How can Employers Make their Conferences Covid safe?
Personal meetings and live events are irreplaceable. As COVID-19 vaccines become more widespread and the pandemic seems to have eased out in the last two years, more companies are now slowly returning to in-person meetings to better connect and exchange ideas on newer challenges. However, face-to-face meetings no longer follow the same old rules as attendee expectations have changed regarding safety and health standards.
As we look at the future of events, we need to ask ourselves: how can we hold safe in-person professional meetings that minimize the risk for our partners and staff?
Here are some clever ways employers can ensure venue safety while enhancing COVID safe attendee experience.
1. Awareness of COVID safe policies:
To provide your guests with a sense of confidence, show that you are up to date with all the latest guidelines on mask requirements and capacity restrictions laid out by local and national government authorities. In this way, you can also keep Covid epidemiology under control.
2. COVID—safe Venue selection:
Choosing a venue is one of the most important aspects of organizing an event. Consider a venue option that is both spacious and meets the safety requirements of your event. A well-ventilated venue that complies with social distancing requirements can be a great value proposition. However, implementing additional safety measures over and above the existing protocols can ensure attendees’ peace of mind.
3. Pre-event and On-site COVID risk screening:
Show your attendees that their safety is a top priority to you. In doing so, the most important thing you can offer is pre-event and on-site COVID screening with a regular temperaturecheck. In this way, if someone registers, there isn’t a waiting period between the negative test result and the arrival on-site, which can boost attendees’ confidence to attend future events you plan to host.
4. Contactless digitized registration and On-site check-in:
Using AI-based on-site solutions, you can fasten your guests’ registration and check-in process in a secure and socially distant manner. Even for people who like in-person meetings but avoid touching unneeded surfaces, a contactless entrance experience using kiosks can make them feel more comfortable.
5. Mandatory masks and hand sanitation stations:
Using face masks is an effective means of preventing the spread of Covid-19 and its variants – Delta and Omicron. So, distributing surgical or three-layered cloth masks during the event will benefit those who don’t have masks or don’t have access to them.Likewise, providing regular handwashing stations and individual hand sanitizers at every seat or stand throughout the venue helps keep your attendees contented as they safely enjoy the meeting.
6. Safe seating and social distancing arrangements:
While social distancing is a new normal in our daily lives, giving attendees clear information on seating arrangements (preferably two meters apart) before the meeting is never a bad idea. In addition, no matter what floor plan you choose, you might want to set up a system that monitors the maximal capacity of the meeting space and gets alerted when it has been exceeded.
7. On-site food and beverages:
If you plan a long event, consider providing snacks or lunch on-site after taking suitable precautions and enforcing social distance guidelines to reduce risks. Ensure your venue has many sneeze guards and that your serving crew wears a mask and gloves. Another excellent alternative is to make pre-packaged meals ahead of time and distribute them to attendees.
8. Clear Communication about Covid safety measures
Make sure you have well-trained Covid-safe champions on-site who can assist and guide your attendees about your hygiene and safety measures as widely as possible. The more honest you are with your cleaning and safety standards, the more at ease your attendees will feel.
