Like many trade show and event companies, Agam Group Ltd. has had to refocus during the pandemic in order to keep its doors open and its employees working. Initially, the manufacturer of aluminum extrusions and components was forced to furlough many of its workers as demand for its products plummeted. But instead of closing shop, the company found opportunities to get its people back to work as the demand for temporary hospital structures and protective equipment skyrockets.
"We started to think about what we could do in alternate ways," said Brian Kaltsas, vice president of sales for Agam. "It began with an outdoor testing facility because we were told everyone was going to be tested and there would be one at every Walgreens and every Walmart." So Agam erected a prototype testing facility in its parking lot.

From there the company shifted to helping provide the temporary hospitals popping up in convention centers and other venues all around the United States. Agam then added hygiene barriers for restaurants, grocery stores, etc. to its solutions. Now that the company has hit its stride, production has ramped back up, and it has been able to bring back furloughed employees. "In the next week or two, we are going to be back to fully staffed, if not even adding people," Kaltsas said.

But for Agam, it's not only about its own workers – it's about helping others in the industry stay afloat. The company's distribution network runs through the exhibit houses, and it's working hard to use them as the conduit for its components to help ensure others remain open as well. "At the end of this, that's our bloodline," Kaltsas said. "We want to make sure they're doing well and that we maintain a strong partnership. We've always tried to do what is the best for everyone and what will keep the most people employed, working, and able to feed their families."

Lately, instead of talking with industry executives and estimators, most of Kaltsas's phone calls have been with FEMA and military officials. And those conversations with administrators revolve not around cost but about how sturdy and functional its solutions are, as well as how rapidly they can be deployed. According to Kaltsas, speed, efficiency, and flexibility is where this industry shines. One of its partners, Nationwide Displays, recently produced more than 1,000 temporary hospital rooms in New York in less than six days. That's a fraction of the time, Kalstas said, that it would take teams of military engineers or workers from other industries to produce the same results. "You put the wrong people in the wrong places, and they simply cannot hit those deadlines," Kaltsas said.

"It's been very telling that so many people in the industry have come together," he added. "Universally, it's not been about making extra money – it's about bringing my people back and keeping the doors open."