The Corona Pandemic is challenging the event industry every day. Companies are fighting with innovative ideas to make large and small events happen again. The distribution company VisionTwo tries to help with the industry on this way by distributing a comprehensive product series of UV-C disinfection lamps. In an interview VisionTwo managing director Claas Ernst reports on the decision the UV-C solutions to drive out and the effects of the Pandemie on the industry.
1. At the moment you extended your product range by distributing UV-C disinfection lamps. Was this step already longer in planning or was the idea set in motion by the current Corona Pandemic?
Claas Ernst, Managing Director VisionTwo
Claas Ernst: It was really the outbreak of the world-wide Corona Pandemic at the beginning of March, when we began to concern ourselves intensively with the topic UV-C disinfection. Especially our Italian lighting manufacturers, who were trapped in March in the middle of a human tragedy during the strong corona outbreak in Italy, were directly involved in finding solutions to support the fight against corona. We as the VisionTwo team have also dealt with this matter at a very early stage and have now launched a comprehensive product portfolio of air, surface and object disinfection solutions that can be used within a hygiene concept to disinfect room air, surfaces or objects and to minimize the risk of infection with Covid-19 pathogens but also other pathogens.
2. How has the industry changed since you started your production? What potential is there in this area?
Claas Ernst: Of course there is potential in the event industry for UVC-based solutions. Starting with the possibility of cleaning microphones, headsets etc. in UV-C cabinets or even helping to reopen theaters and other cultural institutions if we can contribute with UV-C based solutions for air and surface disinfection.
The event industry has been hit very hard by the pandemic and apart from our demands on politicians to offer economic survival aid to companies and solo self-employed persons, our UV-C solutions can be an important piece of the puzzle as part of a hygiene concept to reopen events, theater performances, trade fairs and congresses, among others.
3 What significance does Prolight + Sound as a trade fair for event technology have for you?
Claas Ernst: Prolight + Sound has always had an important role not only in presenting new technologies but also in providing the event industry with a platform for the “annual class reunion”. Video conferences are great, but nothing beats a face-to-face meeting, direct contact, face-to-face discussions, etc.
4 With regard to Prolight + Sound 2021: Can you give visitors a little foretaste of what to expect ?
Claas Ernst: The market is very fragile right now. For more than seven months now, the event industry has been making a special sacrifice for the public welfare and protection of the population in order to minimize the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by not holding events, trade fairs, congresses. The event companies are urgently waiting for support from the state to compensate for the loss of income. If something does not happen here immediately, there will be no more event industry by the time of Prolight + Sound 2021, and the first event companies have already had to declare insolvency. As a result, our planning and our orientation as exhibitors are entirely dependent on outstanding political decisions and developments in the sector.
Pictures: VisionTwo
