In Light of COVID-19…

March 3, 2020

To our Valued Clients:

The purpose of this post is to provide information and perspective pertaining to the impact of the Covid-19 virus. This worldwide issue is affecting the exhibition industry and, consequently, the exhibit marketing plans many of you made have changed. Adjustments to scheduling (primarily postponements) and outright cancellations have resulted from a combination of the following:

• Government decrees and local law;
• Show management determinations;
• Impact on restrictions on public travel;
• Corporate policies on employee travel, and;
• An abundance of caution both for public safety and litigation avoidance.

Skyline Exhibits & Design, along with our global network, is proactively collecting specific show information and monitoring changes as they occur.  With the situation being fluid, if we have not yet reached out, we appreciate you bringing to our attention any changes that impact your shows and events.

For those of you who have tradeshow plans that have been impacted, please know that our team is diligently working towards the following goals:

• Protecting and tracking your exhibit assets;
• Reconciling billing – our plan is to return or credit amounts paid for services and products not yet provided. In some cases this is a simple reconciliation, in others finalizing accounts may be delayed by freight billing, show service reimbursements, partially produced items, mixtures of rental items already delivered, re-directing show-to-show elements, etc.
• Investigating and communication alternative opportunities to offset the marketing avenues lost due to the cancellation or postponement of shows.

Prior to postponements or cancellations, many of you had trade show and event goals that involved impacting targeted audiences with specific awareness, messages, information and benefits. We know that you also needed to focus attention on your products, services and organization. While there is no denying the strength of face-to-face marketing, sometimes when an event of this magnitude appears as a lemon, the best thing to do is make lemonade.

Skyline is a 40-year-old marketing company.  While best known as an exhibit house, the essence of what we do is help companies achieve their marketing objectives.  Please contact your Skyline Exhibits & Design marketing consultant to explore immediate marketing and outreach alternatives to replace the unfortunate change to your original exhibit plans.

Meanwhile, to close with some perspective amid the barrage of media coverage please consider:

• Fewer than one quarter of 1% of all tradeshows and events have been disrupted by Coronavirus;
• By a ratio of more than 6:1, shows that have been cancelled or postponed are outside of North America;
• Based on reports from 80 countries where the virus has been reported, by far Chinese citizens over 60 years old have accounted for the majority of global fatalities;
• Survival rates are in the high 90^th percentile for those exposed to the virus;
• In the US, there have been 9 Coronavirus fatalities (mostly in Washington State) since the outbreak began weeks ago.
• Each and every fatality is a human tragedy and, to the extent media can help keep us safe, it is important they play that role. It is equally important for all of us to act responsibly including keeping perspective.

Since the outbreak Heart Disease and Cancer have both killed more than 100,000. Diabetes, suicides, gun violence have each killed tens of thousands and even snakebites in the US have killed 50 times more people than Coronavirus.

Stay safe.  Wash your hands and thank you for the opportunities to be of service and for your patience as together we overcome the disruption to your plans.

Yours in Exhibiting Success,

Steven O. Hoffman
President
Skyline Exhibits & Design