Responsibility in Events: Master Safety for the New Normal
When it comes to responsibility in events, we are undoubtedly masters of handling last-minute changes and crises. As professional event organizers and freelancers, we deal with abrupt requests, cancellations, and challenges. But since the pandemic, one of the biggest challenges that we are facing today is dealing with health regulations and minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission at events.
When planning a physical event, safeguarding the venue and the event-goers is the top priority for every planner.
As organizers, it’s our responsibility in events to assess and implement strict health and safety protocols at physical events to protect everyone involved.
The practical way to prepare for every situation is to devise a safety planning session and discuss all elements with your team at length.
Your team will require training to be able to identify possible risks and hazards, and the means to tackle them.
Communicating with all stakeholders as well as attendees will be crucial in flawlessly implementing your safety plan.
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What happens if someone gets sick?
As event organizers, we have the moral and legal obligation to take every precautionary measure to prevent community transmission at any event we host. In the worst-case scenario, if someone falls ill during your event, there is a possibility that you might face legal actions. One way to shield your company is to update your insurance coverage.
We recommend consulting with a specialized broker or a risk consultant to ensure that you have the right coverage.
Additionally, you must prioritize following all national and state health regulations, staying up to date with these at all times.
You must also make adjustments to accommodate the unique needs and demands of the situation.
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Here is a guide to all safety measures that event planners must follow to mitigate risks at events
- No matter what responsibility in events you are hosting, the most basic precautionary measures must be implemented in line with legislative or regulatory requirements in your area.
- Face masks, social distancing, temperature screening, and limiting the number of attendees may all be applicable.
- Going forward, we anticipate that vaccination will become mandatory for event-goers, especially for large events.
- A safety plan must be drawn up and shared with all stakeholders. The plan must include essential information such as an FAQ, the day’s itinerary, on-premise safety measures, emergency helpline contact information, and health protocol in the event of sickness.
- Use your website or social media channels to communicate with your attendees and let them know about the guidelines.
- Internally, discuss with your team and assign responsibilities involved in each process of the safety plan.
- In the case of travelers attending the event, you may even consider using a tracking/ tracing app to ensure that all event-goers are aware if they have possibly been exposed to COVID-19.
- A larger crowd poses a greater risk. However, a small crowd who disregards safety precautions can be equally dangerous.
- You must think of crowd management strategies based on your event’s size to ensure that everything goes smoothly.
- You should keep track of both local and out-of-state attendees who are on the guest list and anticipate, manage, and assist the flow of the crowd throughout the venue.
- All exits and entries must be clearly highlighted so that people know where to go in case of an emergency.
- As an event planner, you must also identify potential bottlenecks where there is a possibility of crowd-pushing.
- Whether you are providing transportation to the venue or managing traffic flow at the site, you should create a traffic management plan to ensure that there is no congestion at the entryway. Plan the route, marshaling, signage, parking, and dedicated pedestrian access to the venue ahead of time.
- Every element at the venue including equipment and surfaces must be thoroughly sanitized to provide a clean environment and ensure the safety of event-goers and staff. Hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes should be placed at accessible points for guest use.
- You have an obligation to protect your staff as much as the event-goers.
- While temperature screening and a rapid antigen test should be implemented before an event, you must also ensure that your staff is equipped with safety gear such as masks and gloves.
In-person experiences are an irreplaceable part of events, and let’s face it – we can’t wait to return to more live events.
There will always be last-minute challenges, however, as an event planner, you should account for every outcome to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the event day.
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