Social Distancing and Safety at Events

Events after COVID

Face-to-face events, including trade shows, are undergoing widespread transformation as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Cancellations and postponements of conferences, concerts, movie releases and more have impacted nearly every industry imaginable. There have been unprecedented closures of venues like convention halls, restaurants, and festival grounds.

As events begin to slowly reopen and reconvene in Europe and Asia, incorporating new safety and wellness procedures like social distancing and stricter sanitation, no one is sure what exactly what other precautions may be, though they will likely vary somewhat from event to event and evolve as we learn more about what works and what doesn’t.

Trade Shows in the Post-COVID Era

Looking to restaurants, casinos, movie theaters, and hotels, what can we anticipate for trade shows and expos going forward? We predict that local governing bodies, show management, and the venue itself will all play crucial roles in keeping exhibitors and attendees safe in the post-COVID era with new regulations and policies directly aimed at health and wellness.

Here are few possible precautions not only for trade shows but also for other face-to-face events:

Individual Safety Practices

• Regularly applying hand sanitizer (liquid, wipes, etc.)
• Washing hands frequently
• Wearing face masks
• Wearing gloves
• Maintaining a six-foot social distance

Facility Safety Practices

• Thermal scanning at entry points
• Using floor markers (distancing, direction, etc.)
• Creating wider aisles and enforcing one-way aisles
• Installing sanitation stations
• Frequently cleaning high-contact areas via ultraviolet technology
• Building full walls between inline booths
• Appropriately spacing tables, chairs for lounges, bars, VIP areas
• Moving to outdoor venues
• Replacing flooring and surfaces with antimicrobial materials
• Adding badge-less registration and entry
• Offering prepackaged meals from catering and food vendors
• Limiting show floor hours and access
• Capping the number of attendees per session/day
• Incorporating GBAC (Global Biorisk Advisory Council) certification and protocols

Exhibitor Safety Practices

• Implementing plexiglass shields for interpersonal contact
• Reducing (or even eliminating) private meetings spaces and group presentation areas
• Sampling of pre-packaged food only
• Self-guiding demos and workstations
• Removing touch screens or touch-based tech
• No marketing with paper collateral
• Utilizing augmented reality (instead of virtual reality)
• Increasing use of voice-command, facial recognition, and gesture-based tech
• Sending fewer staff members on the show floor (and fewer to travel)
• Allowing booth visits by appointment only
• Building with non-porous surfaces and materials for easy cleaning

Preparing for a Post-COVID Trade Show

While the list above is not comprehensive, it does provide an approximate idea of how trade shows and other face-to-face events might safely resume. And to better visualize this new show floor environment, Condit has conceptualized several design projects the post-COVID era, modeled off the practices outlined above.

Exhibiting Post-COVID

While we cannot predict the future, we are optimistic about what’s next. We understand the realities of exhibiting, and we’re ready to fully support you, your brand, and your event marketing program in these uncertain times. We can ensure the successful execution of your remaining events in 2020 and help plan your trade show calendar for 2021 and beyond. Get in touch or start your project today.