When the planning of this issue began, we were still in the early stages of understanding the global coronavirus pandemic and modifying our lives to deal with it. There was concern, but in-person events were still happening, as evidenced by our coverage of theeighth International Elevator and Escalator Expo held in Mumbai in late February. In Focused on Growth by Vijay Pandya, he says more than 7,500 visitors attended the event and some 135 companies displayed. He writes, though there were mandated precautions that prevented some exhibitors from attending, those who gathered were positive about the industry’s prospects and optimistic about the future. Since that event, most have been postponed or made virtual. We report on two webinars we attended:
How Things Will Change, RE: Urban Density by Lee Freeland was a panel discussion put on by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in May. Presenters addressed challenges arising from COVID-19 and the responsiveness of dense cities to future crises.
The Webinar for the Elevator and Escalator Industry, India, hosted by ELEVATOR WORLD India and Virgo Communications, covered the all-important theme of “COVID-19 Impact — Challenges Faced by the Elevator Industry and the Way Forward” and drew more than 1,000 attendees.
This issue, we feature products to help us clean and make safer all types of vertical transportation, report on the trends in the market and cover best practices moving forward. We also Focus on Dubai, with two articles exploring the VT in this most populous city in the U.A.E. known for its ultramodern architecture. A New Face for Dubai is the story of elevatoring the Dubai Frame, the largest picture frame in the world. From one side, it outlines the old city and, from the other side, the modern high-rises. thyssenkrupp faced many challenges installing the vertical transportation. In To VT or Not to VT by Benjamin Piper, partner and design principal at Killa Architectural Design in Dubai, considerations are weighed on choosing not to install an elevator as part of a cost-savings proposal.
We hope you find value in this issue. If you don’t see what you are looking for in this publication, then contact us with your ideas. We are eager for you to communicate with us on what is happening in your company and with your projects.
T. Bruce MacKinnon
President tbruce@elevatorworld.com
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