EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS COVID FREE

The covid19 pandemic has forced us to re-learn, re-invest and re-organize work so that the number of contacts between people is reduced, establishing rules to avoid and reduce the frequency and type of person-to-person contact

Also in the fairs and events sector, new protocols have been established to follow to guarantee the safe and orderly return to the activity of assembly companies.

It is difficult to foresee when it will be possible to celebrate large events and congresses, fairs, mass concerts or sporting events, but it is also difficult to know under what conditions. Below we discuss what these measures may be:

• In addition to the use of regulatory protection material during assembly (helmet, boots and high visibility vest), the use of a mask is recommended.
• Protective gloves must be used to handle all the elements that the staff of the stand must use (documents, microphones, water bottles, glasses or cups, posters, temperature controls, TVs, computers, etc.) and disinfect it before use every day.
• Hand hygiene measures (hydroalcoholic gel) available to visitors.
• Body temperature controls and gauging control at accesses.
• Forced circulation. An entry route and a different exit route. This results in the redistribution of the exhibition spaces.
• The main security measure is social distancing. To meet this interpersonal distance, the objective is to avoid the formation of crowds in closed spaces or with poor ventilation. In addition, you must work with the minimum staff necessary to carry out the events.
• Respiratory label. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough and sneeze, then discard it in a bucket with a lid and pedal. If scarves are not available, use the inside of the elbow to avoid contaminating the hands.
• The access personnel should control the entrance and exit doors to avoid that the assistants have to manipulate them to open and close.
• Staggered access to the enclosure. At the entrance of the events, there will be an informative panel or video, with the prevention measures to follow in the event.
• People who are especially sensitive due to their high risk (eg pregnant, elderly), should not visit the events.
• We will be in continuous contact with the Occupational Risk Prevention Service to prepare plans and adopt the necessary measures.

But attendees will not only experience this new way of parameterizing health status and attendance volume per square meter, but they will also learn about a new hybrid fair model, combining physical and digital event, with face-to-face and virtual meetings. Before the covid19, many exhibitions sold square meters, but what they have to sell today are contacts.

The drop in visitors and exhibitors has also forced organizers to merge several Events to optimize resources and take advantage of economies of scale in rooms that are expected to be much smaller.

A challenge that will contribute to the recovery of the sector of fair suppliers, but of the sectors that depend to a great extent on business tourism, such as hotels, restaurants, shops, transport and cultural and leisure activities.

At Expomedia, in addition to following the established and mentioned protocols, we also collaborate with the health prevention technology company SANOTEC, carrying out periodic temperature checks on our staff during the work of assembly and installation of stands.