Towards a more sustainable “new” normality in the fair sector. Hector Zarzosa, December 2020

Today’s society, the world, and its globalization of markets, ideas, information, culture, and ultimately, every daily act involving a being, has become radicalized in new technologies and cloud platforms.

It is true that the sustainability of the economy defends this type of society, and global crises, such as the one we are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, suggest increasingly decentralized and dispersed societies, united only by digital signals. But this is not the nature of the human race. A balance will therefore have to be sought.

The key competitive factor in the knowledge-based society is the creation of a favourable, and now also secure, environment for the exchange and creation of knowledge, without forgetting the need for the act, for the transformative action of knowledge exchange; combining new technologies with the fundamental bases of human interaction.

A new way of understanding organizations and society is already being developed. We must, therefore, work with opportunity in mind. Everything implies that knowledge has never been consciously added as a value or as a system of value creation to society. Creating those environments that were previously adequate and safe, is the necessary change to be a competitive society in this new era of knowledge and communications.

Our sector, that of the fair, in which Tridente stands out for a few decades now, has been transformed in recent years into a “fair concept”, which encompasses the commercial activity itself, the physical space, the event, communication and of course the fair marketing, yes, paying special attention from our side to the reuse of materials, giving predominance to those products that have a favorable position within the recycling chain. The fair is therefore an entity that concentrates in a space and for a while a need for supply-demand in a certain sector, with an objective of industrial profit. But we also want the activity to be respectful of Society. The reality of the sector is a significant imprint on the carbon footprint as a result of the processes of production, transport and disposal of materials such as wood, plastics or prints with paints based on oils derived from petroleum, the well-known EDTA, heavy metals, etc. All this is what we seek to avoid by contributing our effort and knowledge to achieve it.

All the crises that occurred, such as the Black Death, which decimated the population of the old continent by 60%; the Great Depression in the 30s that from the United States infected and depressed economically; the subsequent World War II, with about 80 million casualties; or the recent Neoliberalism of the 80s in Latin America, which impoverished more than 40% of the population, have subsequently led to periods of prosperity, more or less long, with the appearance of new technologies, and “increase” in the quality of life. We put the word increase in quotation marks, because perhaps these novelties that seek a better society, bring more evil than good.

The COVID 19 crisis caused the global technological event held in Barcelona every year, the MWC (Mobile World Congress) to be suspended, and from that first domino that succumbed, there was a river of cancellations of congresses, events and public events, until reaching “nothingness”, in just two months. Thousands of jobs have been ruined, businesses are struggling to survive, and the horizon is still blurred. Even overcoming the present health crisis, but not the economic one that is present and future, and recovered from widespread fear, what has been destroyed may not be rebuilt. But whoever “endures the pull”, who tries to fight with all his abilities to be able to occupy a position “around the corner” of this situation, will have an opportunity, not many more. You will be able to develop an activity, surely within limits, restrictions, or maybe we will return to normal. Only time will tell.

In these turbulent times, in this sector that we know, there are no other options than to bet on knowledge, adaptation to change, symbiosis with other companies. Betting on a philosophy of “Evil of all, opportunities for assets”. And it is in this line that Tridente has been working since day one, thinking, developing and offering solutions that the need and Society demands. Examples include vehicle disinfection projects, access controls and our most demanded product, perhaps the most basic, but which fulfills its mission perfectly: a high-capacity hydrogel dispenser, suitable for any environment, and customizable. Our commitment has been simple, we want to offer a quality product, respectful of the Environment and at the best price; we have engraved in our DNA the values of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. Now the price matters more than ever, and we must think about Society, our Society.

Meanwhile, while “normality” is restored and the hustle and bustle of the life of the trade fair sector is returned, we will continue to innovate and reinvent this sector as old as it is unknown. When we attend a fair we see what is exposed, but not what is behind to impress the five senses of the visitor.

This article serves as a reflection, and of course a presentation of Trident within the environment of the Fundación Empresa Clima. We are here because we have always believed in sustainability. It is one of our hallmarks and that differentiates us within the sector, and we want with our presence, to continue contributing to have a more habitable planet.

Hector Zarzosa Gonzalez
Senior Project Manager at Tridente

Company Member of the Private Company and Climate Foundation