The coronavirus pandemic has caused thousands of cancelled and postponed events, put countless jobs on the line and raised many questions on how we can safely hold events once the pandemic is over.
With an element of 'attendance fear' now instilled in some delegates, it can be daunting to know how to reassure clients that events at your venue will be safe and secure, and in accordance with government guidelines. With our Safer Events Accreditation programme, we can help you restore that confidence so that your venue's events calendar is once again jam-packed.
Understanding delegate confidence
Venues across the country are excited for the day our government allows events to once again take place. But will attendees feel confident enough to attend?
As part of our Safer Events programme, we conducted a survey of delegates to understand an individual's confidence in attending live events in 2020, that adhere to our safer events framework. The survey also set out to determine the factors which may affect this.
We found that 54.3% of the sample (190 respondents) would attend an event if they were invited, and that 94% would attend an accredited Safer Event if it was required of them by their job. Furthermore, over 90% of people said that they would feel safe at an event, and we found that younger people would be more likely to attend professional events than older people.
We hope this sheds some light on the fact that on the whole, delegates are still fairly confident in attending live events, but we need to ensure they're as safe and enjoyable as possible. You can read the full results of the survey here.
Duty of care - is the onus on the venue or the event organiser?
It can be tricky to know who is responsible in ensuring delegates are safe, however we believe that the onus must fall on both the venues and events organisers to ensure the safety of all patrons for the event.
This may sound scary, but a venue that is prepared and already compliant with safe practices will have far less hoops to jump through, as it were, to secure a booking.
So how can we become a 'safe' venue?
Well, we're glad you asked! It is really important to make sure you're putting certain measures in place, but how do you then assure clients and delegates that you’ve done everything you can to keep them safe when the government is only offering advice?
A crucial step for a venue to do this is to get independently assessed. This will ensure the venue meets a publicly accessible list of measures to make events as safe as reasonably possible. And that's where we come in!
You can sign up for a free consultation with us, which simply requires you to fill out a short questionnaire. We will consult with you on how to implement our Safer Venue measures, arrange fit-out of venues and supply the materials to keep it safe. We have a safer events store filled with essential accredited PPE, partners to help with sterilisation, hybrid event provision and all the rest. If you’ve met these requirements through your own suppliers, great! If not, we're here for you.
What are the steps to becoming accredited?
Once you've filled out your questionnaire and received information on the measures you need to put in place, we will work alongside you to ensure the safest experience for delegates attending your venues.
Then, you upload proof to us that each measure has been met. This will involve taking photos of the venue. If you’re unable to do this, we can arrange someone to travel to your venue and carry out the assessment in person.
Once we've received proof that your venue is a Safer venue, your self-assessment is approved by a fully qualified Chartered Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management, and certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register.
Accredited venues will receive a digital and framed certificate, as well as window decals to communicate the accreditation to delegates and a £50 voucher at the Safer Events Shop.
Thanks to all the public health bodies and industry associations who have helped to inform the measures, all listed in the whitepaper. We will be regularly updating these measures to accommodate new advice as it comes.
We will be working tirelessly to ensure that as many venues as possible can safely be accredited so that the industry can open once again, while putting delegate safety first. We're missing attending events as much as you're missing hosting them!
If you'd like to read about the Safer Events Accreditation process in more detail, please refer to our white-paper guide here, or click the button below to read more about how we can help you host Safer Events beyond coronavirus.
Safer Events Resources
We know navigating this 'new normal' is unknown territory for all, so we've compiled some resources and guidance to help you organise safer events as we start to plan in-person events again.
We've released a whitepaper on Safer Events, our industry accreditation scheme for venues & events organisers. You can read about the measures to make an event safe, see the research behind it & find out how to certify your event or venue.
- Understand Delegate Confidence (Infographic)
As part of our new safer events programme, we conducted a survey of delegates to understand an individuals confidence in attending events that adhere to our safer events framework.
Give delegates the peace of mind to attend your in-person events through our independent safety accreditation.
Everything you need to run safer events from face masks to floor markings. Save £5 off your first order with this link.
Author
Izzie Lachecki
Izzie brings a deep understanding of the events world to Hire Space, and keeps busy by writing lots of Hire Space and EventLAB content and managing the Hire Space social media presence.
