I'm concerned about the COVID-19 variants that keep popping up. What questions should I be asking show management to make sure we're doing all we can to exhibit safely?

Experts predict the COVID pandemic will become endemic, meaning we are going to need to learn how to live and exhibit with the virus. Right now, the best road maps the industry has about meeting in person and in large groups are the guidances coming from the CDC and other offices focused on national health and epidemiology. Fortunately, that information has become very accessible. However, venues and show organizers are still having to continuously adapt their guidelines and rules, leaving many exhibit managers needing to make last-minute adjustments. While exhibitors still have to be ready to roll with unexpected changes, there are several questions you should be asking to be as prepared as you can heading into any in-person trade show or event.

➤ Is the venue or show GBAC STAR accredited? Most major venues, many vendors, and now individual events have completed (or are in the process of earning) the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation or similar safety certifications. GBAC accreditation requires establishing and maintaining detailed cleaning, disinfection, and infectious-disease prevention protocols. Whether a convention center or event has a safety certification will help you and your internal stakeholders conduct a more informed risk analysis before attending a particular in-person gathering.

➤ Can you share your health and safety plan? If a convention center has its GBAC accreditation, it will have a health and safety plan that includes how the venue will respond if someone at the show tests positive for COVID. But event organizers will likely have their own plans as well, which may vary from the venue's. For example, a show may require masks and vaccinations even if the venue or city does not. This is especially true for health-care shows but may be less likely for those in other industries. You may also find that a show's plans differ from your company's protocols, so it is a good idea to develop your own safety plan for how you will respond to scenarios, including what to do if one of your own staffers tests positive for COVID at a show.

➤ What happens if the show is cancelled? There's no doubt we are emerging from the shutdown stage of the pandemic when practically all events were cancelled, postponed, or kicked over to fully digital affairs at the last minute. But the recent postponement of Integrated Systems Europe demonstrates that we're not out of the woods yet. Your contract should spell out in unambiguous detail what happens if an event is postponed or cancelled. For instance, does it clearly state whether your company will get fully reimbursed, a partial refund, or credit at a future show if your event is nixed? Or, is there a set date when you can pull out of a trade show with no penalty? Be sure to clarify any murky points before signing on the dotted line.

➤ Have the show-floor hours changed from previous years? Most trade shows and live events have embraced more stringent cleaning protocols than what were in place pre-COVID, and some are adjusting exhibit-hall hours to accommodate these additional steps. Exhibit managers should consider the possibility of reduced show floor hours before deciding how much to invest into a show.

➤ What health and safety duties will fall to exhibitors? Program managers will be responsible for understanding and enforcing some safety protocols, such as their staff's masking, vaccinations, testing, contact tracing, etc. Show management will have its own systems to deal with these issues on a broader scope. Say the show requires masks and an attendee enters your exhibit without one. It shouldn't be your responsibility to enforce the rule. However, you do need to know whom in show management to contact so they can handle it.

➤ Will show management require attendees to be vaccinated? More and more show management companies and associations require proof of vaccination or COVID testing. If a show requires people to be vaccinated, clarify whether or not your staffers need to have a booster shot. This hasn't been the case to date, but that may change later in 2022. Because attendees choose whether or not to attend, attendance at an in-person event means accepting show policies. It is not a violation of health-care privacy laws to ask if someone is vaccinated as long as 1) the individual asking is not a medical professional, and therefore the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) does not apply, and 2) no records of attendees' vaccination status are kept (because it would then qualify as a medical record and HIPAA would apply). To verify attendees' vaccination status and cut down on the time it takes to enter an event, many show organizers are using apps that allow registrants to upload their of proof of vaccination before stepping foot in the venue.

➤ How has the structure, type, and cost of cleaning changed from prepandemic exhibiting? Cleaning and sanitization efforts include more than vacuuming and porter services. To budget more accurately, ascertain how show management has changed its cleaning services and how much of that will be charged back to the exhibitor either in cost increases or in different types of cleaning offered or required. Some shows are offering top-to-bottom booth sanitization. This may be a more cost-effective option, especially if it saves you from purchasing and shipping UVC light wands or electrostatic sprayers. Before you spring for this service, however, inquire whether cleaning crews will be "sanitizing" and/or "disinfecting," as these terms are not interchangeable. Also ask about the chemicals they will be using to ensure they won't mar your exhibitry.

At many shows, exhibitors will be responsible for cleaning their own properties and high-touch surfaces such as counters and touchscreens. Ensure you and your team are properly trained. Attendees and staffers alike will appreciate that your company is doing what it can to keep your space as clean as possible.

➤ How have food and beverage guidelines changed because of the pandemic? Exhibitors will need to know their hospitality options, and these will vary based on catering vendors, venues, and regional guidelines. The show may have its own catering regulations, and the smart exhibitor will depend on their catering vendor to know those protocols and follow them. Some shows encourage food samples to be prepackaged or distributed in single-serving disposable containers, while others require it. Clarify what the current rules are, as they are still somewhat fluid.

Understanding the protocols and regulations surrounding exhibiting amid an ongoing pandemic can be a daunting process, especially for your first in-person events after a long hiatus from the show floor. The exhibiting landscape is changing, but face-to-face interactions are as exciting and rewarding as ever.