03.05.21
By Lisa Major
With recent announcements from Live Nation, the City of Chicago, and Las Vegas, it appears that larger live events are on the horizon. Executing these events, however, will come with a myriad of safety and health regulations.
Some event production companies are tossing around the idea of on-site testing, proof of negative results, and vaccine cards. But until more information surfaces regarding the way that COVID behaves, the CDC recommends that we remain vigilant about safe practices.
While mandating safety requirements is one thing, enforcing them will be a tall order. Still, it must be done to keep attendees and staff safe, and the industry moving forward.
So how can you ensure that your event is as safe as possible? Besides having a solid health and safety plan, you will need to consider what steps you will take to encourage attendees to be compliant and how you will enforce regulations.
The past year has been a tumultuous one and the pandemic hasn’t brought out the best in the human race. Because of varying beliefs and behaviors, event organizers must set clear expectations and communicate all safety requirements and the consequences for non-compliance in advance and during the event. This simple step may help save you from a PR nightmare.
Safety ambassadors are essentially brand ambassadors who promote healthy and safe practices at events and venues. Safety ambassadors encourage attendees to mask up, promote social distancing, distribute PPE, and provide event safety information. Their job is not to police attendees by reprimanding them, but instead, they work to provide a safe and positive event experience for all in attendance through friendly interactions.
Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Dallas Morning News
People are more likely to be mindful of their actions when subtle reminders are placed in strategic locations. For example, floor markings that encourage social distancing should be in restrooms, concession areas, and anywhere else where people may congregate in close proximity. Furthermore, larger signs that provide an overview of safety regulations should be placed at entrances and high-foot traffic areas throughout the venue or event space.
If masks are required at your event, consider offering attendees a designated area (with social distancing in place) so that they may temporarily remove their masks to get some relief.
Universal Orlando’s U-Rest Mask-Less Rest Area
It’s inevitable that someone will forget or lose their mask (we’ve all been there). If you require masks, offer complimentary ones to help keep attendees compliant. Additionally, hand sanitizing stations or handwashing sinks should be widely accessible and easy to find.
If your event has high touchpoints or surfaces like interactive activities or games, require attendees to sanitize their hands prior to participating (safety ambassadors can facilitate this as well as disinfecting surfaces).
Enforcing rules and requirements is never fun, but it’s something that must be done if attendees are non-compliant. You will need to determine what course of action you will take if attendees are blatantly breaking the rules and who will do the enforcing – security personnel, COVID compliance officers, event staff, etc.
As live events heat back up, the goal of all industry professionals is to keep moving forward. By implementing a solid event health and safety plan and hiring a team of dedicated safety ambassadors to help carry it out, you’ll rest easy knowing that you are doing your part to help keep attendees safe.
As a pioneering event staffing agency with almost two decades of experience, ATN is your trusted staffing partner. Whether you need safety ambassadors, COVID compliance officers, brand ambassadors, or traditional event staff, ATN has you covered.
