Exhibitions and Conventions
BeerX 2020
Yakima Chief Hops
Just before the Covid-19 Corona Virus Pandemic sent the majority of the world into lockdown, I was asked back to photograph SIBA's BeerX 2020 Independent Craft Beer Brewing Trade Show for Yakima Chief and back at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool city Centre. They again wanted promotional shots of their trade stand and merchandise and the delegates at the show, chatting with staff and enjoying their craft beers available for them to try. It's great being an commercial and corporate photographer covering Liverpool, Manchester and the surrounding areas and it's a bit scary looking back that this event went ahead and while there was certainly evidence of what was to come at the show with a ban on handshakes, sharing glasses and hand sanitiser on all of the stands but I don't think that anyone was quite prepared for what followed in the weeks and months ahead. At the time the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) recommended that at that stage there was no need to restrict large public gatherings or move to phase two of the plan which includes social distancing measures but it was only days later that the second phase including lockdown and strict social distancing came into play, a day or two later and the event wouldn't have gone ahead.
