Exhibition News April 2019 | Page 8

News Farnborough International Airshow removes its public weekend The Farnborough International Airshow has announced it is removing its public weekend, in favour of allowing the public to attend on the event’s final Friday. The move will see the seven-day global aerospace, defence and space show become a five-day trade event. On Friday 24 July 2020, the public day will focus on inspiring the next generation, showcasing the technologies driving new products and manufacturing processes. The Airshow’s goal is to encourage talented young people attracted to aerospace, defence and space to focus on developing skills needed to enter rewarding careers in these industries. Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, said: “The Farnborough International Airshow is a unique event. Allowing the public to see more of the people, products and processes that underpin the global aerospace, defence and space industries will help engage and inspire a new generation. “Removing the public weekend will disappoint some, but for our exhibitors and trade visitors the focus is on business and accessing the talent they need to sustain global competitiveness.” In 2018, the biennial show hosted more than 1,500 exhibitors and welcomed 80,000 visitors representing 112 countries. 08 — April The month at a glance What stories, topics and trends have been making headlines in recent weeks? The importance of wellbeing earnest Sarah Mayo and Siôn Stansfield of POINT3 Wellbeing delivered a series of talks at the AEO Forums in January. Real-time audience questions turned up a number of interesting statistics from events industry attendees on the topic of wellbeing: 1. 70% of the audience ranked the events industry at a 7 or more on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is not stressful and 10 is highly stressful. 2. The ops stream found the industry the most stressful of all, with 49% ranking the industry at an 8 or more. 3. Physical exercise is the number one means that the audiences manage their wellbeing, with 54% selecting this option. 4. Just 5% said they currently had a regular mindfulness/ meditation practice. 5. And as many as 18% of the audience currently don’t have a regular means of managing their wellbeing at all. International Confex, EPS and PA Show to move to ExCeL London for 2020 EN publisher Mash Media has announced that International Confex, Event Production Show and PA Show will move to ExCeL London next year, taking place 25-26 February 2020. Mash Media said that it had been considering a number of options to further develop the events and felt the facilities and surroundings at ExCeL London would provide the best opportunity to realise the growing ambitions of each event. The move to ExCeL London will provide the backdrop for the development of UK Events Week, which will bring a dedicated focus for the UK’s meetings, events and exhibition industries. Liz Agostini, event director, International Confex, commented: “We thank the team at Olympia for their support since we brought International Confex into the Mash Media Group back in 2013, but we felt that the opportunity to bring our events to the world- class facility that is ExCeL London would provide the best platform to develop all three events into something more representative of the UK’s creative abilities across the sectors they serve. One of the crucial aspects of the move is the partnership we can build with the team at ExCeL London, who are committed to working with us in developing the future strategy for International Confex.” An Advisory Board will be set up to ensure International Confex develops and grows in line with changing customer needs. James Rees, executive director at ExCeL and ICCA president, added: “It is the perfect time for International Confex to move to ExCeL London. In recent years, we have seen exponential growth in our meetings and congress business, and this relocation gives us a fantastic opportunity to work with Mash Media to promote and enhance the UK’s meetings industry.”