Education & Inspiration

Safe Meetings

Safe Meetings Resource Guide

Over the course of the last year we hosted several face-to-face and hybrid events in cities across the U.S., during this time we shared numerous protocols, case stories, industry updates, and event planning tips to help you through the safe meetings process. Now, we have gathered these here as our Safe Meetings Resource Guide in order to help you quickly find the information you need.


Guidelines and Protocols

As always, it is of the utmost importance that we are all up-to-date in regards to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and that we design events that take these guidelines and protocols into account. We also sourced the diligent work of the Events Industry Council (EIC) APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force.

Resources:
CDC Announces New Guidelines for Vaccinated Americans
Health & Safety Protocols in Hotels
How Meeting Planners Can Leverage Contact Tracing for Safer Meeting Environments


Hybrid Event Production

Hybrid events are here to stay. Planning hybrid events takes more than just setting up a camera and live streaming content. We have all had to learn to pivot and rethink our conferences. How do you engage your attendees? How do you connect virtual and face-to-face audiences? We have compiled the learnings from our hybrid events in hope they will help you confidently host your own hybrid events in 2021.

Resources:
4 Hybrid Event Experts Share Their Resources
8 Things We've Learned About Hybrid Event Production


Socially Distanced Set Ups

Reducing capacities, keeping six feet apart and plexiglass for registration tables. It takes more than that when planning your arrival experience and flow of the event. As meeting planners, we need to craft experiences that allow not only meeting in a socially distanced environment, but also ensure attendees feel safe throughout. We talk about registration onsite, socially distanced general sessions, breakouts, and onsite production under safe guidelines.

Resources:
Socially Distanced Meeting Design Ideas
Event Set Up Examples


Pre-Event Communication

Detailed communication and full transparency are key to setting up a successful event. As an industry, we know that timely and thorough communication fosters attendee confidence and understanding. Shared accountability for the meeting protocols put into place are essential as we increase the number of face-to-face meetings. We tackle pre and post event communication and the importance of the code of conduct.

Resource:
Proactive Event Communications


Transportation

Safety in the meetings experience equals safety across the entire travel journey. Keeping up on what airlines, rental car agencies and ride share companies are doing to keep your event attendees safe is vital.

Resources:
Health & Safety Protocols from Airlines & TSA
Safety Practices in Rental Cars & Ride Shares


Food and Beverage

Food and beverage are an integral part of events. Not only are they terrific ways to network, but also to relax after a day filled with meetings. How do you approach food and beverage service when planning your face-to-face meetings? What do buffets and receptions look like in 2021? Learn how to take your food and beverage service to the next level, taking health and safety requirements into consideration.

Resource:
Individualized Food Service & Receptions


Executive Planning Summaries

Having organized ten face-to-face programs in 2020, ranging in size and format we have compiled our executive planning summaries, including COVID 19 considerations and post conference learnings, for you utilize as inspiration and for guidance.

Resources:
Executive Women in Leadership 2020
Annual 3-day event, invitation-only event with 50 attendees (reduced to comply with restrictions). Agenda included general sessions, recreation, peer to peer discussion groups and networking.

ALHI Leadership Summit 2020
Annual 3-day event, invitation-only event with 50 attendees. Agenda included networking, general sessions, recreation/golf and smaller peer to peer discussion groups.

Back to Business Experiential Forum 2020
125 in-person attendees, over 500 virtual attendees for this one-day hybrid event and showcase for new meeting protocols. Content was driven by subject matter experts sharing how to get back to business. Intentionally designed as a learning lab to showcase for a reimagined meeting landscape.

Should I Require Vaccine Proof and More Top Questions Oct 21
  • 13 min read

There are positive reports regarding COVID numbers, with 47 states counting transmission rates at less than 1 percent as of late October, and based on meeting planner sentiment voiced in the latest PULSE survey, the forecast for 2022 is for a strong comeback. As corporations and…

Safe Meetings Are Happening Sep 17
SafeMeetings

Safe Meetings Are Happening

  • 6 min read

Last month 14,000 attendees descended on Las Vegas for the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Health Conference and Exhibition. About the same time the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West Trade Show went off smoothly in Anaheim…

Below the Headline: Putting the COVID Surge in Perspective Aug 17
  • 4 min read

While news outlets continue to blare warnings about the latest COVID surge with headlines like "Delta Variant Rages," a closer look at current reports and projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) puts the situation in a different light…

Chicago Opens Its Doors to Group Business Jun 09
  • 2 min read

As Chicago transitions into its new status as fully reopened, businesses are now free to welcome guests at full capacity, including hotels, convention centers, restaurants and bars. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot moved up the city's planned reopening by three weeks to coincide…

Case Study: Meetings with New CDC Guidelines Jun 03
  • 11 min read

New CDC Guidelines Allow Masks Off for Vaccinated Individuals When ALHI organizers began planning the annual Leadership Summit during the height of the pandemic this past January, the U.S. was in a much different place. Vaccines were just becoming available and the Centers for…

The New Hotel Safety Standards Planners Need to Know May 27
  • 7 min read

The New Hotel Safety Standards Planners Need to Know With the COVID-19 vaccine now widely available, the conversation about how the industry gets back to normalcy while keeping attendees' health and safety in mind. Meeting professionals now have extra considerations to…

Vegas is Back to Full Capacity on June 1 May 19
  • 1 min read

Hot off the press: Las Vegas To Lift Capacity Restrictions June 1, 2021 Today Clark County announced that all business operations may return to pre-pandemic guidelines beginning June 1, with 100% capacity and no social distancing. Las Vegas will fully reopen and return to…

Learn State by State Reopening Data with This Tool May 19
  • 1 min read

The good news: Things are reopening in a hurry. The bad news: It is tough to keep track of all the update and changes in individual states and municipalities as we get back to business. American Express Global Business Travel's Travel Vitals, with data powered by Riskline…

How Planners Put on a Multi-Venue, Hybrid Event May 17
  • 2 min read

How do planners put on a multi-venue, hybrid event? From April 29 to May 3, 2021, The Aesthetic Society hosted the first major medical meeting-- "The Aesthetic Meeting 2021" at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, FL.The ultimate goal of the meeting was to…

Ask The Planner: Hybrid Best Practices May 16
  • 5 min read

Navigating the world of meetings and events has never been more challenging and planners have had to learn whole new skillsets of strategies and technologies. As the world recovers from the pandemic and the industry moves back to face-to-face meetings at varying speeds, planners…

California and Nevada Green Light Full Reopening in June Apr 16
  • 6 min read

California and Nevada are both targeting June as the timeline to fully get back to business, including meetings and conventions. "This is a great opportunity to plan in the year for the year and look ahead for the fall," said Michael Dominguez, ALHI President & CEO…

Executing Large Events Safely: Case Study on Surf Expo Mar 29
  • 21 min read

Editor's note: ALHI is republishing this case study with permission from the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) in an effort to increase education on planning and executing large-scale events, trade shows and exhibitions. Overview The call to move forward with…

Event Set Up Examples Mar 25
SafeMeetings

Event Set Up Examples

  • 1 min read

As we held several face-to-face and hybrid events over the past year, we developed a playbook for best practices in regards to event set-up. From reimagined session seating and socially distanced food and beverage options to minimal touch registration and protocol reminders, here…

Industry Update: All Signs Pointing Upward Mar 15
  • 2 min read

For better or worse, anecdotal evidence has been a precursor to trends in the events and hospitality industries throughout the pandemic. Finally a year later! the whispers before the numbers foretell some well-needed good news. Vaccines are being distributed to millions every…

4 Hybrid Event Experts Share Their Resources Mar 09
  • 8 min read

ALHI sat down with four Hybrid Events Experts to get insights into their resources to deliver successful hybrid and virtual events. From virtual DJ's and creative sanitation stations to bandwidth calculators and gamification, these experts share some of the best in the…

CDC Announces New Guidelines for Vaccinated Americans Mar 07
  • 2 min read

The CDC announced March 8, 2021 new guidelines allowing Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to safely resume some social activities. The guidelines are based on the latest science and include: Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks…

Safe Meeting Planning Hot Topics Dec 30
Boutique

Safe Meeting Planning Hot Topics

  • 6 min read

Since mid-2020, ALHI has planned and executed several face-to-face events ranging in size, location, duration, and format including hybrid experiences with both in-person and online audiences engaging together. We've shared our learnings, and engaged with planners across the…

Great Ways ALHI Hotels are Adapting Amenities Amid COVID-19 Dec 05
  • 5 min read

ALHI member hotels have been busy developing innovative amenities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They've reinvented outdoor dining, wellness and meeting spaces and created in-room fitness programs. One hotel even built a production set that's designed to stream meetings…

8 Things We've Learned About Hybrid Event Production Nov 13
  • 4 min read

Lessons from the trenches of hybrid meeting planning 8. Your face-to-face event must follow every safety protocol according to the CDC. 7. Don't let technology rule the show. Sarah Soliman Daudin of Soliman Productions is a former broadcast television producer and…

In Case You Missed It: Notes from The Path Forward Event Nov. 11 Nov 13
  • 5 min read

Highlights of the Industry Review session, featuring U.S. Travel Association and Meeting Professionals International On Wednesday, November 11, ALHI hosted a multi-city hybrid event that connected 1000 guests across 4 events in the U.S. and a virtual audience from across the…

Proactive Event Communications Nov 09
SafeMeetings

Proactive Event Communications

  • 5 min read

Thorough and transparent communication fosters confidence, understanding and accountability amongst attendees. As an industry, we know that timely and thorough communication fosters attendee confidence and understanding, and a shared accountability for the meeting protocols put…

Individualized Food Service & Receptions Nov 09
SafeMeetings

Individualized Food Service & Receptions

  • 5 min read

Plan ahead to make culinary events and receptions safe, comfortable and enjoyable for all attendees. Integral parts of any event is dining and receptions. Not only are they terrific ways to network, but to relax after a day filled with meetings. The last year has made us pivot…

Socially Distanced Meeting Design Ideas Nov 09
SafeMeetings

Socially Distanced Meeting Design Ideas

  • 7 min read

Physically distanced (socially distanced) meeting design can be innovative and attractive while increasing attendee engagement. Designing physical distance into your event spaces allows your attendees to sit back and engage in the event content, rather than worry about their…

Health & Safety Protocols from Airlines & TSA Oct 29
  • 5 min read

*Updated April 2021 How airlines and airports are keeping travelers safe. 2020 knocked us off of our feet, and it was impossible for any of us to forecast the full impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our industry. Though we have all been set back, ALHI is looking at ways…

Health & Safety Protocols in Hotels & Resorts Oct 29
  • 3 min read

How hotels and resorts are keeping guests safe. When the pandemic hit, our hotel and resort partners began to work together to understand the necessary means to ensure guest safety and satisfaction. Task forces were formed, information was shared openly and freely and together we…

Safety Practices in Rental Cars & Ride Shares Oct 29
  • 3 min read

How rental car agencies and ride share companies are keeping travelers safe. Safety in the meetings experience equals safety across the entire travel journey. At ALHI, we understand that information is power. For months, ALHI has been laser-focused on gathering best practices and…