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**Important Messaging For All Trade Fair Organisers**
Further to Public Health Measures announced on Friday, 17th December, it has been confirmed today by the Department of Enterprise Trade & Employment that the measures related to indoor events, 'do not affect religious, educational or normal workplace business activity and business events (for example: conferences, trade fairs’. Measures will come into effect from 20 December (midnight on Sunday night):
The IEOA would like to reiterate their thanks to Minister of State, Robert Troy and his Department for his continued support for our sector.
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New Industry Supports – Update (Event Industry Alliance) The Department of Tourism, Culture Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media have announced that the following schemes will be launched over the coming weeks:
MEBAS Phase II (Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme) Application portal will go live at 1pm on Monday 4th October MEBAS Guidelines MEBAS FAQs ESCSS Phase II (Events Sector Covid Support Scheme) Application portal will go live at 1pm on Thursday 7th October ESCSS Guidelines ESCSS FAQs CECGS (Commerical Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme) Application portal will go live at 1pm on Thursday 14th October CECGS Guidelines CECGS FAQs GOVERNMENT GIVE FORMAL RECOGNITION AND ADVICE THAT TRADE FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS CAN PROCEED FROM SEPTEMBER 6th Following an Taoiseach, Micheal Martin's announcement yesterday, we are all systems go for a reopening on September 6th, with further restrictions to be lifted by October 22nd. Full guidelines on the governments recovery and reconnecting plan can be downloaded below. 
EVENT INDUSTRY ALLIANCE (EIA) ANGER AND FRUSTRATION CONTINUES FOLLOWING MEETING WITH AN TAOISEACH, TÁNAISTE AND MINISTER CATHERINE MARTIN
EVENT INDUSTRY BUSINESS AND WORKERS‘ LIVELIHOODS LOST - ANOTHER SUMMER LOST - CONTINUED DEMAND FOR SUPPORTS AND CROSS DEPARTMENT MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT - 537 DAYS CLOSED – NEARLY 18 MONTHS – STILL NO REOPENING DATE AT FULL CAPACITY The Event Industry Alliance (EIA) met with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister Catherine Martin and her department, along with government and key industry representatives today. DISAPPOINTED - STILL NO REOPENING DATE. FULLY VACINATED TO ATTEND. CROSS DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION REQUIRED.
The Event Industry Alliance (EIA) met with Minister Catherine Martin and her department today, following an intense campaign and urgent request for engagement with all key stakeholders within the Event Industry . The EIA represent:
There were many other organisations in attendance. We acknowledged the fact that the Minister Catherine Martin took the time to meet with our industry representatives however we were disappointed that neither An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, or Minister Stephen Donnelly did NOT attend today’s meeting. While we also acknowledge that representatives from the ministers departments did attend, this was the first time this happened. The sector requires a whole cross Government approach to ensure that the severity of the situation that the Industry now finds itself is fully appreciated. In addition, we are very concerned that after 17 months of closure each group had a 2 to 3 minute opportunity to make a contribution towards the proposed reopening roadmap. This does not amount to constructive engagement however we do hope that this is a start. The Event Industry Alliance reiterated the following key proposals for reopening:
We are deeply disappointed that there still is no confirmed reopening date, despite being mandated to close for 17 months, and ongoing requests for meaningful engagement with all sectors within our industry. There is an urgent and obvious requirement for cross department collaboration to ensure a strong aligned reopening. In various departments there is a perceived difference between culture based and other events. The reality is that strictly non cultural events account for 30-40% of the total €3.5bn industry value - however ALL EVENTS WILL be obliged to follow the same over-arching procedures, guidelines and industry restrictions. There is also an obvious collaboration with the Department of Health required. We again call for an urgent meeting with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister Eamon Ryan, Minister Stephen Donnelly and the Cabinet Sub Committee on COVID to urgently engage with our sector. Mass events without Covid restrictions are “as risky as going shopping”, data revealsThat's according to initial data from the UK Government's events research programme.
Holding mass events without face masks and social distancing pose as little risk as going to a shopping centre or restaurant, initial data from government trials has suggested. According to The Times, data from the UK Government’s events research programme in Liverpool revealed that coronavirus transmission can be significantly reduced when factors such as screening and improved ventilation are introduced. The preliminary data marks a huge boost for the return of live music in the UK, and the hope that all Covid restrictions can come to an end in England as planned on June 21. READ MORE HERE>> Where is the equality? Orphans thrown crumbs whilst being kept on life support.
Events businesses disappointed with Covid support scheme Updated / Friday, 12 Feb 2021 15:06 Exhibition companies had tried to pivot their businesses to online and virtual events By Will GoodbodyBusiness Editor Businesses operating in the events, exhibitions and trade show sectors have expressed their disappointment at a new Government scheme designed to help them survive through the pandemic. Announced on Tuesday, the Covid-19 Business Aid Scheme will offer firms whose turnover has fallen at least 75% due to Covid-19 restrictions grants of up to €8,000. The support will be spread equally over two quarters. The €60m fund is designed to reach businesses that do not qualify for assistance under the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme or tourism support funds, including those in the events, exhibitions and trade show sectors. But the representative organisations for these so-called "orphaned" firms say the scheme is totally inadequate and will not make a significant difference. "We were offered crumbs and we don't understand why we are so different to SMEs supported by the CRSS," said Garret Buckley, chairperson of the Irish Exhibition Organisers' Association. Mr Buckley said the industry had expected that the new scheme announced by the Tanaiste would be similar to the CRSS, where qualifying firms can claim as much as €5,000 a week to cover their fixed costs. He said exhibition companies had tried to pivot their businesses to online and virtual events, but added that it is clear that for many events there is a need for people to be able to meet face to face. "There is desperation coming into it now," he said. Mr Buckley added that the sector, which employs 25,000 people here, was the first to have to shut down last March, and looks like it will be the last to reopen. He said governments in other countries where the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out is proceeding faster than in Ireland are giving event organisers a timeline for when they will be able to resume holding events, but so far the same things hasn't been forthcoming here. Representatives of the sector met with the Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy, today to express their concerns and outline their position. "While we acknowledge there are tons of things out there (to help businesses), none of them are hitting the mark for our members," said Roisin Callaghan, spokesperson for Events Industry Ireland. She said the new scheme amounts to the equivalent of €350 per week for businesses. "You may as well be on the PUP for that," she said, adding that firms in the sector want to keep trading. "The Government has said we can't work but they are not helping us to not work." Ms Callaghan said most firms have now eaten into their reserves and yet the line of sight for the ending of the pandemic is shifting constantly. In a survey carried out last April by the association, 75% of respondents said their firms would o't last more than a year of closure and that anniversary is fast approaching. Trade Fairs & Exhibitions set to resume in 2021 IEOA Covid-19 Protocols Launched Exhibitions an important outlet for SMEs and now possible under levels 1 & 2 The Irish Exhibition Organisers Association (IEOA) calls on exhibitors, SMEs and industry bodies to re-engage with trade fair and exhibition professionals as we enter 2021. This call was made as the IEOA launched their Covid-19 protocols, as well as on foot of Government clarity about the operation of trade fairs and exhibitions under levels 1 and 2 of Covid-19 Government guidelines. These IEOA-drafted Covid-19 protocols will be in place to ensure best practice health and safety standards are delivered once trade fairs and exhibitions recommence. Robert Troy, Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with responsibility for Trade Promotion, was invited to the largest exhibition space in Ireland, the RDS, to acknowledge his support for enabling trade fairs and exhibitions to recommence in 2021. Speaking at the RDS, Minister of State Robert Troy said: “I am delighted to see first-hand the level of preparedness that venues such as the RDS are making to ensure that they can reopen safely when permitted under public health guidance and the Government’s Living with COVID-19 Roadmap. A significant effort has been made by the industry to develop protocols for the safe return to business. I envisage no reason that trade exhibitions cannot reopen in Level 2, subject to a decline in trajectory of the virus. “In the meantime, I welcome the innovation shown by venues and event organisers to move to virtual events, enabling businesses to engage online. As Minister for Trade Promotion I recognise the value of face-to-face engagement and business networking and I look forward to the reopening of the business events and trade shows in the coming months. 2021 is the year we make trade a priority, and I will continue to work with my Government colleagues to see the safe return of trade exhibitions which give businesses the space to make connections and work together. The Government is supporting event venues and the sector through wage subsidies, rates waivers and access to low-cost liquidity and while the Government acknowledges not all can avail of CRSS, work is ongoing to address the needs of legitimate businesses.” “We’re a service industry that has an amplifying business effect for many other sectors” says Garret Buckley, Chair of the IEOA. “Our businesses have been closed since March. That has been devastating for our industry, but also the many SMEs that rely upon our events to get their product or service to market. The prolonged period of shutdown has been a severe blow to confidence, people were questioning if we’d survive at all. Minister Troy and his officials engaged with us early and his efforts have helped our industry in achieving clarity in a time of uncertainty. Government clarity is a crucial first step in restoring confidence.” Hundreds of industry-specific events were cancelled across 2020. Trade fairs and business exhibitions typically require several months lead-in, but for IEOA members planning has already begun to enable a restart in Spring 2021. IEOA members are also aware that a movement to Covid-19 level 3 or higher could prevent their event from taking place at short notice. “That is a risk that we will have to weigh up and consider. Some of our members are at a point that it is a risk that they are willing to take” says Garret Buckley. "But some standard practices in our industry give us natural advantages and allow us to run safe events. They are incorporated into a series of robust and implementable protocols to ensure the safety of all exhibitors, visitors and staff, which the IEOA drafted as part of our engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. These protocols have been reviewed by the Health and Safety Authority and the Department of Health, and we are satisfied that they will contribute to making trade fairs one of the safest indoor environments possible. Trade fairs and exhibitions can resume on the basis of these protocols, without requiring a national vaccination programme to be completed, as has already happened in Asia and parts of Europe”. These protocols include contact details for all persons on site either attending or working at any event; pre-registering of all attendees; use of event management professionals experienced in people movement; one-way systems; staggered pre-arranged time allocations; 4m2 per person, using spacious professional venues; and use of multiple entry and exit points. Speaking on behalf of the RDS, Commercial Director Michele Griffin said: “The RDS has been the premier venue for many of the country’s longest established trade fair organisers, in some instances we have professional relationships going back decades. Just like our clients, our venue has been in effective hibernation since March. We had two months trading in 2020 with over 200 events postponed or cancelled. We have worked diligently with the IEOA and are confident that their health and safety protocols are fully operable in professional, spacious venues such as ours. The economic uplift from a recommencement of trade fairs goes beyond the event industry, potentially benefiting hundreds of indigenous SMEs from many different sectors. Our years of experience across diverse sectors tells us that face-to-face selling at trade fairs and exhibitions can be vital for many companies. It not only gives them sales leads, but a chance to test new products or services which they can then amend or alter based on feedback.”  Irish Exhibition and Trade Fair Organisers Call for Level Playing Field
Autumn is the busiest season for trade fairs and exhibitions*, and for the many SMEs who exhibit at trade fairs, these exhibitions deliver an important sales pipeline. 3,000 SMEs were already booked to take part in trade fairs within the months ahead, and with many September trade fairs and exhibitions now postponed and future trade fairs and exhibitions in jeopardy, the Irish Exhibition Organisers Association (IEOA) is calling for equal treatment to that of retail businesses who engage with thousands of customers every single day. Recent cancellations include the Wedding & Honeymoon Show and Vitality. For Killaloe business, Palm Free Irish Soap company, the cancellation of Vitality at Dublin’s RDS came as a disappointment. “Trade fairs and exhibitions are a vital way of connecting small businesses like ours with new customers. We exhibit at a couple of trade fairs every year and last year, Vitality expo really delivered for us in terms of sales. “We were booked to exhibit at this year’s event and are saddened that the September event is no longer taking place as the event had the potential of connecting our Killaloe business with customers from throughout Ireland,” adds Kathy Hoynes, co-owner of the Palm Free Irish Soap company. Whilst the IEOA organisation and many exhibitors are in complete support of the Government’s advice based on health and safety being paramount, IEOA members are frustrated by the lack of a level playing field. Comparable to retail, trade fairs and exhibitions should not be defined as ‘mass events’, therefore the IEOA is calling for the number of people admitted to trade fairs or exhibitions to be determined by the size of the venue or hall in which it takes place. “We have already produced and distributed robust guidelines which clearly show how trade fairs and exhibitions can operate in a safe manner, and it goes without saying that the health and safety of our employees, exhibitors, contractors and visitors is our number one priority. “We are NOT organising mass events such as concerts, sporting events or large social events, and are calling for the Department of Business to recognise that exhibitions and trade fairs must be treated equally to that of retail,” adds Garret Buckley, Chair, IEOA and Managing Director of EventHaus. The IEOA is optimistic that exhibitions and trade fairs will be included in the July Stimulus package, which would play a crucial role in securing thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly throughout the entire supply chain. The organisation is also calling for the introduction of a voucher scheme which will enable SMEs to cover some of the costs in participating in future exhibitions and trade fairs, and in return help stimulate Ireland’s recovery. Speaking about her future hopes, Kathy Hoynes, co-owner of the Palm Free Irish Soap company continues: “It’s a difficult time for all businesses and sales, particularly to gifts shops, are understandably not what they were. We have another trade fair booked for December and are very hopeful that it will go ahead as it could provide a lifeline for us after an unprecedented year. “The IEOA’s call for a voucher scheme would be a very welcome measure. It would encourage many SMEs, like us, to exhibit, trade and make new sales which will be so important as we all move forward.” Trade fairs and exhibitions are a crucial sales funnel for many Irish SMEs as they are effectively marketplaces which connect buyers with sellers. Expanding on the voucher scheme, Garret Buckley adds: “The IEOA is calling for the introduction of a voucher scheme of approximately €1,500, which will enable businesses to participate in future trade fairs and exhibitions, helping to secure vital sales at a time when every business needs it most. “As well as directly benefitting exhibitor SMEs, this scheme would have a positive ripple effect throughout our supply chain, securing business for our many third-party contractors and suppliers.” The IEOA is calling on the Department of Business and Health & Safety Authority to engage with the Association, include trade fairs and exhibitions in the July Stimulus package and to consider the merits of the introduction of the SME trade fair voucher scheme. For further information on the IEOA Roadmap to Safe Exhibitions and Covid-19 protocols, see http://www.ieoa.ie/safe-exhibitions.html -ENDS- * Definition of an exhibition or trade fair: “An exhibition or trade fair takes place in a recognised exhibition venue, hired by the Organiser for a defined period. Floor space within the Venue is sub-let or leased by the Organiser to individual businesses and SMEs for the same period who reserve a specific stand space to present their products or services. Visitors to the exhibition or trade fair must register with the Organiser in advance to attend." Notes to Editors:
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Irish Exhibition and Trade Fair Organisers Call for Level Playing Field
Just six weeks away from the busiest season for trade fairs and exhibitions*, members of the Irish Exhibition Organisers Association (IEOA) are now making critical decisions on September to November trade fairs and exhibitions. With many September trade fairs and exhibitions now postponed and future trade fairs and exhibitions in jeopardy, the IEOA is calling for equal treatment to that of retail businesses who engage with thousands of customers every single day. Whilst the organisation is in complete support of the Government’s advice based on health and safety being paramount, IEOA members are frustrated by the lack of a level playing field. Comparable to retail, trade fairs and exhibitions should not be defined as ‘mass events’, therefore the IEOA is calling for the number of people admitted to trade fairs or exhibitions to be determined by the size of the venue or hall in which it takes place. “We have already produced and distributed robust guidelines which clearly show how trade fairs and exhibitions can operate in a safe manner, and it goes without saying that the health and safety of our employees, exhibitors, contractors and visitors is our number one priority. “We are NOT organising mass events such as concerts, sporting events or large social events, and are calling for the Department of Business to recognise that exhibitions and trade fairs must be treated equally to that of retail,” adds Garret Buckley, Chair, IEOA and Managing Director of EventHaus. The IEOA is optimistic that exhibitions and trade fairs will be included in the July Stimulus package, which would play a crucial role in securing thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly throughout the entire supply chain. The organisation is also calling for the introduction of a voucher scheme which will enable SMEs to cover some of the costs in participating in future exhibitions and trade fairs, and in return help stimulate Ireland’s recovery. Garret Buckley explains: “Trade fairs and exhibitions are a crucial sales funnel for many Irish SMEs as they are effectively marketplaces which connect buyers with sellers. For many years, our members’ trade fairs and exhibitions have proved to be lifeline in securing future sales for exhibitors across a wide array of sectors. “The IEOA is calling for the introduction of a voucher scheme of approximately €1,500, which will enable businesses to participate in future trade fairs and exhibitions, helping to secure vital sales at a time when every business needs it most. “As well as directly benefitting exhibitor SMEs, this scheme would have a positive ripple effect throughout our supply chain, securing business for our many third-party contractors and suppliers.” With exhibitions and trade fairs taking place in vast venues such as The RDS, space can be totally configurated to ensure physical distancing. Controlled pre-event registration will facilitate contract tracing and the IEOA protocols detail many more procedures which will ensure the safe and controlled re-opening of trade fairs and exhibitions. The IEOA is calling on the Department of Business and Health & Safety Authority to engage with the Association, include trade fairs and exhibitions in the July Stimulus package and to consider the merits of the introduction of the SME trade fair voucher scheme. For further information on the IEOA Roadmap to Safe Exhibitions and Covid-19 protocols, see http://www.ieoa.ie/safeexhibitions -ENDS- * Definition of an exhibition or trade fair: “An exhibition or trade fair takes place in a recognised exhibition venue, hired by the Organiser for a defined period. Floor space within the Venue is sub-let or leased by the Organiser to individual businesses and SMEs for the same period who reserve a specific stand space to present their products or services. Visitors to the exhibition or trade fair must register with the Organiser in advance to attend." Notes to Editors:
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