Fira de Barcelona has announced it will resume its events calendar in September while following strict safety measures.
Some of these measures include wider spaces that guarantee physical distance, artificial intelligence to control visitor flows and the capacity limits, traceability of the attendees’ contacts at the venues, possible temperature control at the venue access points and ventilation systems equipped with antibacterial filters.
Events including Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, BizBarcelona and Ocupació, Alimentaria, Foodtech, the Boat Show, Smart City Expo World Congress, among others, are still due to take place at the congress centre later this year.
“In view of the new reality resulting from the pandemic, the institution will, as expected, prioritise the safety of all participants in the events that are planned to be organised in the Montjuïc and Gran Via venues during the last four months of the year,” Fira de Barcelona general manager, Constantí Serrallonga said.
Serrallongae also highlighted the protocol drawn up in collaboration with accredited technical and epidemiological experts and pointed out that “due to its characteristics, Fira’s activity is similar to that of large shopping centres, with the added value of having greater traceability in terms of the identity and contacts of professional visitors.”
“We have carried out a detailed analysis of each of the actions that visitors, exhibitors, workers and suppliers carry out at the fairs, and measures will be implemented to minimise any risks, with the aim of holding them in the best conditions and once again becoming an important lever for the much-needed economic recovery.”
Among the main measures that will be adopted is the commitment to digitalise some of the activities of the fairs’ events such as online registration systems, cashless payment systems at all the venues’ establishments and the sale of services online.
Once the participants are inside the venue, the capacity limits and flow of visitors will be controlled by means of innovative artificial intelligence systems, the entry and exit routes will be separated, and all the movements and contacts made by the attendees will be traceable.
There will also be control points for the use of sanitary face masks and disinfectant gel dispensers will be deployed throughout the venue. The communal areas and frequent contact points will undergo enhanced cleaning.
Protection at the stands and in conferences
The stands will be designed in accordance with the new requirements, with more open and with easier to clean surfaces, reduced capacity limits and enhanced sanitisation controls in place. The handing out of materials to the exhibitors and visitors is not recommended and their distribution will be limited throughout the venue. With regards to the conference activity, attendance will be limited to and events digitally broadcasted to improve the user experience and increase the global audience.
As for the catering services, food will be portioned into individual units both in the establishments and at the stands, and screens will be installed.
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.
