With venues legally obligated to register delegates’ information as of Friday (18 September), the Meetings Industry Association (mia) is encouraging event professionals to get prepared with track and trace systems.
“It will be mandatory for venues to provide delegate contact information without delay,” said mia chief executive Jane Longhurst.
Jane Longhurst“It is essential that the sector uses the appropriate tools to collect the information in line with GDPR regulations as part of the measures to ensure they are Covid secure. There will be fixed penalties for organisations that do not comply.
“We are therefore strongly recommending that venues use both the NHS Covid-19 contact-tracing app, which is set to launch across England and Wales on 24 September and offers an onsite QR code check-in capability, as well as our tool that enables organisers to pre-screen delegates with a health declaration prior to the event.”
The miaTrustedTrace tool was developed in July by wedding planning platform ‘Guides for Brides’ and has already been used across 104 events.
The app is simple to use and can be downloaded from the mia’s website. On the day of the event, the venue can use the system to cross-check the delegate list accordingly, ensuring a precise record of attendees is held. After 21 days, the data is automatically deleted in line with GDPR regulations. However, should an attendee test positive in the meantime, all delegates can be notified in an instant to take appropriate precautions. Details are also securely sent to NHS contact tracers to adhere to the “without delay” requirements.
“The sector has to play its part in helping to stop the spread of Covid-19. In addition to providing a check-in capability by displaying the NHS COVID-19 contact-tracing QR code prominently in their venue, it is essential that we also provide confidence to attendees that everyone is being health screened prior to an event, and delegates fully understand all of the necessary protocols by using the miaTrustedTrace tool,” added Longhurst.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
