Live4Life-C19 is born out of necessity. It is an association of live communication experts who now offer their expertise at short notice and to bridge bottlenecks in the fight against CoVid-19. This involves on the one hand the construction of building structures such as room dividers, patient rooms or test centers, but also planning expertise such as logistical processes or water and electricity supply.

It all began at the Javits Center in New York. The large conference center had to be transformed into a hospital within a few days when the CoVid-19 wave swept over the city. Initially, simple structures such as partitions and waiting rooms were required, but within days this developed into a demand for genuine, sterile and certified hospital facilities, where electricity, water and air supply are needed as well as suction systems that create a slight vacuum and thus prevent the corona viruses from spreading via corridors into other areas of the treatment rooms.

The initiative was founded by the three American companies Czarnowski, Exploring and Georg P. Johnson. In the meantime, the live event coalition has grown to over 80 companies, which are working closely together across the Americas. In real life, these companies are competitors.

“The idea of converting empty convention centers into temporary hospitals was born within a few days. Every leader we contacted agreed to join this coalition without hesitation,” said Dave Walens, CEO of one of the founding members Exploring. “Competitors came together as partners to meet this extraordinary need. This industry is predestined to do that and make it possible.”

The core competence of the live communications industry comes into play during the implementation: exhibition stand construction companies are used to logistical challenges, are specialists in the short-term planning and implementation of spatial structures, have a high level of expertise in the selection of materials, are familiar with exhibition grounds, are flexible and are deprived of all their fields of activity at the moment. And all this applies not only to the USA, but worldwide.

The basic idea of globalization, this is the challenge that IFES, International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services, has taken up and expanded the network from a national idea to a global alliance. “As a ‘global collaboration network’, the members of IFES are used to international cooperation across national and cultural borders,” says IFES Managing Director Uta Goretzky. “And fighting the pandemic is not only a matter of the heart for all of us. Unless the virus can be contained globally and human lives saved, there will be no return to normal trade relations, which are the basis for economic recovery. If the virus rages, there will hardly be any personal contacts at the economic level, for which trade fairs are a key function.

Torsten Heinze, Managing Director of the German Czarnowski subsidiary based in Cologne, became aware of the initiative through the parent company in the USA and reacted enthusiastically. As IFES board member he coordinated the adaptation of the American concept to a global platform. “In Europe, we are already quite far in most countries in the provision of additional health care facilities, but regions such as Africa or India are still at the beginning of the pandemic control in many places. Now it is our task to form the partner network, in which also companies that are not IFES members are welcome. The decisive factors here are rather the competence and the desire to help”.

“We are aware that this challenge is greater than any single organization. We really work together and learn as an industry VP of Sales from founding member Czarnowski USA. “Our gratitude and respect for our contemporaries has grown exponentially, and we can’t wait to get together in a lively environment to talk, shake hands and even hug each other.

Life4Life-C19 offers governmental and private organizations as well as NGOs a focal point in the fight against CoVid-19 pandemic. Partners find these organizations under live4life-c19.com. For questions, please contact them at l4l@ifesnet.org.

About Live4Live-C19

Live for Life is a worldwide association of exhibition service providers to support the fight against COVID-19. The coalition offers logistical competence, short-term planning and implementation of spatial structures, material knowledge, technical knowledge of electrical, water and air conditioning systems, and the ability to provide a wide range of services.

Contact details:

IFES AISBL, Rue de l’Amazone 2, B 1050 Brussels; www.ifesnet.org
For further questions please contact
Mrs Dany Kupczik, dany@ifesnet.org, +49 152 3361 5051