(Pictured L-R: MCCNO’s Adam J. Straight, Brett Slocum & Erika Hamm)
Recently, representatives of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center were invited by the International Association of Exhibitions and Event’s Council of Major American Trade Show Organizers to give a virtual presentation on the significance of earning the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s STAR™ Accreditation, one of the first centers in the U.S. with such a distinction.
The convention center’s presentation team, which consisted of Adam J. Straight, vice president of operations; Brett Slocum, assistant director of emergency management, and Erika Hamm, facility safety manager, were chosen to give the presentation thanks to their intimate knowledge of the GBAC STAR accreditation requirements that included the head start of responding to the pandemic with the early engagement of an industrial hygienist consultant. The team also discussed the steps involved to earn the accreditation and answered questions from the council of event organizers on the lessons learned during the process.
“It was an absolute honor to present and tell our story to such an elite audience,” says Straight. “MATSO comprises the greatest minds of our industry with unique perspectives and I’m hopeful that the experience was as beneficial to them as it was for us. In these unprecedented times for not only our industry, but for our collective way of life, it is paramount that we all communicate and educate each other, in any and all ways possible.”
“We recognized that our clients and their attendees will expect first-in-class protocols to be in place when they return, and are honored to help lead the industry in establishing and implementing new health and safety protocols,” says Michael J. Sawaya, president of the MCCNO. “Our GBAC STAR accreditation will provide additional confidence to both our internal and external customers that we have gone above and beyond.”
The industry’s only outbreak prevention response and recovery accreditation, the GBAC STAR program helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training, and assesses a facility’s preparedness for bio-hazardous situations. The program ensures facilities use best practices to limit future outbreaks, empowers cleaning staff to do their jobs safely and effectively, and gives customers greater peace of mind.
With 1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit space, in an entirely contiguous hall, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center provides the largest single exhibit space in the country, features an award-winning staff, first-class amenities, and is the sixth largest convention center in the nation. A leading contributor to the city’s robust tourism economy, the convention center’s event activity has produced $90.1 billion in economic impact since its 1985 opening, including $5.7 billion in new tax revenue for state and local governments. For more info, visit www.mccno.com
