Meeting Professionals' COVID-19 Playbook - Getting Back to Business

Every meeting professional wants things to get back to normal as soon as possible. The pandemic has been particularly painful for the meeting industry. However, is “back to normal” going to be possible? Or do we have to embrace that we must accept a “new normal” in the industry?

By all accounts, this crisis will diminish in the coming months and stakeholders will start holding meetings again. However, this virus is not going away anytime soon. Further outbreaks may continue to occur for the next year as the virus spreads through the entire global population. And even if the virus magically disappeared today, the persistent fear of this virus will linger like a bad hangover on the meeting industry for quite some time.


A “new normal” is the best we can expect. And this “new normal” must address something most planners rarely prioritize on their precon checklist

- “Health Security


Why? Because the Covid-19 crisis is due to only one thing - health insecurity . And just like any other type of attendee risk, it must be faced head on with a plan that mitigates the threat. Only then, will stakeholders’ hosting meetings start to feel safe again.

Of course, every planner considers the health of their attendees a priority . However, in practice, they rarely take action to support the  Health Security of their meeting. And though, in the past, this has been acceptable, the “new normal” we are living in demands  more from planners. So what does an effective  Health Security plan look like for the meeting industry? What will it take to demonstrate to your clients that you understand the “new normal” and are addressing the risk?

An effective  Health Security plan must include all of these three foundational elements:

  • Prevention
  • Detection
  • Medical Response

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Below are six strategies guided by these three foundational elements that planners may want to consider when creating a Health Security plan for their upcoming meetings.

1. Sick Attendee Policy

The most effective way to protect your meeting from exposure to Covid-19 is to keep ill attendees from coming to the meeting. How do you do this? Sit down with your client well before the program and encourage them to set a clear and effective sick attendee policy.

  • Invite stakeholders in your client’s organization including human resources
  • Develop clear communications outlining the policy
    • If you are sick, stay home
    • If you get sick at the meeting, stay in your hotel room
  • Create a mechanism for monitoring and enforceability

2. Disinfection Plan

Respiratory droplets spread Covid-19 from person to person. These droplets land on surfaces when someone is breathing, speaking, or coughing. Other people in the area then touch these droplets with their hands and later touch their face infecting themselves. Therefore, frequent disinfection of surfaces is another powerful way to protect your attendees from Covid-19 infection.

  • Schedule cleaning/disinfection of all meeting surfaces at least twice a day
  • Shared attendee surfaces should be cleaned more frequently
  • Hand Sanitizer stations next to all meeting areas and meal locations
  • Individual hand sanitizer placed in each registration packet

3. Temperature Checks

Fever is the most common symptom associated with a Covid-19 infection. Temperature checks are an efficient way to screen attendees who are coming to the meeting. They are quick, non-invasive, and easy to perform for large groups.

  • Engage a 3rd party to perform temperature checks
  • Consider screenings at the registration desk and during general sessions
  • Utilize infrared no contact thermometers
  • Get results in 1 to 2 seconds

4. Wellness Program

Every human is exposed to hundreds of viruses a day. Our most powerful defense from these infectious agents, and the reason we don't get sick more often, is our magical immune system. So what can planners do to strengthen attendees’ immune system? It turns out  that y our lifestyle choices can affect how well your immune system can protect you from  viruses. Create a wellness program for your meetings. This wellness program must include components that supports the following:

  • Sleep
  • Healthy Nutrition
  • Stress Management

The “new normal” elevates wellness programs at the meeting to more than a “feel good” offering. It can actually reduce the risk of your attendees’ coming down with a flu like illness such as Covid-19.

5. On-Site Medical

One of the three elements of an effective Health Security plan is the “Medical Response”. To respond to the needs of ill attendees, planners must demonstrate to attendees that they have taken the extra step to ensure that sick attendees have access to high quality, convenient, and cost effective healthcare during the meeting. What are the options planners have at their disposal?

  • On-Site Medical Care - This can be delivered by vendors such as InHouse Physicians in a cost effective and scalable manner that meets the needs of your group.
  • Local Urgent Care - Planners can build a relationship with an urgent care close to the meeting venue. I would encourage NOT to rely on emergency rooms which are expensive, full of patients with infectious diseases, and very inconvenient.
  • Telemedicine - This can be a practical way to address attendee health issues, however, it does not satisfy the ability to perform Covid-19 testing on-site.

Whatever option you choose, it should ideally have the following capabilities:

  • Ability to provide medical evaluation for flu related illnesses
  • Ability to perform rapid Flu and Covid-19 testing
  • Ability to prescribe (and dispense) medications
  • Ability to dispense masks for respiratory illnesses

6. Communication Strategy

Clear communication needs to be established with attendees and other meeting stakeholders. This communication should focus on the three elements of Health Security - Prevention, Detection, and Medical Response.

a) Outline the communication channels available to reach attendees– i.e. email, Intranet postings, fliers, posters, videos, blog posts, FAQs and have a "source of truth" resource where employees can go to for the latest updates (this could be a company intranet site or a physical location such as a bulletin board).

b) Partner with legal, human resources (HR) and other key leadership for timely review and approval of all messaging and materials prior to distribution.

c) Designate a point person to stay on top of developments, manage the communication process, and receive and respond to employee concerns.

  • Establish a line of communication for attendees to submit questions related to prevention and preparedness and post answers to questions that may be of general interest.
  • Establish go-to resources to help distribute key messages and answer attendee questions / concerns.

d) Carefully consider your messaging – state the facts, outline the impact, share Health Security measures being taken:

  • Provide ongoing assurance that the organization is safeguarding attendee health in a manner that is appropriately respectful of everyone's privacy.
  • Review communications for content and tone – don't trivialize or escalate attendee concerns, and be sure to collect / respond to feedback.
  • Place links to official news sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO) or Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on select communications.
  • Provide FAQs, talking points and other information to arm go-to resources with facts and information for your attendees.

f) Redirect more complex questions to your client’s HR team.


In summary, the meeting industry does not have the luxury of sitting back and waiting for things to return to normal. The “new normal” necessitates taking proactive measures to reassure organizations that it is safe and responsible to have meetings again. The concept of Health Security has traditionally been one associated with public health. However, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting industry must prioritize  Health Security as an achievable goal for every meeting and event.

 

This new priority is not solely for the purpose of ensuring the health of the meeting  industry, but also to protect the world. To be very clear, the meeting industry is perfectly designed for the spread of pandemic viruses by encouraging global travel and meetings which brings millions of people together to connect. Therefore, the meeting industry also has a moral obligation to be a part of the solution in containing Covid-19 by partnering with the public health community to promote Health Security.

 

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13 Feb, 2024
With the world becoming more interconnected, international events are now more common than ever. Whether it’s a global conference, sports event, or cultural gathering, attendees come from all around the world to participate and engage. However, this diverse participation also brings along a critical challenge for meeting planners: ensuring access to quality healthcare for attendees . This is where a Global Telehealth Service steps in, offering a seamless and inclusive solution to bridge the healthcare gap and provide top-notch medical assistance in multiple languages. In this article, we will delve into the advantages of incorporating a global telehealth service into your event’s healthcare support, focusing on its role in catering to the unique needs of international attendees. Ensuring Access to Quality Healthcare: Instant Medical Assistance : Global telehealth services provide immediate access to healthcare professionals, ensuring that international attendees receive timely medical attention, regardless of their location within the event premises. This is crucial in emergencies, where every second counts. Overcoming Language Barriers : One of the most significant challenges faced by international attendees is the language barrier. Global telehealth services address this issue by offering medical consultations in multiple languages, ensuring that attendees can communicate their symptoms and receive advice in their native tongue. This not only enhances the accuracy of the medical assistance provided but also offers a sense of comfort and ease to the attendees. Cultural Competence : Beyond language, understanding cultural nuances is vital in providing effective healthcare. Global telehealth professionals are trained to be culturally competent, ensuring that they are sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of international attendees and can provide care that aligns with their cultural expectations and beliefs. 24/7 Availability : Events often run around the clock, and medical emergencies can occur at any time. Global telehealth services operate 24/7, ensuring that healthcare support is available whenever it is needed, providing peace of mind to international attendees. Incorporating a global telehealth service into your event’s healthcare support is a strategic move that ensures all attendees, regardless of their nationality, have access to quality healthcare in their native language. It breaks down the barriers of language and culture, provides instant and around-the-clock medical assistance, navigates the complexities of international healthcare, and offers a cost-efficient solution to in-person medical consultations. By doing so, planners can foster a safer, more inclusive, and welcoming environment for international participants, ensuring that everyone can focus on what truly matters: engaging, connecting, and enjoying the event to the fullest. To learn more about InHouse Physicians Global Telehealth Services , click below:
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The Meetings and Events Industry has been heavily impacted by the COVID pandemic, and there are many lessons meeting professionals and the industry as a whole have learned when it comes to making events safer. InHouse Physicians has been providing Health Security and on-site medical support for meetings for over 30 years. Jonathan Spero, M.D, CEO of iHP, has been providing a voice of guidance to the industry as it continues to navigate the successful return of in-person events. We asked Dr. Spero some key questions that meeting professionals need guidance on in 2022: Q: When is time for the meetings industry go to back to normal? Is normal possible? Have we moved from pandemic to endemic? ​Dr. Spero: We have not moved from the pandemic to the endemic stage yet. It may take another year or so. As for normal....there is no going back. We will not see normal again as it pertains to health security. Why? Because COVID fundamentally changed our views of the world. Health security was always a 3rd world problem, not a 1st world problem. That changed with COVID. In addition to this, the meeting industry discovered that a pandemic even with a relatively low death rate could devastate the industry. Yes, over a million people died in the U.S. from COVID and that is a huge number. However, the average mortality rate of COVID is turning out to be around 0.5%. We could very realistically have another pandemic with a 5% mortality rate. Just imagine a tenfold increase in mortality and what it would do to the meeting industry and the entire global economy. Q: As a health care expert, what are the most critical learnings we have taken away from this pandemic? Dr. Spero: We are still in a pandemic and the meeting industry will probably never get back to the "old normal.” Here are 4 main reasons: Countries, society, organizations, and individuals have fundamentally modified their perspective on health security threats. We will have more pandemics in our lifetime, perhaps even several more. In fact, we have already had two recent pandemics separated only by 11 years over the past two decades! The meeting industry is very vulnerable to any type of global infectious outbreak such as a pandemic Health Security is the only way to address the factors above. Q: Will Health Security be like it is now in the future? Dr. Spero: Health Security measures have relaxed over the past few months as COVID stats have improved. However, as we move to an endemic situation in the future, the degree of health security standards may vary seasonally and regionally depending on the COVID trends. In addition, new variants will create a sense of uncertainty and may abruptly change the level of health security standards at meetings. Q: What can planners do promote attendee health and wellbeing? Dr. Spero: Attendee well-being is directly promotional to the attendee experience. You can have a top-notch experiential design and the attendee experience can be dragged down by stress and physical complaints. For at least the next few years, attendees will be hyper-aware of health risks with an emphasis on COVID-like illnesses. COVID is not going away, so stay vigilant with your health security measures, including convenient access to medical care and rapid, sensitive COVID testing. Address the enormous stress your attendees are experiencing. They are in an unfamiliar setting, managing the high pressure of the meeting, and simultaneously dealing with their personal and regular professional responsibilities. I believe it is essential for planners who want to be successful to provide attendees with tools and resources to calm their minds and improve their experience in the program. This can range from: · Stress and sleep management apps for their phone or hotel TV · Mind-enhancing nutritional options · Recovery strategies during the day such as access to a restoration lounge or other recovery tools during breaks that are designed to get your attendees back into the flow state/ · And finally, health security measures that meet your attendees' expectations and potential concerns. To learn more about InHouse Physicians and Health Security for your events, visit our website at https://www.inhousephysicians.com/onsitemedical .
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