Creating an event in the middle of a pandemic crisis: the Confindustria Vicenza case - Annual Meeting 2020
The pandemic has put a strain on all sectors of the global market, creating serious inconvenience for companies due to the inability to complete projects and works already in progress, but also to participate in large events in which to create networks, such as trade fairs and assemblies, with other stakeholders. For this reason, as soon as there were the conditions to reopen some activities at the beginning of September 2020, various associations and individuals, feeling the need to give a signal of recovery, decided to try to organize events, turning to expert organizers, to carry them out in compliance of anti-Covid regulations and in total safety. Thus allowing people to physically find themselves together.
An example of success in organizing an event that respects anti-Covid regulations is represented by the one created for the 2020 General Assembly for Confindustria Vicenza. A bet given the criticalities, the spacing, the sanitation and the very large spaces, to put those present in safety.
Context
The General Assembly of Confindustria Vicenza is organized every year at the company of a different associate, with the aim of bringing together all the affiliates to discuss current issues of the country's economic and industrial policy. An opportunity to listen to speeches by political-industrial figures and for deep insights, as well as to make an overall picture of development policies.
In October 2020, the GPS Spa plant in Schio hosted the event: "Italy year zero: rewriting the future". An event wanted by the President of Confindustria Vicenza Luciano Vescovi: "[...] so that also this year the most important event of our associative life could take place in the presence, to meet again and send a strong message to society, to politics and to the world of industry ". The new GPS Spa production plant was chosen, a plant that was recovered in an abandoned industrial area and which instead was recovered. A place, therefore, which could symbolically represent the restart of the Veneto industrial sector.
Company
Confindustria Vicenza is a private, autonomous and non-partisan association, with about 1,600 associated companies, which represents, protects and assists industrial companies and companies producing goods and services in relations with institutions, administrations, economic and political organizations, trade unions and with any other component of the company.For over 70 years it has accompanied and supported the development of the Vicenza production system, characterized by a small company size and an extraordinary vocation for foreign markets.Among the main objectives of the Association is that of increasing the business culture and contributing to the development of civil society. A role played by representing and affirming the values of the company at a local and national level and participating in the growth of the Vicenza community and the country, as well as providing consultancy services on all corporate and entrepreneurial issues.
Objective
To give a sign of recovery to Venetian entrepreneurship, Confindustria Vicenza considered it important to be able to organize the General Assembly in the presence, in total safety and in full compliance with anti-Covid regulations, because "[...] at the beginning of a decisive autumn for the country, the best time to offer a sign of trust and relaunch to businesses, the territory and Vicenza society as a whole "as declared by President Luciano Vescovi.
The goal for Confindustria Vicenza was therefore to be able to create an event in safety, in compliance with the anti-Covid regulations in force in September 2020 in a space that was large enough to accommodate the invited members and able to guarantee a certain safety distance. And that there was also the possibility, for those who had not had the opportunity to participate in person, to follow the live streaming of the event.
