SAFETY IN THE TRADE FAIR SECTOR AT THE HEART OF THE WORK OF THE AEFI TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

AEFI’s Technical Committee, coordinated by Giovanni Giuliani, met in Bologna, at BolognaFiere.
Among the themes at the heart of the meeting, in addition to an update to the INAIL (Italian Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work) agreement and UNI standards, was a major exploration of international protection initiatives in the face of new global safety risks.

A specific session entitled “SECURITY & OPERATION SAFETY AND HEALTH IN THE EXHIBITION INDUSTRY” was organised concerning this issue, in collaboration with IELA, the International Exhibition Logistics Association.

AEFI recently signed an agreement with IELA aiming towards the exchange of information on the development of the sector, the reciprocal promotion of the associations’ respective work, the organisation of shared initiatives, meetings and seminars dedicated to training members and the promotion of networking for the benefit of exhibition districts, including through the implementation of dedicated services for expansion on the international market. During this session, Elizabeth Niehaus, General Secretary, and Guido Fornelli, Member of the IELA Board, were invited to contribute.

The two speakers illustrated how the operational success of an event increasingly depends on three closely related elements: health, safety and security. It’s essential that all actors involved pay particular attention to safety and risk management at all stages of the trade fair event, from planning to implementation, as well as the handling of goods both inside the fair’s halls and throughout the entire chain of operation.

During the work session, some suggestions were also shared for the future, dealing with the perception of problems from the perspective of IELA members and of the AEFI technical commission members concerning various aspects that will be explored as contact continues.

AEFI – the Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association – was set up in 1983 with a view to generating synergies between the most significant Italian exhibition districts. Specifically, AEFI would like to be seen as a privileged partner for operators and institutions alike, and its role is to support members through the development of activities and programmes in the sphere of training, marketing, promotion and research, as well as to provide services for trade fairs through the activities of its Committees: Exhibition Hub Technical Committee, Legal-Administrative Committee, Internationalisation Committee and Trade Fairs Network Committee.
On an international scale, AEFI represents Italian trade fairs in UFI – Union of International Fairs. Chaired by Ettore Riello, AEFI includes 35 member exhibition districts, which organise over 1,000 events a year over an overall exhibition area of 4.2 million square metres. 95% of international trade fairs, and 85% of all trade fairs, which take place each year in Italy, are held in AEFI-member exhibition districts.
For further information: www.aefi.it/Aefi/site/en/index