Dealing with COVID-19 - Venue Best Practice

Use IACC's Forum to share the measures you are putting in place or good guides and advice you are seeing to mitigate risk of infection at meetings and events. #TogetherWeAreStronger 

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention page for mass gatherings and events carries some valuable guidance. 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/mass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html

1. Review the existing emergency operations plans for your venues.

2. Address key prevention strategies in your emergency operations plan.

3. Communicate about COVID-19

4. Consider alternatives for event staff and participants who are at high risk for complications from COVID-19.

5. Provide COVID-19 prevention supplies to event staff and participants.

6. Implement flexible staff attendance and sick-leave policies (if possible).

Webinar held March 6 by Events Industry Council on critical insurance, legal considerations and how planners and venues manage the impact to meetings. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yiub1Ye2bjc&feature=emb_logo  

Consider the clear difference of lower perceived risk to running a smaller meeting, perhaps national as an alternative to larger international conferences. 

As companies cancel larger events, IACC members will be well placed to offer the safe and low-risk option of a smaller venue. 

12th March: Email to all Hilton transient customers:

Putting a positive spin on the value of smaller meeting venues. A email from Swedish Meetings (translated)

Time to help each other.

That these people should avoid crowds and large conferences in these times has probably not escaped anyone. But every cancelled meeting affects a small business owner across our country who is currently struggling for his or her survival.
 
So before you cancel your meeting completely, is it possible to reschedule it to a date later? Or try switching to a hybrid meeting where some of your participants can participate remotely?
 
Separate meeting rooms and places
The vast majority of our carefully selected meeting places have the opportunity for completely separate meetings for your group, both with and without overnight stay. Of course, there is also the technology to support all types of meetings.


Safe meeting places
In all seriousness, all our meeting places have also quickly taken a wide range of measures to ensure the health of your participants. Among other things, through increased cleaning efforts, plate serving instead of buffets and ensuring that staff were not abroad.
 
We are here, as usual, to help you make sure your bookings end up at the right meeting facility.


Let's help each other get through the challenging time ahead of us!


The Friends at Swedish Meetings

More best practice client communication:

Stockholm
March 13th, 2020

Due to the troubled situation that the corona virus (COVID-19) is currently creating,
I would like to share some updates on the measures we have taken to minimize the risk of any of our guests or staff being affected or spreading the Corona virus that may help you
when considering your next visit with us.


As the safety and well-being of our guests and staff are of utmost importance to us at Hotel Diplomat, we are now taking extraordinary steps to do our utmost to prevent the spread of the Corona virus. We constantly monitor the situation and implement increased measures to provide a safe and clean environment in all rooms and public areas. We have upgraded all our
cleaning and hygiene processes.




We have upgraded the cleaning


Cleaning and hygiene are areas that are incredibly important in preventing the spread of infections. Providing safe and clean environments for our guests and staff is always a top priority for Hotel Diplomat - and even more in focus today with extended hygiene routines. We use clinically tested equipment with ionized hydrogen peroxide that kills viruses and bacteria on all surfaces and materials, as well as in the ventilation systems. In addition, we maintain the highest of standards of cleanliness and want you to feel calm when you visit us. We have our own cleaning staff and can therefore have better control of and dialogue with our cleaning staff. We guarantee a very high quality of hygiene throughout the hotel. We have new cleaning routines where every housekeeper gets fewer rooms per day to clean, all cleaners wear gloves and mouth protection. 


The reception disinfects dishes and public areas at least once an hour, this also applies to all elevator buttons and card terminals.


We have new check-in procedures, so our guests do not have to pass the reception desk:


As a guest you can now also check in online and use your mobile phone as a key card. You can go directly to your room without having to pass the reception.


We waiver the room service charge so you as a guest can choose to have all melas in your room:


In order for our guests to have an alternative to eating breakfast, or other meals, in our public restaurant, we offer room service free of charge.


We make the breakfast more hygienic:


We prioritize hygiene for our guests also when it comes to the breakfast buffet. As of Monday, March 16, breakfast will be packed and served in batches and served in this way on the buffet table. You will be able to choose from ready-made hot breakfast packages à la carte and these will be served directly from our kitchen.


Our booking rules will be adapted:


We will be flexible when it comes to cancellations during month of March, April and May.


We have high emergency readiness:


Should any guest or staff get sick in Corona or get Corona-like symptoms, we have updated our crisis plan with new routines where we have full control of our way to act.




We will continue to keep abreast of the authorities' information and recommendations.


Corona has been upgraded to a pandemic by WHO. We know that most people who suffer will not receive more than "normal" flu. But we at Hotel Diplomat want to do everything in our power to take care of all our guests, as well as our staff, as we also know that 10-15% get such serious symptoms that they must have intensive care and the risk is that the health care is up to facing difficult choices and priorities. That is why we believe it is important to act as much as we can.


Thank you for your support and your loyalty. We will keep you updated through this changing situation and cannot wait to welcome you as soon as the opportunity arises.

Gensler - Workplace Wellness Article: 

https://www.gensler.com/research-insight/blog/in-the-face-of-the-coronavirus-workplace-wellness-is-key