Following the government's announcement on 20 June to authorise trade shows to take place from the beginning of September, the organisers of Architect@Work Paris are delighted to be able to announce that everything is already in place for their event to go ahead.
It will be an Architect@Work as we know it, promises the organisation, as it is with a limited number of adjustments that the event will take place on 24 and 25 September at the Paris Event Center. On the agenda: the presentation of the latest innovations from more than 200 suppliers, a conference programme giving architects a voice, and exhibitions.
"We have taken advantage of the time we have had, to slightly adapt the concept of Architect@Work so that the event can be held in a healthy and serene environment and the elements that make it up - and make it a unique experience - are retained. I am thinking, in particular, of its special atmosphere with its intimate lighting, its uniform stands arranged in an original way, its free offer of snacks... everything is already ready," says Agnès Provot, Project Manager of the Architect@Work Editions in France.
What kind of changes have been made? The most palpable are undoubtedly the obligation to wear a mask and to disinfect one’s hands at the entrance to the event. Then, signage will enable everyone to respect the new standards of social distancing in any queue. The circulation areas within the stands will be enlarged to facilitate the flow of visitors and a direction of circulation will undoubtedly be indicated. In order to know the number of people present in the buildings at a given time, a continuous count will be carried out of the number of visitors entering and leaving. For this purpose, an exit - distinct from the entrance - will be created in Hall A. Finally, visitors may be asked to choose, in advance, a time of the day when they wish to visit the event. This way, we can guarantee that there will not be too many people at the same time," explains Agnès Provot.
Of course, a trade fair is a place where people often shake hands. "This can't be done yet and we will have to get used to it," she continues. "But I'm sure everyone will enjoy seeing each other again; even if they have to keep their distance. Personal contact is important. It is a basic human need. For architects, it is crucial to be familiar with a new product in order to be able to prescribe it. To do this, they must be able to see it and talk to the manufacturer".
To make contact even easier, Architect@Work is launching the possibility to make appointments (online) with each other during the event or at another time. "So even if you can't make it to the show, you will still be able to make new contacts," adds Agnès Provot.
In order to ensure sufficient distance between the people present, the capacity of the conference room will be reduced. To compensate for this, it is planned to broadcast the talks continuously. In this way, everyone will be able to follow them.
Everything is, therefore, in place to optimise the welcome of visitors to this 2020 edition of Architect@Work Paris.