With just under two weeks to go until Progressive Greetings Live 2021 (July 27-28), exhibitors and visitors are putting the final touches to their stands and visits, with finalists in The Retas and The Greats all delighted to have received their Gold, Silver and Sunshine Tickets to the show.
As leading indie Amanda and Will Oscroft from Love It, Stamford and Bury St Edmunds summed up: “We are so looking forward to kicking off the end of restrictions with the long awaited, much anticipated, unbelievably exciting PG Live! We can’t wait!! A thousand thank yous for our Silver Ticket, which really was the Gin to our Tonic when it arrived! It reminded us of all the wonderful times we have shared in the company of others all the trips, lunches and giggles. A timely reminder of how important human contact is and what we have missed all this time. Huge congratulations in pulling it off.”
PG Live organisers, Max Exhibitions have worked closely with the Business Design Centre team to firm up on its guidelines to give assurance as to the safety of exhibitors and visitors.
“We have all waited a long time for the greeting card community to get back together which is why we are doing our utmost to make the show as enjoyable and successful as possible, which includes the safety of our exhibitors and visitors,” stated Simon Boyd, operations director and co-show director. “In light of the Government announcement on Monday evening [July 12] we have been in close discussions with the management team at the Business Design Centre to finalise our Covid policy for the show. Our mission is to run a show in which everyone exhibiting as well as everyone visiting feels safe, reassured and confident.”
The Business Design Centre is a very airy, well ventilated building which has been functioning as an NHS vaccination centre for the last few months and so has been operating under strict Covid-safe regulations for some time. Added to this, Max Bull, Executive Director of the BDC is also chairman of the Association of Event Venues (AEV) and has been in talks at top level on the issue of providing Covid safety in line with Government guidelines.
As it currently stands, from July 19 mask wearing will not be mandatory in England. However, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that mask wearing will be compulsory for those travelling on London Transport (tube, buses, trams and overground).
The PG Live 2021 policy is that exhibitors, visitors and stand contractors will not be asked to wear a face covering if…
- You are able to show proof of a double vaccination (either by showing a vaccination card or the QR code from the NHS App.) on arrival. With the lead time for verification from the NHS App (which is different from the track and trace one) taking longer than previously, all exhibitors and visitors are being urged you to do this sooner rather than later.
or
- You are able to show proof of a negative lateral flow test (taken within 48 hours prior to arriving at the show).
or
- You have a valid health condition that means you are not able to wear a face covering.
However, those not meeting any of the above criteria will be asked to wear a face covering at the show.
Out of personal preference, many of those who are exempt are likely to continue to wear a face covering at the show in certain situations.
As David Robertson, managing director of JP Pozzi, who is travelling down from the Scottish Highlands to attend the show commented: “Like so many others, I am so looking forward to PG Live. We all need trade shows; to see real product and interact face to face with those behind the brands. I am intending to wear a face covering at the show when I deem it appropriate and I am sure others will do the same.”
To register for PG Live click here.
