USEFUL TIPS TO REDUCE CONTACT DURING IN PERSON EVENTS AND MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

We all know the 3 key precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by now:

1) Wear a mask
2) Stay six feet apart
3) Wash your hands

Even though we still don’t know when special in-person events will be allowed to resume we can at least start to picture what the new reality of special events  and event management will look like. Lots of precautions, safety measures and event attendees worried to get exposed to the virus when attending any large gathering will be common denominators of all events for the upcoming months.

It will be our responsibility as event professionals to include specific safety measures during the event planning process to ease their minds and reduce contact during live events for the foreseeable future.

Of course, there’s no one way to reduce contact during in-person events.There are, however, ways to keep guests safer during an event and guarantee the best possible event management while COVID-19 is still around.

At Piovra Group we are proud to announce we are now certified PANDEMIC COMPLIANCE ADVISORS and our team of event planners and venue matchmakers have put together a list of tips to reduce contact during an in-person event:

1) Hire a Pandemic Compliance Advisor (PCA).

The PANDEMIC COMPLIANCE ADVISOR works from event inception through the final day as part of the meeting team to help:

 • Ensure the venue follows appropriate regulations, starting at Request for Proposal (RFP)/sourcing

• Secure safety supplies

• Engage and educate PCA support staff

• Coordinate risk mitigation on-site, on the ground and in-the-moment

You can contact us to hire a PCA (Pandemic Compliance Advisor) for your next event.

2) Assign dedicated entrance and exit doors.

At any event, doorways can get crowded and congested. While some people want to leave, others are just coming in. It’s hard to avoid close contact in those situations, especially if everyone is using the same doorway. Whenever possible, establish a specific door or doorway for attendees who are entering, and choose different doors for exiting guests. Clear signage will be important to keep the guests flowing in just a single direction.

3) Include Hands-Free elements

Limiting the touch points and including electronic check-ins and menus can help reduce the spread of the virus through surfaces during your event. To implement the best level of event management and mitigate the risk of spread of Covid-19 during in-person events here are a few recommended hands-free elements to include in your next event production:

• Reduce or eliminate high-touch points during in-person registration/check-in

• Replace pen and paper sign-in with a scan system or tablet check-in

• Put registration materials including any lanyards, name-tags, and face masks, in personal single attendee envelopes

• Consider moving typically printed materials, including evaluations, to a mobile app, or distribute via email

• Provide online menus for all vendors

• Laminate reusable signage

• Consider online ‘swag’ or branded personal hand sanitizers or masks

• Utilize hands-free interactive meeting tools

4) Avoid bottleneck situations

Whether your venue has hallways, a reception area, or anything in between, create as much one-way traffic as possible. If your venue is large with multiple hallways, establish what hallways “go” in which direction—much like the enter and exit doors. But if your venue isn’t that spacious, put tape down the middle of the hallways, so that attendees have to stay to one side when walking. This won’t completely reduce contact during in-person events, but it will limit close contact. It also prevents guests from stopping suddenly, turning around, and other normal behaviors that can cause unwanted contact.

5. Outdoor Set-up

Generally speaking, outdoor venues can offer more space than indoor venues, which means guests can stay apart without worry. Of course, guests should still wear masks and wash their hands regularly. But gathering outside with room to spread out is a great way to reduce contact at in-person events.

Even if only part of your event is inside, you will significantly reduce the number of people inside at the same time. If there is an outdoor component to your event, there will always be some guests outside—which means they aren’t adding to the crowd inside! Plus, all the one-way traffic you established will mitigate those individuals who are inside at the same time.

6) Serve Plated Food and avoid buffets

Serving plated food is a safe way to minimize contact. Although buffet stations may be more affordable, they also encourage crowding and increase the risk of food contamination. So, instead, serve everyone’s food while they are safely seated.

This applies to appetizers and cocktail hour as well. Don’t let guest wander around and pick up food with toothpicks or tiny forks. Instead, plate up a variety of appetizers and/or desserts for each attendee. Another way to limit contact is to individually wrap every item before tray passing it. 

7) Assign Seating

Whatever event you’re hosting, you may have groups of guests arriving together. Maybe they’re from the same family or office, or maybe they’re just good friends. Either way, they aren’t worried about coming in contact with each other. That means you’ll be able to sit them together at the same table, or next to each other in the same row.

By assigning seating, you’ll be able to control who sits where, and make sure that nobody is too close to a stranger. When guests register or RSVP, ask them how many people are in their party, and what their names are, too. That way, you can coordinate seating ahead of time.

8) Reduce the Headcount

One of the easiest ways to reduce contact during in-person events is to reduce the number of people a guest could come in contact with! Maybe in days of old, you had hundreds of attendees at your events. But for now, those days are gone. Instead of casting a wide net for your audience, consider this as an opportunity to get to know your clients, customers, or comrades in a more intimate way.

Even with the vaccines being distributed and the light barely visible at the end of the tunnel we still don’t know how long it will be until the day we will be able to host an in person event without worrying about the virus. If we want to see live events come back sooner than later we will all need to work together to create safety measures to reduce contact during in-person events and mitigate the spread of Covid-19.

If you’re planning an event sooner rather than later, follow social distancing guidelines and CDC recommendations, and always check your city or state laws before inviting anyone.