The in-person response to industrial and commercial events has been overwhelming: audience, customer and exhibitor participation is flourishing thanks to vaccination and health prevention measures.
Mexico began to taste the sweetness of deconfinement thanks to the pace it managed to set for its vaccination program, which started slowly but can now ensure that close to 60% of its population –almost all citizens over 18 years of age– has at least one dose of any of the vaccines. It is, after Brazil, the second country in Latin America and the Caribbean that has administered the most doses: more than 130 million (it would only require 120 million more vaccines to immunize the entire population).
Out of 32 states in Mexico, 31 are in green according to the epidemiological risk traffic light, which means that there are no mobility restrictions, productive activities are back to their usual dynamics. At the end of November, only one state, Baja California, was in yellow traffic light, which implies that economic and social activities there must be carried out with a 75% capacity; the entity is relevant due to its border quality and its intrinsic importance in the exchange of people and goods.
This fact alone becomes even more relevant because, after 19 months of closure, the U.S. government decided to open the land border with Mexico for all citizens who can prove they have been vaccinated, a fact that immediately impacted the neighboring cities of the two neighbors.
The long-awaited opening took place in November for the benefit of the economies in both countries, but even before non-essential travel was allowed, thousands of citizens from all over Mexico, and most notably Monterrey and even Mexico City, were unable to travel by land, unable to travel by land, they decided to travel by plane to different parts of the United States to receive the vaccines that are administered without further restriction, which contributed to the fact that a greater part of the Mexican population received the anti-COVID dose and, at the same time, "vaccine tourism" flourished in the United States, which revived thousands of businesses after the long confinement.
One fact that demonstrates this cross-border link is that the Mexican airline that transports the most passengers, Volaris, was already reporting increases of 24% in its international routes by mid-2021, and more than 85% of the passengers transported from Mexico went to cities such as Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles or New York, motivated by the plans to vaccinate without restriction, while on the other hand, the positive effect of this health campaign on the U.S. population was strongly felt with a high influx to some tourist destinations, especially beach destinations in the Baja California peninsula, the Mayan Riviera and points on the Mexican Pacific, but also to large cities where congresses and exhibitions have been held for several months, such as Monterrey, Guadalajara and the country's capital, which further boosted economic reactivation.
‘Expos’ pick up speed
In Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, the most industrialized state in the north of Mexico, and the leader of foreign direct investment in all the country, the influx of attendees to face-to-face activities was strong, with thousands of attendees in November at its main convention and exhibition center Cintermex. The AHR Expo (HVACR equipment and controls, i.e. heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, from 20-22 Sep) broke attendees record in its history, the Mexican Petroleum Congress (Nov 17-20), CONAC (Steel Industry Congress and Exhibition, Nov 8-10), Expo Electric and Solar North on the same dates (Nov 24-26), Expo Franquicias (Nov 26-27), all of them with great acceptance and attendees, and for 2022 in calendar some industrial shows as Expo Empaque Norte (Mar 16-18) and FABTECH Mexico (May 3-5) are already planned.
In the west of the country, Guadalajara, in Jalisco, another of the most important show venues where a large number of industrialists and traders from various regions of the country meet, Expo Guadalajara. The traditional Expo Nacional Ferretera (9-11 Sep) was held there, as well as, the successful 15th edition of Expo Plasticos (10-12 Nov) broke attendees record, Expo Transporte and Logística, and Expo Salud (17-19 Nov), in addition to the huge Feria International del Libro (27 Nov-5 Dec) and in all or then, the behavior has been similar, great interest to generate new face-to-face business relationships and meet in person again.
In the country's capital, Mexico city, one of the most important venues is Centro Citibanamex, which for several months has hosted events such as Intersolar Mexico (solar energy, 7-9 Sep), FESPA (printing sector, 23-25 Sep), Expo Med (health sector, 29 Sep- 1 Oct), Expo Seguridad (2-4 Nov), Solar Power (solar energy, 9-11 Nov), The Logistic World (logistics, 24-25 Nov) Expo Santa Fe, hosted Expo Eléctrica Internacional (10-12 Aug), Obra Blanca Expo (11-13 Oct), TECMA (machinery and tools, 7-10 Sept) and the Salón Internacional de la Motocicleta (28-31 Oct).
The crowds are back
The above proves that social and therefore economic thawing is a fact. In addition to vaccinations, health prevention measures – use of masks, antibacterial gel, healthy distance, registration of symptoms, rapid PCR tests and some other logistical measures – allow all kinds of sports, artistic, cultural and social activities to take place, with capacity already reaching 80 or 100% in some cases.
One of the best examples of the confinement’s end, was the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Mexico City, which was completely packed, where local driver Sergio “Checo” Perez took podium, but throughout the country soccer stadiums were already showing signs that they could hold tens of thousands of fans.
With these precedents, multitudinous concerts such as Tecate Pa'l Norte in Monterrey's Fundidora Park with dozens of international and mexican figures were confirmed, and held more than 100,000 people in two days.
In a country where there is no evidence of movements against vaccination programs and where the acceptance of immunization exceeds 80% among the population, it seems possible to consider the viability of these and other social and productive events; in which the clear evidence is the need to generate new relationships, strengthen commercial ties and meet face-to-face with clients, suppliers and colleagues.