Change is good

Just as the novel Coronavirus outbreak came careening around the global bend, exhibition stand designers and constructors, because of the nature of their work, which is outdoorsy and labour specific calling for making stands, stalls and booths at exhibitions, and has gatherings of people, were forced to shut shop. Then came an immensely painful two years. The industry was one of the first to shut and one of the last to re-open.

“We sold sandwiches, fish, Covid-specific cleaning supplies, vegetables, re-skilled, upskilled or down skilled, call it what you will to survive,” said Suketu Dasadia, who is part of the industry. Through that time though, the fraternity also put their collective mind behind one big goal which was to give more teeth to an organisation called the Association of Exhibition Stand Designers and Constructors (AESDAC). The body was started in 2019 to streamline and see that the industry becomes more professional, but saw no solid action on those fronts as Coronavirus forced everybody to slam the brakes.