Tag: coronavirus

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IMEX Frankfurt 2021 cancelled

IMEX

Events industry affected by Coronavirus – Major industry trade show cancelled for second year

EDGE Venues have just been made aware that IMEX Frankfurt 2021 has been cancelled for the second year.

It is a disappointing blow to the events industry and we would like to express our heartfelt thoughts to the IMEX team.

The IMEX event is a major industry trade show that brings together our industry to network and generate business.

Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of Trinity EDGE Holdings Ltd comments ” I personally wish to thank Ray, Carina and all the great IMEX team for their continued support. Our industry is a community that supports our clients in an everchanging world. It is a shame that this key event for our industry has been cancelled.”

EDGE Venues will continue to publish articles on the coronavirus situation and how this affects the event industry.

Keep up to date with all the latest news here

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How hotels are introducing new hygiene standards post COVID-19

Hilton's CleanStay door seal

One of the most important factors in the recovery of the events industry is confidence of attendees, post COVID-19. How soon are they going to want to travel, mix in groups and stay away from home?

All the major hotel groups are introducing new hygiene standards to reassure their guests, but these will also provide proof to governments considering loosening lockdown restrictions that safety measures have been put in place.

Hilton Hotels

Hilton has taken advice from the Mayo Clinic and is collaborating with RB, makers of Lysol and Dettol, to rise the standards of housekeeping and hygiene in their hotels. The programme is called Hilton CleanStay which uses infrared and electrostatically charged disinfectant mists. Hilton is focusing on cleanliness that will be visible to guests throughout their entire stay, in the bedrooms, restaurants, gyms and other public areas.

Guests will also be encouraged to use the Digital Key contactless check in system. It works with the Hilton Honors mobile app. Guests can choose a bedroom, access it with a digital room key and check-out using a mobile device.

The CleanStay programme includes:

  • A room seal on the bedroom door to indicate to guests that their room has not been accessed since being thoroughly cleaned.
  • Extra disinfection on the most frequently touched guests room areas – light switches, door handles, TV remotes, thermostats etc.
  • Removal of pen, paper and guest directory and replacing them with digital information.
  • Improved disinfecting of the hotel gym, possibly closing for cleaning multiple times daily and limiting the number of guests allowed in at one time.
  • Increase the frequency of cleaning public areas.
  • Disinfecting stations at primary entrances and high traffic areas, eg a station to allow guests to wipe the elevator button before pressing.
  • Hotel staff will be provided with personal protective equipment and better training designed to protect themselves.

Marriott International

Marriott has created the Marriott Global Cleanliness Council to develop a programme to minimize risk and enhance safety for guests and staff. In the next few months, the hotels will introduce electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectant to sanitize surfaces in bedrooms, lobbies, gyms and other public areas. Also, the company is testing ultraviolet light technology for sanitizing keys for guests and devices which are shared by staff.

Marriott’s new policy includes:

  • Disinfectant wipes in each room for guests’ personal use.
  • Signage in the Lobby to remind guests to maintain social distancing and removing or re-arranging of furniture to allow more space.
  • Partitions at front desks to provide an extra level of distancing and making masks and gloves available to staff.
  • Hand sanitizing stations at the hotel entrances, near the front desk, elevator banks and fitness and meeting spaces.
  • Check-in and access to the bedroom by phone.
  • Specially packaged food for room service which is delivered to the door without contact.
  • Changes in food safety and service in restaurants and alternatives to a buffet.

Accor

Accor, which is Europe’s largest hotel group has entered into partnership with Bureau Veritas, a testing and inspection company. They will provide third-party testing of the hygiene certification programmes in each of Accor’s 4,800 hotels. The standards will cover accommodation as well as catering and will be introduced in France and then rolled out worldwide.

Once each property has passed an inspection by Bureau Veritas, it will be awarded a certificate of safe hygiene. The operational guidelines for cleaning and staff training were developed in conjunction with epidemiologists and sanitation experts. These procedures will also be made available to any hotel, meeting venue, or restaurant looking for best practices or who would like to enrol in the certification program. Clients will be able to check if a property has been certified by going to the Bureau Veritas website.

For more information on these hotel groups’ hygiene programmes follow the links to Hilton Hotels, Marriott International and Accor.

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When will the events industry recover?

Coronavirus COVID-19 has highlighted the benefit of face-to face meetings and the rules about staying at home had a huge and immediate impact on the events industry. Not knowing what the future holds, how and when the events industry will recover is the big question for all of us.

The first thing that we need is for businesses to recover, as soon as they have confidence then the conferences and meetings will return. However, there will be a long-term economic impact from the measures that the government has taken. The attendees will need to feel comfortable to meeting in groups and to feel save travelling. So, until there is a vaccine and reduction in social distancing, they may not be willing to attend events.

Opinion

Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of EDGEvenues, thinks that smaller meetings in the UK will be organised first, but then it will take at least nine months for the larger International events to recover.

The venues will also need to play their part to get the industry going again and make their Terms and Conditions very clear, particularly if there are more waves of Coronavirus COVID-19. Jacqui said, “Venues need to make their policies transparent and part of the selection process. There needs to be clearer communication of when the cancellation charges kick in and the payment schedules. Venues need to look at their Terms and Conditions now, because they will need to me more flexible to win business. The quicker they do this, the more likely they are to gain the booking from the client.”

what do the surveys say?

There have been several surveys recently which have asked event organisers when they are rescheduling postponed events and when they are planning to organise new conferences and meetings. We’ve looked at three polls which have come out in the last week and give an prediction of the trends.

  • I-meet do a weekly survey of more than 900 event planners, which are made up of 33% corporates, 20% associations, 31% 3rd party organisers and 16% others. The results of this on 20 April, were 50% anticipate returning this summer and 76% before the end of this year. This was a slight increase in the number of events being planned for Q4 of 2020 and in 2021 compared with the same survey the week before.graph of data conference organisers
Before the end of May 3.83%
June or July 18.84%
August or September 30.78%
October to December 26.19%
Not before 2021 10.57%
Uncertain at this point 9.80%
  • On 15th April MeetingsNet did a poll of organisers who had dialled in to a webinar. The quantity of responses isn’t known, but similarly 50% are planning to return to events this summer and 87% by the end of this year. Graph of event organiser confidence
Before the end of May 2.00%
June or July 12.00%
August or September 39.00%
October to December 36.00%
Not before 2021 12.00%
  • MPI’s held Global Meeting Industry Day online on 14th April and they asked more than 6,200 attendees when they were planning to resume events. This is by far the largest survey and was from MPI members throughout the world. It found that 72% are planning to return to events this summer and 90% by the end of this year.

graph of user confidence

September 27%
August 16%
June 15%
July 14%
October 11%
Not before 2021 6%
November 5%
May 3%
December 2%

We all hope for a swift recovery to events and hopefully we will come out of it soon, but the feeling is that the world will be a different place and we will have to adapt accordingly. As we said at the beginning, not knowing what the future holds, how and when this situation is going to end is the big question for all of us and one we can’t answer at the moment.

For more industry insights, take a look at Edgevenues.com.

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ExCeL to be used as a hospital

EDGE Venues is proud to announce that one of the venues on their platform, ExCel London is to be turned into a temporary 4,000-bed hospital under NHS England’s plans to cope with the peak of the coronavirus epidemic.

The venue, which opened in London’s Docklands in 2000, usually hosts a variety of meetings, conferences, exhibitions and sporting events. However, it will be turned into a critical care unit, staffed by NHS and private heathcare staff, as well as military personnel and will be ready in about a month’s time. It is possible that the O2 arena on the south side of the Thames could also be used for the same purpose.

Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of EDGEvenues.com was very happy to hear how the venue is supporting the COVID-19 crisis and said, “Our industry has always had a role to play in times of emergency. I wish all the team the best during this very difficult time. I know they will pull out the stops and deliver excellence as they always do. Our thoughts are with them all as they are a great team.”

ExCel already supports the Community Food Enterprise which tackles homelessness and poverty in East London, by making an annual donation to the organisation, collecting toys, clothing and merchandise from exhibitors. ExCel’s catering partner contributes through giving surplus food which is distributed throughout the local area.

We have already seen other hotels and venues helping in these exceptional times. In February, the Holiday Inn at Heathrow airport was booked to be used to quarantine arrivals to the UK. Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre looked after 118 guests who were isolated for 14 days following their return from overseas and all left after testing negative for coronavirus.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest industry insights and news by reading our EDGE news section.

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Event insurance, are you covered for Coronavirus COVID-19?

Before the breakout of Coronavirus, insurance cover for communicable diseases was either part of the standard policy or could be added at low cost. However, since January 2020, when the insurance companies realised the extent of the problem, this cover was removed. It is unlikely that an event organiser will be able to add it to an insurance policy now as it is classed as a pre-existing condition and listed under excemptions.

However, the way to get around this going forward is for organisers to put clauses in their contracts with event attendees, speakers, exhibitors, suppliers and venues.

If you think you are going to cancel an event, the best thing to do is speak to your insurance company as early as possible, take advice and understand what the procedure and terms are. Make sure you’ve got all the necessary evidence to claim successfully. The worst thing to do is present them with a claim after the event has been cancelled, without notice. Each claim will be assessed on an individual basis, taking the government advice into account and whether Force Majeure applies.

Force Majeure

This is a provision in a contract that allows a party to suspend or terminate the performance of its obligations when certain circumstances beyond their control arise, making performance inadvisable, commercially impracticable, illegal, or impossible. A recent example is a law passed by the Swiss government prohibiting public events of more than 1,000 people which caused the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show. Some other considerations are if the city/country is in a state of emergency, flights have been suspended or travel has been prohibited.

  • The law that applies will be the law of the country where the event is being held
  • If your meeting is in the UK but attendees are from China, USA or EU countries which are not operating flights to the UK
  • Hotel contracts will usually have a Force Majeure contract that applies to the hotel’s location, so would only apply if that destination prevents the event.

Will Coronavirus be covered by future insurance?

After 9/11 very few event insurance policies would cover terrorism, but as time passed the option was offered with an expensive premium in proportion to the risk. In the longer-term insurance underwriters adjusted their assessments and exposure to claims and the rates reduced. At the moment we don’t know how long Coronavirus will last and the impact on events in the future. When will a vaccine be available or will the virus die out in due course? There may be legislation to address insurance claims due to Coronavirus in the future, but in the short-term it’s better for event organisers to take matters into their own hands and build clauses into their contracts.

This article does not constitute legal advice and we advise organisers to take independent legal guidance which is appropriate to their circumstances. This article is not intended to be relied upon to make specific decisions.

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Hotels to turn into temporary hospitals

The health secretary said empty hotels across the country would help ease the pressure on hospitals that are filling up with patients. Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday (15 March), when asked if more hospitals should be built, he responded: “We’ve seen that many hotels are empty, so we’ve got ready-built facilities looking after people.”

On the back of this suggestion, Best Western Great Britain has said it will consider turning hotels into temporary hospitals if the NHS needs additional bed space during the coronavirus outbreak.

Rob Paterson, chief executive of Best Western Great Britain, said: “We are in unprecedented territory so we would be willing to take unprecedented steps to support the national effort.

“If the NHS wants additional bedspace, and we can partner with other companies to provide the right medical equipment and supplies and we can do it safely, then we would be willing to start having those conversations immediately. Whatever we can do to help.”

Best Western has approximately 260 hotels in Great Britain, with almost 15,000 bedrooms.

Keeping check back with EDGE Venues Insights for the latest coronavirus updates, including news on whether other hotels will consider temporary hospitals with their properties.

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Government is not advising to ban events at this stage

EDGE Venues learns that IMEX 2020 has been cancelled due to Coronavirus

Update on the coronavirus issue following today’s COBRA meeting

Following todays COBRA meeting the government is now moving to a ‘delay’ phase against coronavirus which has now been classed as a global pandemic. PM Boris Johnson has said that banning events will have little effect on containing the spread of the virus. He also commented that ” All stages we are guided by the science.”

There is not yet a national reason to distance people socially according to the Chief Medical Officer.

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Proceed, postpone or cancel?

Decisions need to be made about forthcoming events that are being organised, whether to continue as usual, postpone them until later in the year or cancel them entirely. We saw yesterday that Imex has cancelled their event in Frankfurt in May. So, with the spread of Coronavirus, how should you come to a decision how to proceed in the next few months?

The first consideration is to make an informed decision, based on facts. We work in a collaborative and supportive industry and everyone understands the value of the global events industry. The most important factor is making a choice that is best for the business and whether the company’s objectives can be met without the event or if there is reduced attendance. What is the event’s purpose and what are the alternatives? Once this decision has been made, then the legal and insurance factors come in to play, but these should not be the driving factor whether the event should go ahead.

Force Majeure

The question is whether damages have to be paid if the conference is cancelled. So, does Force Majeure apply? It does if the event is illegal, impossible or commercially impracticable to hold. A recent example is a law passed by the Swiss government prohibiting public events of more than 1,000 people which caused the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show. Some other considerations are if the city/country is in a state of emergency, flights have been suspended or travel has been prohibited. Fear is not force majeure.

Cancellation or postponement

Establish the critical mass of attendance for the purpose of the event to be successful. If 10% of attendees cannot be there it probably won’t have a significant impact, but if 30% or more don’t attend then that’s a different situation. Set a date when the decision will be made whether to proceed or not, considering travel arrangements, event set up, suppliers etc and make a well-thought-out business decision.

Contracts

Check all contracts: venues, DMCs, a/v providers, caterers, other suppliers, as well as attendees, exhibitors and sponsors. Is there an event cancellation policy in place and what will this mean? Take advice about whether the force majeure provisions apply, your legal team can argue about cancellation and attrition fees. It’s in everyone’s interest to proceed with the event, so if numbers are reduced then speak to the venue about minimum attendee numbers, accommodation and the spend on food and beverage because it is in everyone’s interest to negotiate. If there’s a new agreement make sure you have an addendum signed by both parties. If additional hygiene practices are required, find out what the venue is going to put in place and get these agreed in writing.

Insurance

There are two factors here. Firstly, the event insurance, check your general liability insurance, which should cover you if an attendee becomes ill at an event and have a claim against your company. Does this specifically cover COVID-19? Some insurance companies excluded COVID-19 from their policies since January 2020 as it became more prevalent. Secondly, there is business travel insurance which may come into effect if a company imposes travel restrictions to their employees.

Crisis Management and Communication

There should already be a plan in place and even if it isn’t entirely appropriate to the current circumstances, then elements may help to manage the situation.

Communicate with the stakeholders separately and stick to the facts. Keep the message simple and clear. If you are proceeding, then tell people about the hygiene practices onsite and how the event will be managed. Update any statements as necessary before and during the event.

This article does not constitute legal advice and we advise organisers to take independent legal guidance which is appropriate to their circumstances. This article is not intended to be relied upon to make specific decisions.

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IMEX Frankfurt 2020 is cancelled

EDGE Venues learns that IMEX 2020 has been cancelled due to Coronavirus

Events industry affected by Coronavirus – Major industry trade show cancelled.

EDGE Venues has just been made aware that IMEX Frankfurt 2020 has been cancelled which has resulted in the events industry again being affected by Coronavirus. This is a disappointing blow to the events industry and we would like to express our heartfelt thoughts to the IMEX team.

The IMEX event is a major industry trade show that brings together our industry to network and generate business. It is a great shame that this event has now been cancelled.

Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of Trinity EDGE Holdings Ltd comments, “The cancellation of any event is very sad news. These events are business-critical as our professional industry needs to network, discover new products and ideas and build relationships.

Our industry is a community that supports our clients in an everchanging world. Meetings and events, whether local, regional or global are a point of change delivering a positive impact, return on investment and a return on business. It is of great sadness that this key event delivering into our industry has been cancelled.”

EDGE Venues will continue to publish articles on the coronavirus situation and how this affects the event industry. Daily articles are published which can be read here.

If you would like to contact us regarding this subject or any other articles we have published our contact details can be found here.

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Cheltenham Racecourse tackles coronavirus

The Cheltenham Festival is one of sports most popular events of the year, attracting more than a quarter of a million people over the 4-day event.

Prior to the event, which starts today, there was mounting uncertainty due to the coronavirus, and the pressure to cancel following suspensions of large events in other countries. However, with the Public Health England advising that there is no requirement for the UK to ban large scale events it has gone ahead and is defying the coronavirus fears.

Instead of cancelling, which unfortunately other smaller events are doing – despite the governments’ advice to continue with holding events, Cheltenham Festival have instead issued pre-event communications to reassure attendees of the precautions and additional measures that will be in place. Cheltenham racecourse has increased the number of facilities available to racegoers such as washbasins and toilet facilities along with ensuring hand sanitiser will be readily available and paper towels. They have also increased the number of staff to ensure soap and drying facilities are constantly available.

According to The Racing Post, there will also be posters around the racecourse which will demonstrate the latest public health advice.

In the lead up to the event, advice was issued to those that have recently visited certain foreign destinations advising them to stay away from the event if they were displaying symptoms.

Ian Renton, regional director of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “We’re working closely with the Department of Health to maximise hygiene facilities at the course. “We are looking to improve it where we can and hygiene is at the centre of what we are doing.”

As the coronavirus situation changes daily and many people are still unsure what is going to happen over the coming days and weeks, we should look at cases such as the Cheltenham Festival to gain confidence on how large scale events can still go ahead and be managed appropriately. The additional resources and procedures that are being put in place can be followed for smaller events and communication is key both before and during the events.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said that events such as Cheltenham should go ahead as planned despite cancellations and postponements being made public in other European countries. ‘We are guided by the facts and we are guided by the evidence. At the moment the advice is clear from the chief medical officer: there isn’t a need to cancel such events.’

These events are essential to millions of businesses worldwide providing platforms for people to network, engage and conduct business. The Cheltenham Festival is expected to attract around 70,000 people which will contribute to the economy and many businesses including in the supply chain are reliant on these types of events going ahead.

As a venue procurement platform, we are committed to encouraging these events to continue in times of disruption and will keep sharing positive case studies and information to our audiences.