How are you innovating and preparing to ensure your team and attendees feel safe at future in-person meetings and events? Here are three tips to get you thinking and planning in the right direction:

1. Research and Compare Venue Health and Safety Protocols
Every major hospitality brand has comprehensive guidelines for cleaning and disinfection. Hilton has its EventReady plan, Omni has released its Safe & Clean plan and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has its Lead with Care plan. In fact, Four Seasons collaborated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International to create its health and safety program, which is reviewed and validated by Johns Hopkins Medicine experts and includes a hygiene officer at every property and Lead with Care kits in every guest room, including masks, hand sanitizer and sanitation wipes. Once you’ve researched the protocols at brands and venues you are considering, select your venue based on the sanitization procedures and program you feel are most appropriate for your event. Also, don’t forget to continually check CDC guidelines as well as recommendations from state and local health officials to ensure you are in compliance. The CDC website has a public health professionals gateway that lists important contacts for every state, making it easy for you to find critical information for the region where your event will be held.
https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/index.html

2. Design for Social Distance
Ensuring a plan for adequate physical distancing will be recommended for the foreseeable future and may become the new standard for in-person gatherings. From check-in to seating configuration, ensure there is a detailed plan and ample directional signage to keep people safely separated at all times. Implement contactless event check-in procedures – and help ensure your attendees move safely to their seats while continuing to maintain distancing. Consult with the venue to see how they can help with these strategies. Additionally, there are many new apps that help with customizing floor plans with distancing strategies in mind.

3. Ensure Safe Food and Beverage Protocols
The pandemic has forever changed many aspects of our lives and this has spurred innovation across every industry, particularly in hospitality. With respect to handling food and beverage at meetings and events, there is a need to think outside the box. Moving away from buffets to plated meals, considering disposable (eco-friendly) plates and flatware and rethinking how drink stations and bars are managed in order to keep attendees socially distanced are just a few considerations. How about using festive, themed roving beverage carts instead of having attendees stand in line at bars? This is the time to get creative – ensuring attendees that you are ahead of the curve in prioritizing their safety.

At EventPrep, we are committed to helping our clients with every aspect of meeting management. From venue selection to event planning and registration, we are here to help you plan with confidence. Please contact us with any questions about venue research or safety protocols. Our venue sourcing services are complimentary to you. We’re here to help! Reach us at 571.933.8999 or info@eventprep.com.