COVID-19 has made a devastating impact on all the aspects of our lives, but it is also prompting an outpouring of creativity in the events industry.

The way we communicate and interact with colleagues, professionals and members of the public in trade shows is, in fact, playing a more and more relevant role. It’s key to streamline the way we present ourselves to others, making sure that without even interacting with them, they are already aware of where we are standing.

This is why the launch of the new social bands in the industry has been received with success.

Social brands was created as an affordable and easy-to-understand system that is based on the red, yellow and green-light color system, with red indicating “no contact,” yellow “elbows only” and green “high-fives and handshakes OK.” That gives the opportunity to whoever wears them to simply state their position without the need of having awkward conversations.

Communication is also extremely important in the networking process that has inevitably moved from a handshake over a coffee at lunch to a new digital era where you can succeed in creating new significant connections by using your laptop and attending webinars or conducting Zoom calls.

Research has already shown how this new process is considered easier to adopt, especially for introverts — who see in the screen a way to feel less stressed compared to a face-to-face meeting.

Technology and its changes have also revolutionized events and become one of the real protagonists of a new era: One that not only sees the introduction of the latest way of capturing data and of using social media channels to interact with users but is also witnessing the creation of physical objects that will make the communication process seamless and more efficient.

Smart tech-solutions such hygiene- friendly door hooks and hand-free door openers that can be operated by using the forearm are in the pipeline and will be soon presented as the latest solutions that will revolutionize the way we operate.

Among them, it’s worth mentioning a combination of wearable tech available in different formats such as a lanyard, a wristband or a hit-vis vest whose technology alerts the wearer when they get too close to another wearer.

Important additions are also the new monitors with thermal imaging cameras positioned at the venue entrance that are able to detect anyone who may be experiencing a higher than normal temperature, and new remotely operated devices that decontaminate both the air and the surfaces in a room killing 99.9 percent of pathogens and preventing the spread of the virus.

Solutions that are aimed to monitor and protect those in attendance and that represent a real game-changer that not only will allow us to deliver events again but to do it in a safe manner for all parties involved, offer a huge contribution to the industry.