationship of trust that we have established over time with our customers.
2. Reorganize to regain lost ground.
Our partners offer us bigger rooms in order to organize meetings, conferences and presentations in compliance with national directives, being able to distance the sessions for the public. We are looking for new locations, new ideas, new formats suited to current needs and which are in line with the necessary precautions to avoid the proliferation of the virus.
3. Intensify efforts to keep open dialogue in accordance with international demands.
As for our role as promoters of Italy as destination, we are convinced that now more than ever it is necessary to create support partnerships between the agencies that loose an event and those that conversely gain it in more easily managed destinations. We need to strengthen our presence abroad.
4. Networking.
Communicating with our colleagues, comparing ourselves, understanding how to "restructure" our business, how we will get to post-coronavirus and what will happen when everything unlocks. We participate in webinars, in discussion groups, sharing information and possible solutions, with the strong conviction of identifying a common message, in which the whole industry can recognize itself. We firmly believe that when everything returns to normal, there will be rewards for those who have not stood still, but have seized this period of forced suspension of their work as an opportunity to increase their personal and professional connections with their community, customers, suppliers, collaborators and colleagues.
Because our experience continues to make a difference.