Reliable and clear communication has always been a cornerstone for events.
You need to be clear in letting attendees know where and when an event is taking place—who the speakers are, what education sessions will take place, reasons they should attend all the way down to logistical details about what to wear and what will be served. Today, you now have an added responsibility to communicate about COVID-19. Earning the trust back from your members and attendees means you must be clear and upfront about what the pandemic means for your event.
COVID-19 has permeated every aspect of our daily lives and will certainly be top-of-mind when hosting in-person events. There are so many questions that need to be answered—should you require proof of vaccination? Do you even have in-person meetings? Should you require masks?
The first step your organization should take is answering those questions internally and determining what is the right move for you and what level of risk tolerance you can accept. If you agree that it is time to have an in-person meeting, start with these next steps:
- Consult your local city, county and state health department guidelines.
- Communicate those guidelines clearly to your attendees and include links or language from your local health departments to reinforce the rules.
- Trade associations should also review ASAE-The Center for Association Leadership’s guidelines for in-person events in the COVID era.
- If your event location doesn’t have health requirements in place as strict as your organization would like, be sure to state your rules and guidelines very clearly. If you want masks on for all attendees—say it—masks are required at all events.
- Be sure to include a contact person or email to provide attendees with the ability to ask questions. As we return to in-person meetings attendees will likely have different levels of comfort, so the ability to ask questions will be an important part of increasing their confidence.
Even the best laid plans don’t always go smoothly, but if you followed all the best practices and you find out that someone still tests positive, you have a responsibility to notify your attendees as soon as possible. You should notify the health department and send a communication to attendees of a possible exposure of COVID-19 at your recent event while still maintaining confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While it is not up to you to provide health advice, your local health department and CDC guidelines can be included in the communication to help advise attendees on any next steps they should take to protect their health based on whether or not they are vaccinated.
OnWrd & UpWrd can help guide you on COVID-related event communications. Reach out today to get started.
