Conferences and other networking events bring together people from all walks of life and often from many different regions. With this comes great opportunities for conversation, sharing ideas, and unfortunately, sharing germs. Illness can easily be spread through handshakes and other close contact during events. Travelers from other regions may have been exposed to illnesses that can be harmful to those who have not built antibodies for these particular illnesses.
Before your event, take a few moments with your event staff to discuss these and other ways you can help to prevent the spread of disease and illness at your event.Â
- Place helpful and highly visible reminders in bathrooms and high traffic areas advising attendees to wash their hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds.
- Set up hand sanitizer dispensers in various areas of the conference and make sure they are refilled as needed.
- Make sure trash trays and trash cans are within each room and hallway and that the venue staff are collecting this trash and disposing of it regularly throughout the event.
- Ensure venue staff sanitizes tables and chairs after general sessions, meals, and more.
- Place an information brochure in the conference folder or bag regarding healthy practices for their continued enjoyment of the event.
- Ensure your event staff is aware of current disease outbreaks and symptoms. See these at https://www.cdc.gov/outbreaks/
- Make short friendly public service announcements at general sessions, maybe even with some humor, to encourage everyone to practice healthy choices while at the event.
- You could even use gamification tactics such as earning points towards drawings each time they use the sanitizing station by setting up a badge scanner at the station, testing your attendees general knowledge of health related topics with live polls, or giving bonus points to attendees that post examples of healthy choices on the social feed.
- Have a list of local hospitals, health clinics, or centers for disease control locations near the venue should anyone need to be referred.
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