Most countries around the world are starting to relax lockdown rules, and business events are preparing to resume. However, first they need to ensure that they can put adequate measures in place to protect their staff and participants.
To help achieve this aim, AIPC, the International Association of Convention Centres, ICCA, the International Convention and Congress Association and UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, have come together to produce a new global guide titled: Good Practice Guide: Addressing COVID-19 Requirements for Re-Opening Business Events.
“It is our challenge to convince local governments, associations and event attendees that our venues can be highly-controlled and safe environments. By sharing information and best practices between our global industry association-partners, we hope we will be contributing to a more integrated approach, so that the international meetings industry can play its crucial role in economic and social recovery sooner rather than later.”
ICCA President James Rees says, “International meetings and events are organised gatherings of professionals with specific, known and controlled attendee participation and need to be considered this way by global authorities, as opposed to other mass gatherings such as festivals and sporting events. It is our challenge to convince local governments, associations and event attendees that our venues can be highly-controlled and safe environments. By sharing information and best practices between our global industry association-partners, we hope we will be contributing to a more integrated approach, so that the international meetings industry can play its crucial role in economic and social recovery sooner rather than later.”
The guide is the third in a series of COVID-19 related guides, following on from Good Practice Guidance to COVID-19 for Convention and Exhibition Centres and Good Practice Guidance for the Use of Centres as Temporary Emergency Facilities, which were both produced by AIPC and UFI and distributed in March and April of this year, respectively. (You can download these here.)
The guides have all evolved from a collaborative effort between different parts of the overall industry, and have drawn from the direct, practical experiences and expertise of members that are dealing with the impacts on a day-to-day basis. The three association Presidents all acknowledge this invaluable contribution.
An online event is being planned to facilitate the implementation of the guidance provided in this publication, and to help members interpret its content into local actions.
