By R.V. Baugus and Amy Fitzpatrick
The “Public Assembly Facilities Recovery Guide” is now available as written guidance designed to help venues make reasonable decisions as it relates to the health and safety of all venue occupants. IAVM has conducted extensive research to provide recommendations that are advisory in nature, informational in content, and intended to assist venues in providing safe and healthy workplaces. This guide is not designed to circumvent government guidance. As the pandemic continues to evolve rapidly, the Reopen and Recovery Taskforce continues to monitor and evaluate scenarios that impact our members. This written guide serves as a working document that remains flexible and may be adapted for each venue’s specific reopening needs.
“While developing the written guides, our working task force assured that event venues will follow medical and governmental guidance and not circumvent the science of any pandemic,” said Mark Herrera, IAVM’s Director of Education | Life Safety. “The written recovery guide reflects extensive review and input from subject matter experts across the spectrum of public assembly venues and will continue to evolve as more scientific and medical information becomes available to assure all attendees and those working within all public assembly facilities are the top priority.”
IAVM’s task force worked collectively with representatives from all venue types, inclusive of other organizations, associations, sports leagues, the Federal Government, and alongside association leadership to gather data and and conduct research in order to develop the “Public Assembly Facilities Recovery Guide” so that all public assembly venues have written guidance designed to help them move toward recovery.
“The guide started out as research for my organization but turned into an opportunity to help an industry I love,” said Eboni Wilson, guide co-author. “The guide is a compilation of all the latest information and resources related to COVID. It allows our colleagues one place to find the information they need regarding COVID and our industry.”
“This guide is the result of months of research, collaboration, and strategic planning,” added Zakiya Smith-Dore, MBA, CVP, University of Florida Performing Arts and co-author of the guide. “While no one anticipated the pandemic or that it would last as long as it has, we are grateful for everyone who immediately jumped into action to help us understand how to overcome the challenges of this unprecedented time. I am confident that our industry will only continue to grow stronger as a result of the efforts of IAVM.”
To download the guide, click here.
Several individuals have played an important role in making the Public Assembly Facilities Recovery Guide a reality. Special thanks to the following in addition to co-authors Eboni Wilson and Zakiya Smith-Dore:
CONTENT WORKING GROUP
• Agmar Varela Lopez
• Jessica Stanley
• Kenneth Malik
• Samantha Willrich
• The Reopen & Recovery Taskforce
EDITORS
• Billy Langenstein, CSSP
• Dominic Bruno
• Eileen Kulish
• Joe Levy, CVE
• Joey Sampson
• Kathryn Carlson, CVP
• Larry Perkins, CVE, CPP, CMP
• Lori Garza
• Mark Herrera
• Paula Kirchman, CVE
• Phil Costa, CVP
• Rob Levin
• Robby Elliot, CVP
• Russ Simons
• William Flynn
