Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Down for the Count


Last week, The New York Times listed 11 popular pastimes that, thanks to Covid-19, may already be "things of the past."

According to reporter Bryan Pietsch, you should no longer expect to see people:

  • Blow out candles on a birthday cake
  • Drag on a buddy's vape pen
  • Let their kids jump into a ball pit
  • Get a department store makeover
  • Play in an escape room
  • Drink at a crowded bar
  • Sip from a scorpion bowl
  • Host a poker game
  • Perform karaoke
  • Shop for pleasure
  • Shake hands, kiss, and hug
I'd add a 12th activity you're unlikely to see people engage in again:

  • Attend trade shows
Wait, what?

Face-to-face events are vital.  

Schmoozing is irreplaceable. 

Trade shows mean business.

Yes, once upon a time, that was true. 

But the world has been turned upside down by a microbe.

It's hard to imagine a world without trade shows. 

But whoever thought trains, alarm clocks, encyclopedias, maps, drive ins, and pay phones, would disappear?

Eighteen years ago, SARS dealt the trade show industry a body blow; but the disease was contained swiftly, and the industry rebounded.

This time 'round is different. Covid-19 isn't SARS. 

The punches keep coming.
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