Blog homeThis Just In: Events Are Safe When Conducted By Professional Event Planners!
The data and science are in! Attending professional business meetings and events (yes, including the transportation to and from) is incredibly safe. In fact, science says it’s even safer than some everyday activities, like going to the grocery store. Who would have thought?
We’ve debriefed Let’s Meet There’s September 2021 report on the state of the industry, and put together a list of notable takeaways for all of our fellow #EventProfs out there.
Number 1: Several reports find that professional meetings and events are conducted under controlled environments, with maximum health and safety protocols.
Professionalism for the win ladies and gents! According to Ohio State University, professional business meetings and events “have not been super-spreader activities.” In part, this is because they are structured and well-organized gatherings put together by professional meeting planners (like us!) in controlled environments, and with mitigation factors considered (i.e., wearing masks, physical distancing protocols, disinfecting stations, symptom screening, etc.).
The Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance and Epistemix go as far as pointing out that in-person meetings pose a near-zero risk of COVID-19 transmission to attendees – even for large gatherings.
It also helps that most major convention centers and hotels have responded appropriately to the needs of pandemic event planning. Over the last year and a half, many have taken the initiative to drastically improve their HVAC systems. As a result, the air quality of indoor events (specifically, in these hotels and convention centers) is exceptionally high.
Bottom line? Controlled environments, paired with professional meetings and event planners, are crucial for any in-person gathering this year.
Number 2: Business travellers (and meeting planners) are more likely than the general population to be vaccinated
That’s right! According to Destination Analysts, a whopping 78% of Americans who’ve travelled within the last two years for business have been vaccinated. And, as of mid-July, nearly 9 in 10 corporate travel buyers and suppliers were at least partially vaccinated.
Meeting planners are also front and center with recovery and prevention initiatives, as almost 9 in 10 are vaccinated – according to PCMA’s June COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard.
And, although hinted earlier, another analysis by Epistemix found that events have NOT been proven to be significant drivers of COVID case counts. In-person events (exhibitors and attendees) have higher vaccination rates (~80%) than the overall population.
Bottom line? Feel comfortable knowing that most of your guests will likely be vaccinated.
Number 3: Science shows that flying (aka getting to and from your event) is actually safe!
According to research from the Mayo Clinic, the risk of a person becoming infected with COVID-19 boarding a flight from the U.K. to the U.S. is 1 out of 10,000. The same report also found that the risk of an infected passenger transmitting the virus to another passenger is even lower, at 1 out of 1 million passengers.
If that’s not enough to convince you that flying may not be as bad as you thought, the Aerospace and International Airline Medical Associations found that the risk of contracting COVID-19 during air travel is lower than contracting the virus in an office building, classroom, grocery store or commuter train! (*loud gasp*)
That’s right, according to research by the Aerospace and International Airline Medical Associations, airplanes maintain exceptionally clean air by circulating the air in their cabins through HEPA filters – the same type of air filters used in hospital operating rooms.
Bottom line? Airplane travel is not the enemy here.
Wrapping up!
We’re here for safe events that drive business! It seems like science is on our side with this one, too.
Although not talked about enough, large meetings and events are safely happening right now all across the United States. And, with all the insightful takeaways from Let’s Meet There’s September 2021 report on the state of the industry, why not? Most of your guests will likely be vaccinated, the science shows that flying is safe, and a controlled environment, paired with professional meeting and event planners like ourselves, helps maximize health and safety protocols and keep your guests safe!
For more information on the data in this report, please read Let’s Meet There’s report.