(Pictured above: Ling Tong Exhibition System’s new adjustable clamps)
by Amadeus Finlay
After more than six months battling COVID-19, trends are beginning to form in the tradeshow and event industry. On one hand, we are seeing an exciting new world of opportunity as firms and events move toward digital alternatives in the form of 3D, virtual walk-throughs of complete exhibit experiences, and seminars held via teleconferencing. On the other, enterprising firms have pivoted their output to deliver the right products at the right time to a society in need of solutions. This is an industry on the cusp of something huge.
Tradeshow and event professionals in the Lone Star State continue to pioneer, innovate and show social leadership at this time of crisis. One such entity is The Trade Group in Dallas. Not content with repositioning their production to cope with the social demands of the lockdown, in mid-August, the firm donated the design, manufacturing and installation of safety signage and equipment to the North Texas Food Bank.
According to Robin Dean, senior design consultant at The Trade Group, “We’re honored to be able to donate these safety solutions to the North Texas Food Bank, an organization that feeds thousands of North Texas families, children and seniors every day. We also hope that the signage, face shields and sanitizer stations The Trade Group has donated will bring peace of mind to the hundreds of employees and volunteers continuing to work hard to feed our communities during the pandemic.”
Dean toured the NTFB’s Plano location in June, gaining a first-hand understanding of potential design opportunities, as well as the scope of the work involved. This allowed Dean and her team to create customized solutions for a diverse and expansive facility.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Chinese city of Changzhou, Ling Tong Exhibition System has developed adjustable clamps designed to secure safety partitions to almost any surface. Coming in a range of sizes and materials, these easy-to-attach designs have already seen use as tabletop sneeze guards and desk fence separators (pictured right).
And in Europe, Italian design and build firm AllSpace Exhibits recently announced the addition of the Safeguard Column to their AllSafe Plus range of products. A freestanding tower that reads a person’s temperature without physical contact, the Safeguard Column is equipped with a touch-less hand sanitizing dispenser and a QR code reader. The validation is done in the time it takes to record the temperature of the user. LED indicator displays flash green or red, depending on the result.
Back in the U.S., The Private Label Manufacturers Association canceled the 2020 Private Label Trade Show, originally set to run in Chicago Nov. 15-17, and announced they will be doing a virtual-only event next February. In an official statement, PLMA reveals that the cancellation was made “in light of continuing uncertainties concerning the health and safety of participants at large-scale, in-person gatherings.”
PLMA Live! Private Label Week will be a virtual event running Feb. 1-5, 2021 and will provide retailers and private label manufacturers a forum to interact via live video conference and chat communication software. Each day will be dedicated to different product categories and will feature online exhibits and private virtual meetings where retail buyers can search for products and network live with store brands suppliers.
Upcoming stories in this series will feature companies and individuals who have risen to the occasion to build temporary medical facilities, masks and whatever is needed during the current crisis. If your company is going above and beyond to assist in this fight, please email us at newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com and Amadeus at amadeus_finlay@hotmail.com for inclusion in future stories in this series.
