The Exhibition Services and Contractors Association recently released health and safety guidance regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Their statement follows:
As an industry leader during this active COVID-19 pandemic, we feel it is essential to encourage and support measures that keep our industry safe and our events running as smoothly as possible. Therefore, we offer our safety recommendations to help provide consistency and ensure events’ safe and healthy continuous operation.
We strongly support adherence to all local, government and facility requirements. It is also crucial to stay abreast of the latest guidance as the situation evolves.
Based on the current guidance from the CDC and other health experts, we encourage:
- Practice physical distancing of 6 ft apart when possible and managing 28 square feet per person crowd density ratios. (For reference, ESCA’s COVID Crowd Density Calculator can be utilized, link here).
- Wear a mask while indoors, at worksites, or during prolonged interactions, regardless of vaccination status.
- FDA-authorized vaccines are effective at keeping people from getting COVID-19 and help protect against delta and other known variants.
- Ask to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival at show site and every five (5) days after that while at show site.
To make processes consistent and easily adaptable, we suggest:
- All parties working together to create and comply with show specific safety and health protocols.
- Clarify how vaccination verification will be processed and secured in a unified effort for all stakeholders.
- Clear defined responsibilities of compliance among all stakeholders.
- Avoid any visual tagging of vaccinated or non-vaccinated individuals.
We understand that there are many factors to be considered. ESCA members and industry stakeholders are strongly encouraged to use their discretion to adopt these or similar policies, which will provide the safest environment for their organization, employees, and customers.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and update these recommendations based on the current situation, scientific developments, and governmental guidance.
The ESCA Health & Safety Guidance contains other valuable information and links to additional resources.
ESCA released this guidance with support from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM).
