WORLD - Officials at the IMF, European Central Bank and EU have been among those having to cancel major conferences due to the shutdown of European airports, as Iceland’s erupting volcano continues to wreak havoc.
The international exhibitions industry is also being hit hard, with the giant Bauma construction show in Messe Munich this week dealing with a variety of logistical nightmares, as exhibitors and contractors struggle to attend.
IMEX 2010, to be held in Frankfurt Messe, is five weeks away and its organisers must be among those checking their insurance policies. Says CEO Carina Bauer: “It goes without saying that the effects of the eruption in Iceland and subsequent grounding of Europe has affected the exhibitions and meetings industry as much, if not more so than many other sectors.
"In terms of IMEX 2010, there have been no effects and we very much expect the situation to be more stable by the end of May.”
In Asia, the planes may be flying, but the trade shows are missing their usual European audiences. The China Daily reports Auto China 2010, due to open on Friday (23 April), is under threat.
"I don't know how many of the European auto giants will finally show up," says Zhang Hengjie, project manager of the International Exhibition Centre, the show venue.
Organisers of the World Expo in Shanghai, scheduled to open in 11 days, are determined their show will go on. Most foreign pavilions have local teams, but some stand designers are unable to fly in from Europe. "We can do nothing but wait," said Franck Serrano, director of the France pavilion.
European exhibitors, meanwhile, have also been unable to attend the electronics exhibition NEPCON China in Shanghai, according to Reed Exhibitions’ Singapore office.
International Congress and Convention Association CEO, Martin Sirk, describes the situation as “totally unprecedented”.
“It must,” says Sirk, “be harming our members not just across Europe, but also in other regions of the world, where European delegates and speakers planned to attend events.”
Sirk is hopeful the flight tests will provide the scientific and engineering evidence that will allow flights to go ahead in a safe manner.
“Certainly no-one wants to be responsible for a major tragedy, so caution is understandable, but ultimately some solutions have to be found, and quickly.”
