5 Ways to Plan Covid-Safe Events

Crowd safety and social distancing will shape the new era of events. From re-designed entrance areas to allow for vaccine passport checks, to crowd flow, plus the need to calculate optimum capacity whilst adhering to social distancing regulations, and more. These new pressures on event organisers bring an opportunity to re-assess how to plan safe and successful outdoor events. 1. Design Arrival Spaces for Vaccine Checks and Covid Tests Many governments are exploring the use of ‘vaccine passports’ or similar checks to enable people to go to events and festivals. A consequence of this is that vaccine checks or covid tests may have to take place on arrival. Event organisers should design their entrance areas to give enough space to view evidence of a vaccine check on mobile devices or recent test result, or space for covid tests to happen on-site. Consideration then needs to be given to what to do in the event of a positive test. Test events currently happening in some countries are experimenting with how the design of entrance spaces could work. The measures to ensure covid-safe standards are met in event entrance areas include inputting smart ticket check stations to reduce the amount of person-to-person contact, extra space for vaccination checks and covid testing. Larger arrival spaces can accommodate socially distanced queueing areas, and allow for an increased volume of staff and medical support at the event. With attendee entrance able to be time stamped, the wait time of 30 minutes for a rapid test result can be factored into the event plan and inform the movement of people around the venue. Event creators should plan for multiple entrance points, and staggered ticket times will be valuable in maintaining crowd safety. 2. Re-consider crowd flow and timings to ensure a Covid-safe event After arrival, crowd flow around a site becomes critical to ensuring a safe event. Festival organisers now need to consider the optimal capacity whilst adhering to safe social distancing guidelines. This includes calculating likely pinch points and busy areas, and how to manage the movement of attendees over multiple days and different parts of a large festival site. 3. Ensure refreshment areas are designed for social distancing When attendees gather for refreshments or at other amenities such as toilets, their movement in these areas should take account of best practice and minimise person to person contact. As people wait in line to be served, social distancing measures can be used to manage the number and flow of attendees. For some events, it’s possible that food and drink will only be served outdoors or when seated – which can also be designed ahead of time. 4. Share your plan to give confidence to partners and suppliers Hosting a Covid-safe event requires significant forward planning, adaptation and stakeholder management. All stakeholders – be they your team, your partners, suppliers, local government, security services and more – will have a covid-safe mindset, with social distancing requirements front-of-mind. You can give your stakeholders confidence by sharing your plan in real-time. 5. Designing a safe and smooth egress process When it comes to choosing a venue, or planning in your space, questions such as “How much space do we have for our check-in line?” and “What are the entrance and exit points available for our space?” will certainly arise. Event safety starts and ends at the doors; ensuring your event goers can enter and leave your event safely is crucial. Having multiple exit points and appropriately placed staff will be valuable in maintaining crowd safety.