Fragmented travel regulations and restrictions within the EU and globally remain a major barrier for international exhibitions and professional events to resume business. Instead, increasing and speeding-up vaccinations combined with cost-effective rapid testing and intelligent tracing solutions will foster both the protection of health and enable travel within Europe and worldwide and to start the economic recovery. 
EU-wide and globally compatible digital health certificates are a key tool to re-establish confidence among travellers, freedom of movement and rebuilding connectivity. Such application should be of use to the entire travel and hospitality chain and include specifically trade fairs and business events for safe and seamless experience. It should be available as quickly as possible.

Ahead of the EU Tourism Ministers’ meeting on 1st March, 2021, the European Exhibition industry calls for a coordinated approach to remove restrictions for mobility such as quarantines and travel bans and strongly endorses a fast-track development of a digital health certificate. As a global industry, we stress the need for global coordination of criteria for risk and measures to re-establish overseas travel with the same standards.

Trade fairs, exhibitions and business events will play a vital role in the economic recovery. With lead times of min. 4-6 months, our industry needs a clear roadmap for planning and preparing the international innovation and business platforms on time.

You can download the Position Paper here.

Barbara Weizsäcker
Secretary General
European Exhibition Industry Alliance (EEIA)
European Major Exhibitions Centre Associations (EMECA)

Kai Hattendorf
CEO
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry

Background Information

About EEIA
The European Exhibition Industry Alliance represents nearly 400 European exhibition organisers and venue operators in Brussels to the European institutions and stakeholders. These trade fairs and exhibition players are organised in UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and the European Major Exhibition Centres Association EMECA. 
For more information please visit:
www.exhibition-alliance.eu   www.ufi.org   www.emeca.eu

We look forward to receiving any queries and your positive reply.
Please contact: barbara.weizsaecker@exhibition-alliance.eu