Planning Safe Live Events
As live events return, the rules of gathering seem to be changing daily and you may find it tough to keep up. What steps do you need to take to provide a safe environment? How do you minimize staff and participant exposure to COVID-19? How do you socially distance at events? Reinvent your event to fit into a post-COVID world through these actionable steps:
Safety Measures
- Stay abreast of coronavirus-related news and updates, both nationally and in the community where your event will be held. Our latest free resource is designed to help people understand gathering and travel restrictions. It also provides a general indicator of how feasible it is to host live events state by state. Click here to request access and view each state’s progress for reopening.
- Think about how your industry or participants are directly impacted by the pandemic. Then take the necessary steps to mitigate the risk of illness and establish policies for a reasonably healthy and safe event.
- Work with the local health department and hospital to create a plan for treating staff members and participants who do not live nearby and may need to be quarantined for some time.
Contingency Planning
- Plan for reduced attendance (hint, think about your guarantees and room blocks). You may need to develop alternatives for those who cannot or do not feel comfortable attending.
- Allocate funds to compensate for additional staffing, event space, transportation, signage, floor graphics, food and beverage changes, tables and linens for registration/food service/seating, PPE materials, shipping, etc.
- Appoint an Event Risk Coordinator to ensure protocols are developed, implemented and followed.
Social Distancing Guidelines
- Accommodate social distancing for the group’s size, adhere to local public health guidelines and ensure a safe and sanitary physical environment.
- Determine what room setup will work best to achieve social distancing.
- Replicate events to accommodate lower attendance.
- Broadcast content to multiple rooms to maximize participants’ safe distancing.
- Explore the possibility of utilizing outdoor space.
- Open windows and doors whenever possible to make sure the venue is well-ventilated.
These recommendations can be further modified to meet your comfort level and/or changing public health guidelines. If you would like to learn more or talk about your next event, Special D Events’ subject matter experts are available for hourly consulting sessions at your convenience. We are here to help.
