The Exhibition and Events Association of Australia (EEAA) in an address from its CEO Domenic Genua (pictured), to members, 27 April, has said it is scaling back its previously proposed full day of activities in Melbourne to mark Global Exhibitions Day, 1 June 2022, citing the need to spend time on the business of the day, with planning and staffing issues pressing as business resurgence gathers pace.
The CEO’s statement ran: “They say that there is a time and place for everything and in our case, that time and place is mostly governed by the wishes of our members.
“It is with this in mind, EEAA has heeded the wishes of its members, and a change is now in place for the scheduled 1 June Global Exhibitions Day activities.
“Originally envisaged as a full day event in Melbourne, several factors have directed EEAA’s Board and management, to change the date, make up and location.
“All good businesses must have the courage and ability to change and adapt to the needs of the day. Our members all know how dramatically we have had to adapt over the last two years. Those changes continue and a resurgence in business, combined with our need to adapt to contracted planning windows and less than ideal staff levels, means that our industry’s business of the day is consuming more time than what we have available.
“Whilst this may sound somewhat pessimistic, it’s not. Our industry is busy, we are coming back, and we are resetting to deliver the quality exhibitions and events we are renowned for.
“For now, we urge our members to ensure 1 June remains in your diaries as it remains a critical day in our industry's calendar. We will still be gathering, however now in Sydney, and rather than having an event spanning the whole day, which none of us can afford at this point in time, we will be having a constructive, interactive and busy breakfast session.
“Details of the morning’s proceedings and schedule of speakers will be announced shortly. The morning will also include several special announcements that will prove to be important to our industry's future and, of course, our celebration of Global Exhibitions Day."
