As we await for the clock to strike midnight on Sunday, and move our country into Alert Level 1, we remain mindful that we have endured six difficult months, both personally and professionally, but the time has come to shift our focus to our sector’s recovery. As a sector we need to “control the controllables.”
The published regulations gazetted on Thursday, 17 September 2020 allows members and the Business Events Industry to operate with more flexibility under Alert Level 1 effective midnight, on Sunday. These flexibilities include information:
- Business Events will be permitted, as long as the number of people does not exceed 50% of the normal capacity of a venue, up to a maximum of 250 people for indoor gatherings and 500 people for outdoor gatherings
- A certificate of occupancy would be required to be displayed
- We encourage members to ensure that the Events Safety Re-Opening Guidelines are used when planning an event
Some reflections on the week that was:
- SAACI’s work with industry partners to unify our voice and communicate loudly about the socio-economic value of the exhibition and events sector, was heard this week as the announcement allowed for our sector to allow for greater numbers for business meetings
- Our CEO, Glenton de Kock, will continue to engage with government to ensure our sector’s role in driving the country’s economic recovery is clear and focus on how our members can play a role in this important aspect as we re-open with more flexibility, in a safe and responsible manner
- As we continue the recovery process, we need your help and ask you to share your data on the number of events you may be able to host before the end of the calendar year; what the forward books are for the first quarter of 2021; the economic impact on the broader value chain of the events sector. A survey link will be shared in the coming week and kept open for you to share this information with us confidentially and anonymously
- The SAACI National AGM is planned for October 2020 and we will share the necessary notification and links for members within the coming weeks.
There is a great deal we can do together, as the SAACI family, as we move to working together on the recovery of our country and our beloved sector.
As always, stay SAFE,
The SAACI Team