Protocol in practice: Offshore Energy in RAI Amsterdam

"A puzzle with a thousand pieces, of which some are still missing."

With the industry protocol as a guideline, events are taking place again within the 1.5 meter society. We interviewed some organizers who have decided to continue planning their trade fair or event This time we spoke with Nancy Slob-Corpeleijn, Event Coordinator at organizer Navingo from Schiedam.

Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference (OEEC) is an international event in the maritime, offshore and energy industry. The latest editions attracted over 500 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors from approximately 80 countries. The trade fair and congress takes place every year in October. This year Navingo will combine OEEC with the Navingo Career Event for the first time. The Navingo Career Event was initially planned in May but had to be rescheduled due to the coronavirus. "With the addition of a career section, the upcoming edition of OEEC is unique and more versatile than ever," says Nancy.

Where and when will this unique edition take place?
'On 27 and 28 October in the Amsterdam RAI.'

Fully live or hybrid?
'I call it "face to face meets online". We aim for a live event with a few virtual components. Our visitors and exhibitors normally come from 80 countries around the world. From some of them it is now difficult or even impossible to travel to the Netherlands this year. The conference part can therefore be followed online and there is space for exhibitors in our International Boulevards. In the International Boulevards they can still be present at OEEC with a physical stand but without crew onsite. During the fair, you can speak online with the stand personnel via a video connection.'

'Before, during and after the event, we use the Invitado matchmaking tool, both for 1-on-1 meetings and for Round Tables with a maximum of 8 people. These meetings take place on location and online. Through our online platform, networking is now even possible year round, and no longer only during the trade fair days. Matchmaking also ensures that the visit and participation in the fair is more effective.'

How is the implementation of the industry protocol going?
'We are grateful to make use of the extensive protocol and experience of RAI Amsterdam. We therefore refer our visitors and exhibitors to the fully up-to-date information provided by RAI. With wider paths, one-way traffic and self-scanning at the entrance, we follow the industry protocol and the RIVM guidelines. This allows us to receive the same number of visitors as the previous editions. 4,000 visitors may be present at the same time. We also regulate this through the tools of our registration partner Invitado. In the meantime, we are anticipating any new measures and are, for example, working on temperature measurements via heat-sensitive cameras.'

How do you convince your visitors and exhibitors that OEEC 2020 is safe?
'Ticket sales are following last year's trend so far, so it's going well. The need to physically meet each other is there. Our international guests and exhibitors also have the intention of meeting physically, but as stated, there are logistical obstacles that prevent them from confirming their participation. The coronavirus has a lot of impact. It is a puzzle for us with 1000 pieces, some of which are still missing. At the same time, this is a good time to accelerate the implementation of innovations and to see how we can optimally connect companies today.'