By R.V. Baugus

In basketball, the term “going coast to coast” refers to taking the ball from one end of the court to the other and usually culminating in a made basket.

Sadaf Usmani has moved the term into the public assembly venue world with her career relocation from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, scheduled to open in October of this year and serve as home to the newest National Hockey League Franchise in the Seattle Kraken.

Usmani will serve as Senior Manager, Guest Services, a position in which she has excelled while working as Manager, Guest Services at MetLife Stadium for more than six years. Prior to that, she served another two years at the home of the NFL New York Giants and New York Jets as Coordinator, Guest Services.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University graduate (Bachelor of Science, Hospitality Management) is involved in IAVM as a GuestX Committee member and also serves on the Editorial Advisory Committee for Venue Professional magazine. Usmani is also a master trainer for TEAM Coalition.

By Sue Sung

Go LIVE Together and the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA) partnered with Epistemix, a world leading provider of analytical tools designed to understand the spread of infectious diseases, to model anticipated risk levels for events planned in 2021. Using this model, they are able to:

–Forecast the potential level of immunity at a given date based on historical infection rates at a given location, different assumptions about vaccination rates, and future potential impact of new variants
–Estimate the likely number of infectious people who may attend based on the size of the event and origin of attendees
–Calculate the number of infections we might expect at the event given the range of protective measures that could be implemented

The Best News …

With the health and safety measures our industry has voluntarily adopted, and given current infection and vaccination rates and projections, the scientific model by Epistemix predicts nearly a 0% transmission rate of COVID-19 at an event hosting tens of thousands of people in various cities across the country including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York and Orlando.

Business events around the world have leveraged current medical information and are actively working with local health officials to define what “safety” means in a post-COVID-19 world.

Go LIVE Together and the ECA are now taking these models to the top trade show cities in the country to request reopening plans. This effort comes at a critical time, when state leaders are beginning to define next steps for their local economies—including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who recently announced his plan for a June 15 reopening. While this is encouraging news, Newsom’s provided plan includes attendee caps and burdensome testing and vaccine-verification requirements that make hosting successful business events all but impossible. These restrictions put California and states with similar guidelines at risk of losing major events—as seen with the American Public Transportation Association’s recent decision to move their event from California to Florida. By outlining the economic impact of business events, our industry’s unified commitment to adhering to health and safety guidelines, and the planning required to produce an event, we’re asking for guidelines to allow us to prepare for reopening events.

Join us in this mission by sharing this overview of the economic impact of business events, encouraging evidence of our ability to reopen safely and the need to take action today in order to plan for events scheduled months from now.

Sue Sung is Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy for Freeman.

The Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, released clarification around revised guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) related to cleaning and disinfecting for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The CDC’s latest guidance noted that “cleaning with products containing soap or detergent reduces germs on surfaces by removing contaminants and may also weaken or damage some of the virus particles, which decreases risk of infection from surfaces.” ISSA and GBAC wish to emphasize the critical importance that cleaning and disinfecting surfaces must not only reduce exposure to COVID-19, but to other pathogens as well.

“While there are still many uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, it is clear that facilities can better prepare for, respond to, and recover from outbreaks when they have a comprehensive program that starts with a risk assessment” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “There are many layers to this issue, but as authoritative leaders within the space, we feel it’s important to clarify that with the current pandemic, in addition to indoor air quality needs, cleaning professionals should continue their enhanced efforts in cleaning and disinfecting public facilities with added focus on high touch points. When used correctly by trained professionals, proven products and equipment are very effective against SARS-CoV-2 as well as other viruses and bacteria.”

The use of products approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and included on the EPA’s List N is preferable, as it ensures cleaning professionals are applying expert-reviewed formulations that have been approved for use against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, cleaning for health is most effective at mitigating the spread of illnesses when it is a multi-step approach that involves first cleaning surfaces to remove or reduce soil loads and then disinfecting to kill bacteria, fungi, and inactivate viruses.

The CDC also stated that, “in most cases, fogging, fumigation, and wide-area or electrostatic spraying is not recommended as a primary method of surface disinfection and has several safety risks to consider.” While surface disinfection equipment is not necessary for every facility, ISSA and GBAC support the use of sprayers with the proper training, as these tools can be incredibly useful for high-traffic facilities and those with occupants with an increased risk of illness. When using chemicals and disinfection equipment, it is important to read the label and use products correctly to prevent unnecessary overuse and exposure.

“There is a continuum of risk during the pandemic as new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge, and beyond it due to the fact that illnesses like influenza, norovirus, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can impact public health,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “When combined, cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, air quality controls, the use of face masks, hand hygiene, and other measures can greatly reduce the risk of infection spread and give facility occupants and guests greater peace of mind that organizations are prioritizing their health and safety.”

For more information on proper facilities cleaning and disinfecting now and post pandemic, visit www.issa.com/coronavirus.

By R.V. Baugus

It is with delight that we report that Glen Mikkelsen, CVE, has taken on a new position at the City of Cranbrook, British Columbia and the Recreation and Culture department as the city’s new general manager of venues and events.

Glen is one of our own as an IAVM member and especially6 to this editor with his must-read and entertaining work in every issue of Venue Professional magazine with his always-anticipated In the Quirks column. Even after having lost his previous position last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Glen soldiered on in producing content for IAVM members to enjoy reading.

Glen’s distinguished 30-plus years background as a sports and entertainment manager includes experience working with events such as rodeos, trade shows, conferences, skating shows, Broadway-style shows, and rock festivals. He most recently worked with the CN Centre in Prince George.

Mikkelsen’s new role is an amalgamation of the former facility operations manager left vacant when Stacy Paulsen was named director of recreation and culture, and the former events and marketing position previously filled by Paul Heywood, who now serves as the building and bylaw services manager in Cranbrook.

Congratulations to you, Glen!

By Jason Refermat

The RP Funding Center announced that it has achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, RP Funding Center has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in its facilities.

As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. The program verifies the RP Funding Center implements best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.

Early on in the pandemic the RP Funding Center/City of Lakeland and Visit Central Florida/Polk County placed a priority on working together to plan and execute safe conferences, sports competitions, and consumer exhibitions in Polk County. A key component to the safe return of larger meetings and events was the attainment of the GBAC Certification. Al Snow, Conference, Meeting and Event Representative said, “Working together to attain the GBAC Certification allows the RP Funding Center and Visit Central
Florida to demonstrate to meeting and event planners that the health and safety of event attendees, facility staff and the residents of Polk County are our top priority.”

“As we move into a post COVID-19 world, we feel our GBAC Certification is our commitment to providing a
safe environment to all of our guests at the RP Funding Center,” added Tony Camarillo, RP Funding Center Executive Director.

“GBAC STAR accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to maintain clean and healthy environments,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “By taking this important step to pursue GBAC STAR, the RP Funding Center has received third-party validation that it follows strict protocols for biorisk situations, thereby demonstrating its preparedness and commitment to operating safely.”

Jason Refermat is Director of Marketing at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida.