Adam Hall panel unites industry

On 31 March, the day the industry should have gathered for the opening of Frankfurt Prolight + Sound, Adam Hall hosted an informative and thought-provoking discussion panel which was live streamed and is now available on demand. Under the banner of We Will Get Through This Together, the panel demonstrated that around the world, various arms of the entertainment technology business, including industry associations, manufacturers, production companies and media groups, are pulling together in this time of crisis, lobbying for government packages, offering support and advice about keeping businesses afloat, protecting the interests of freelance workers and casting a positive light on the future.

The nine participants of the group discussion were Alexander Pietschmann, CEO, Adam Hall Group; Marcel Courth, editor in chief, Production Partner; Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM; Marcus Pohl, chairman, ISDV and president, IGVW; Nico Ubenauf, CEO, satisfy; Luca Lastrucci: CEO, Powersoft; Marcus Graser: CEO, Clay Paky; and Simon Kropp, editor in chief, Event Rookie. The panel was moderated by Courth, who kept the discussion on point and interesting.

Two of the participants, Lastrucci and Graser, were speaking from Italy, the first region outside China to be hard hit by Covid-19, entering strict lockdown which has now been extended until Easter, with factories temporarily halting production on government orders. Both were upbeat, discussing the importance of support for staff working remotely, the opportunities to be creative when it comes to R&D and product development and what the business model might look like going forward.

Lamond and Pohl highlighted the importance of looking after freelance and self-employed staff upon whom the industry relies so much, outlining initiatives to do so. The role of the media was also examined, with Kropp identifying a fine balance between reporting on the situation while being careful not to spread panic by delivering only bad news. He pointed to the need to provide a distraction for readers and viewers.

Discussing the future of live events, the panel broadly agreed that while initially there may be a fear of large gatherings and crowds, there will be a desire for real, live events and gatherings once the crisis is over. Streaming is expected to play a greater role. Lamond predicted a bright future for trade shows, pointing to a primeval human need for social gatherings, though some of the panel wondered whether large trade show stands and equipment demos might be a thing of the past as companies prioritise these events for social interaction, content creation, product design and trading relationships, instead holding virtual product launches and demonstrations.

Offering some perspective, Lamond shared a story he dug up while going through minutes of historic NAMM meetings. During the great depression of the 1930s, his predecessor, having not been paid for a year, evidently decided to sell the furniture and lock the office while the industry shut down until things picked up again. Lamond used the story to emphasise the message, saying the constant from this earlier time was that they got through it, and that this will happen again. ‘Most important is how we take care of our people and deal with this,’ he said.

The entire 90-minute discussion can be found here: www.adamhall.com/gb-en/virtual-tradeshow