Safe Exhibiting Guide

What other health and safety responsibilities will fall to exhibitors? QUESTION 5 Will program managers be responsible for their own staff’s contact tracing, staff compliance, and policies? In truth, it should be minimal. But it’s essential you understand — and convey to your reps — any responsibilities that might apply to you and your team.

QUESTION 7 Who is liable if an individual contracts COVID during the show? This should never be the exhibitor, but discussions on pandemic insurance have been popular. It doesn’t hurt to clarify who, if anyone, is liable, as this information may alleviate concerns your company has about its legal risk in such situations.

QUESTION 6

Will show management require that attendees be vaccinated? Show organizers are allowed to require proof of vaccination to attend their expos. It is not a violation of health-care privacy laws to ask if someone has been 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 or recording of attendees’ vaccination status are kept (because it would then qualify as a medical record and HIPAA would apply). Having said that, individual exhibitors probably shouldn’t query booth visitors on their vaccination status.

QUESTION 9

What food and beverage guide lines does show management and the venue have in place? Exhibitors will need to know their hospitality options. The show may allow no food in exhibits, only precooked food in exhibits, or eating only in designated areas of the exhibit hall. In addition, it’s crucial to have clarity on any options (and restrictions) that your staff may face in terms of their own lunch and snack breaks throughout the event.

QUESTION 8

How has the structure, type, and cost of cleaning changed since exhibiting in early 2020? Cleaning and sanitization efforts will likely include more than vacuuming and porter service. It’s important to understand if show management is incurring additional cleaning costs and how much of that will be put back on exhibitor.

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