Travel Industry Safety Measures to Keep Exhibitors and Attendees Safe

After months of cancelled events, rescheduled shows, and general uncertainty concerning work and travel and exhibiting, everyone is growing eager to get back to face-to-face meetings. As the world begins opening up and returning to normal, everyone is wondering if it’s going to be business as usual or a completely new normal. Fortunately, the travel industry knows that people needMe to feel safe and comfortable and have taken great measures to ensure customer safety and trust with airlines, hotels, and convention centers. Read ahead for the latest updates in these industries to be inspired and reassured about the great strides made to get us all back to a booming trade show season safely.

Airlines 

Naturally, airlines have taken a big hit. Between cities shutting down and people’s general wariness of flying, air travel has decreased enormously. Because of this, the airlines have had time to revamp their efforts at safety and cleanliness and overhaul their sanitizing routines and travel protocol. Contrary to what most believe, air travel is relatively safe. According to the Center for Disease Control, “Because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes, most viruses and other germs do not spread as easily on flights.”

Despite this, airlines are doubling down on their cleaning efforts. Delta, for example, states, “After each flight, crews use electrostatic sprayers to sanitize aircraft interiors from floor to ceiling with a high-grade disinfectant. Cleaning crews then perform extensive manual cleaning procedures to wipe down cabin surfaces including seats, consoles, seat back screens, windows, doors, lavatories, and other high-touch areas of the cabin.”

Among other measures the airlines are taking are:

• Using healthcare-grade sanitizing processes
• Implementing interior disinfect/cleaning between every flight
• Requiring masks on passengers and staff
• Checking staff members’ temperatures
• Encouraging distancing by blocking off no-seating areas
• Suspending the distribution of food and beverages
• Keeping food service to pre-packaged snacks
• Distributing personal hand sanitizer bottles to passengers

Hotels

Even if you don’t have to fly to your travel destination, most likely you’ll be staying in a hotel. With hotels being almost a necessity when traveling, many guests are wondering how safe and clean they are. To put all minds at ease, hotels have really stepped up their cleaning game and have taken huge steps toward ensuring the safety of their guests.

For months now, hotels have been taking the following basic measures:

• Removing some furniture from lobbies and common areas to promote distancing
• Providing hand sanitizer to guests and having it on hand throughout the hotel
• Frequently sanitizing hand rails, elevator buttons, door handles, and luggage carts
• Cleaning high traffic areas more regularly and thoroughly
• Using germ-zapping tools and electrostatic sprayers to rapidly disinfect guest rooms
• Sanitizing fitness centers with germ-killing light technology
• Introducing LightStrike Germ Zapping Robots to emit broad-spectrum UV light, a medical-grade technology that destroys viruses and bacteria within minutes
• Eliminating buffet-style breakfasts, and opting for grab-and-go items

Convention Centers:

Bringing in-person events and face-to-face interactions back to normal is a high priority for the event industry. It’s important for business to be able to communicate with customers and clients, and it’s also important for that interaction to be safe. That’s why convention centers have really gone the extra mile to provide a clean, safe, comfortable environment for businesses to do their business.

For example, the San Diego Convention Center states, “All touch-points are disinfected on a continual basis during event hours and overnight, using Oxivir® RTU or Oxivir® Wipes. Touch-points include stair and escalator handrails, door handles, door crash-bars, elevator and ATM buttons, house phones, concession stand counters and tables, cell phone/laptop charging stations, and common-area tables and benches.”

Other convention centers have introduced the following new protocols in their buildings:

• Reconfiguring event spacing for social distancing
• Revising capacity charts for exhibit halls, ballrooms, and meeting rooms
• Widening aisles and walkways and designating them as “one-way”
• Requiring masks
• Installing touch-free hand sanitizing stations throughout the building
• Increased cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing in all show areas
• Open entry/exit points to lower door-touch points
• Allowing remote badge/packet pickup
• Increasing outside air intake/air change rate during event hours

All these updates and more are being put into place by the travel and events industries for the safety of us all. As business makes its way back to normal, we hope that travelers understand that their health is a main priority. Don’t forget to spread the word that enhanced policies and procedures are being put in place for the safety of attendees, exhibitors, staff, and business partners. We hope to see you out on the trade show floor soon!

This article was inspired by "Travel Industry Safety Measures to Keep Exhibitors and Attendees Safe" by Briquelle Neyens and first appeared at skyline.com