CHICAGO — With the Global Health Conference and Expo just one month away, Anthony Maggiore, director of event operations for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), shared health and safety best practices and acknowledged that each new trade show brings a different set of challenges.
During a recent IAEE Midwest Chapter webinar, Director of Event Operations Anthony Maggiore shared what his organization learned from its vaccine verification experience and what it is doing differently for its 2022 show, scheduled for March 14-18 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
All health and safety information and updates are posted on a dedicated platform on the event website – an important step, Maggiore said, because clear communication is key. “The process can be complicated to follow, so be as simple as possible in your descriptions,” he said.
Florida’s vaccine policy laws have resulted in the biggest change in process from last year. The March meeting, while still a mandatory vaccination fair, specifies voluntary proof of vaccination using Safe Expo and allows a negative test result for those who choose not to voluntarily provide their vaccination record. Rapid antigen tests are accepted, at-home or self-administered are not, and the details are spelled out on the portal.
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For anyone experiencing symptoms onsite, and for the convenience of those who need a negative test result to return home or to work, onsite PCR testing is available through Eden Health with a 48-hour turnaround and is billable through health insurance. Attendees can schedule appointments through the conference app. This is extremely helpful, Maggiore said, because the provider is also responsible for caring for an attendee if they become ill (only one person tested positive onsite in Las Vegas), and for taking them to COVID-approved hotels to quarantine or assisting them if they need medical care. “Scenario planning is critical,” Maggiore said. “You never know where COVID is going to end up when you open the doors.”
The 2021 conference used both the Clear app and Safe Expo for vaccine verification, since Clear was not set up for international attendees. Once verified, attendees were required to show the Clear green health passport on the app or the Safe Expo card to temporary staff at the front of the registration lines. They were also required to complete a short questionnaire verifying their vaccination status and compliance with protocols. Maggiore said having Clear staff on-site was invaluable in helping people who had difficulty using the app. He also recommends having security guards in on-site verification areas if needed to de-escalate a situation.
Some other important details:
Timing is important: Announce your entry fee information before the early bird deadline to give people time to cancel if they’re not interested once they’ve seen the requirements. The pandemic is an evolving situation, so be prepared to change your policies as you get closer to the date.
Stay tuned to vendor, venue and general contractor protocols. One area that will be tricky for all planners is determining who the policy will apply to. “We knew we couldn’t apply the health and safety mandate to our vendors, or we wouldn’t have been able to service the show if we had to require every housekeeper and every worker to be vaccinated.”
Be transparent about positive COVID cases: HIMSS posted an update on the portal and sent an email when there was a positive case onsite, and also followed up 10 days after the show, per CDC guidelines, with an update on the final case count (6).
Beware of those trying to circumvent the system: there have been cases of people requesting a reprint of their badge in order to join a colleague who was denied entry. Therefore, for the 2022 show, all badges will also include a photo.
Involve the local health department: Maggiore said that in Las Vegas, the Southern Nevada Health District came out and was a huge asset.
Stick to your ‘no exceptions’ rule: “That was our salvation,” he said. “We had people flying in from Egypt who couldn’t show their vaccination cards, and we had to turn them away.”
Treat event guests like attendees: Previously, guests simply needed a ticket. Now, they must follow the same protocols by providing proof of vaccination and a photo ID to enter.
Your vetting process is only as strong as the people overseeing it: temporary staff may not take their role as seriously as you’d like, so provide training to help them understand how critical their role is.