As an extremely difficult year is drawing to an end, we send you Season's Greetings and pledge to continue with the VISION process in 2021.
We have made it to this junction unscathed and feel strongly with all those who are not as fortunate. The impact this pandemic has on the lives and livelihoods of millions around the globe is such that words alone fail to convey a message of compassion and support.
Action is what is required to restore confidence and optimism among the affected.
Our initiatives started off with the summit in February. We believe it attained many of the objectives that we had ambitiously defined. Please refer to the full report on Indoor Skydiving 220 | First Global Summit (ISGS 2020) to judge for yourself. COVID-19 was still a very distant rumbling when the +/- 160 attendants agreed that there needs to be broad co-operation in order to:
Establish common industry practices and safety standards for manufacturers and operators of wind tunnels;
Deliver consistent and engaging communications to build the brand of the collective of indoor skydiving;
Develop sports formats and competitions that gain wider media exposure and attract greater public interest.
We followed up with periodical newsletters (August, October) that addressed some of the specific problems associated with skydiving during the global health crisis. Our most recent initiative consisted in supporting Stefania Martinengo, the organizer of Sky on Stage (ORIGINAL, INDOOR, THROWBACK), in her efforts to put on the first virtual contest in artistic skydiving. Please consider the options you have available to spread the word on Stefania's endeavor. Virtual contests may well have to take the place of in-person competitions for quite some time to come.
In any case, we at THE VISION are committed to continue to contribute our expertise to foster the growth of skydiving in all its facets during 2021.
And we wish all of you Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year.