Exhibition Industry supports

- Greek initiative for EU digital vaccination certificate
- Global solution with IATA Travel pass 

EU and global travel regulations still major barrier
Fragmented and quickly changing travel restrictions and quarantine/test requirements within the EU and globally remain a major barrier for international exhibitions and professional events to resume business. Quarantine days for business travellers have a major impact on single business and economic activity in general. Instead, increasing and speeding-up vaccinations combined with targeted, intelligent and cost-effective testing and tracing solutions at the appropriate scale for travellers should prevent quarantine. It would foster both the protection of health and economic activity. 
Insecurity on both exhibition organisers’ and attendees’ side make planning impossible, lead to frustration and hesitation and finally cancellation of events. It severely impacts the exhibition and business events sector and the whole travel and hospitality ecosystem but also all vertical industries that the professional exhibitions serve. 
Vaccinations and testing will open perspectives
Vaccinations are a key to safe reopening of borders, enable travel within Europe and globally and to start the economic recovery. Combined with intelligent and broad testing schemes they are the key to re-establishing confidence among travellers, freedom of movement and rebuilding connectivity. To that aim, globally recognised certificates are vital. The Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ proposal for an EU wide digital vaccination certificate is therefore very welcome by EEIA. 
In addition, we call for global coordination of criteria for risk and measures to re-establish transatlantic travel to be pushed by all supranational organisation and EU Member States with the same approach and standards. The IATA Travel Pass which is already being tested by several airlines would be an ideal solution. Its application could be opened up to be of use to the entire travel and hospitality chain and include specifically trade fairs and business events. 

Exhibitions and business events are key to rebuilding economies – international business travel for the purpose of attending such events is vital Agreeing and implementing an EU-wide or ideally global digital travel pass solution for enabling international business travel will give a clear perspective to the exhibition and business events industry and the whole travel and hospitality ecosystem. Empowering exhibitions and business events means empowering every industry, every sector, as it gives them back their market places and platforms for innovations, knowledge transfers and scientific exchange. On top, it boosts economic activity and trade in general and generates considerable benefits for the travel and tourism sector. 
In order to rebuild Europe’s economy, push the transition towards digital as well as sustainable technologies and practices and achieve the long term goal of a carbon neutral Europe, exhibitions and business events play a mission-critical role. The business events industry offers safe environments at all times for customers, contractors and employees and thus create trust and confidence among the clients to start business again.
The EU Heads of States meet on Thursday, 21 January 2021 to discuss the Greek Prime Minister’s proposal. We urge the EU Member States and the EU Institutions to develop a common vaccination certification which should be compatible with and integrate into the IATA Travel Pass scheme.

Download the position paper here.

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