The pandemic brought the curtain down on the world's major congresses for almost two years. But with the positive developments in the health climate, the curtain is gradually being lifted on these key events for an entire sector. First mass to be held in this post-covid era, the Mobile World Congress will bring together in Barcelona, from 28 February to 3 March, all the players in the world of telecommunications, some from Europe, but also from Asia-Pacific and the United States, including AT&T, Amazon, Huawei, Nokia, Qualcomm and Telstra. An obviously strategic event for a host of CEOs and their comexfollowed on their journey by delegations of up to 200 people.
However, if these events can take place again, they will always be monitored. " Even if the health situation is better today, we are still in a pandemicsays Philippe Guibert, Regional Medical Director of International SOS. We need to remain vigilant and anticipate the fact that putting hundreds of people in an enclosed space can have consequences. There's a growing enthusiasm for the resumption of these events, but also a concern that they shouldn't be places of mass propagation.. "
In this context, International SOS has been helping some of these major companies to prepare their trips for several months now. Starting with study the decision factors upstream as to whether or not they should attend the congress, and by anticipating travel conditions in the light of changes in health regulations and the vaccination status of travellers, paying particular attention to any cases involving vulnerable people.
These preparation plans have also taken into account a wide range of parameters, from the study of hygiene and ventilation measures implemented in the areas where the dinners and cocktails will be held to the measures to be put in place during the congress, with the provision of nurses or service providers for carry out tests. Another important piece of information for companies is that International SOS has monitored changes in the conditions to which travellers will be subject. in the event of a positive test or contact cases, all of which can have an impact on the return journey or further travel to other European countries.
With the significant drop in the number of people infected by the virus, is this support role offered by International SOS likely to continue? " If the pandemic problem is going to diminish, these expectations of organisers will always be highs in terms of health safety" says Philippe Guibert, who points out that the idea of supporting companies for events of this kind is not new: " We did this at the start of the pandemic, by contributing our experience to determine whether an event could actually be held and, if so, under what conditions. We're taking up something that's already been started. "
While International SOS provides advice to companies, a player like the Aceso-MIP group is involved in taking over events by offering organisers solutions incorporating health and medical equipment. Founded in 1992, the company is a pioneer in the medicalisation of events, covering a wide range of sectors, from trade fairs such as the aeronautics industry, to corporate, sporting and private events, as well as film and television shoots. " With the health crisis, we've had to adapt and come up with new solutionsexplains Guillaume Dapoigny, sales director of ACESO-MIP's events division. For example, we have helped a large part of the audiovisual industry to get back to work setting up health protocols for French and American productions in France, while also monitoring film shoots abroad. "
The Group also supported the organisation of Vivatech in June 2021, the first major trade and public exhibition to be held after months of confinement, by putting in place everything necessary to ensure its success. a medical device integrating testing and control. " A real war machine" says Guillaume Dapoigny. More recently, for the Maisons et Objets trade fair, in addition to this medical and testing component, Aceso proposed " providing expertise and advice on the systems and solutions to be put in place in agreement with other service providers, such as security, for control and redirection to test areas. "With the gradual easing of restrictions, is the scope of these medical devices set to shrink? " There is much less demand for tests, and this type of service is coming to an end." says Guillaume Dapoigny. While his company used to provide support to large companies for their seminars in France and abroad, an activity that has been extremely limited over the last two years, ACESO-MIP's sales director hopes to see this field pick up again soon: " With the arrival of the warmer weather, things should pick up again."
