How to: Run a Covid-secure event or visitor attraction
We were pleased to see events and venues continuing to operate with Covid-secure procedures in place during 2020. Read on for a best practice round-up.
Pre-admission
Sell online tickets in advance – this enables you to:
- Capture the lead booker’s details – this enables you to access the information quickly and easily if you are later required to pass them on as part of NHS Track & Trace. This will likely be a requirement of your risk assessment – for a useful sample document which can assist you in your planning, please click here > (source: Association of Event Organisers)
- Limit overall capacity and flow – you may wish to split bookings into timed entry slots or offer tickets for morning/afternoon entry Our experience has indicated that around a third of pre-sold capacity is on-site at any given time.
- Restrict cash on-site by issuing advance vouchers for items like refreshments, hampers and guidebooks.
Apply to be accredited as a ‘Good to Go’ venue by Visit England and ensure your event/visitor attraction is planned in accordance with current government guidelines. Click here for more info > Plan to be flexible enough to act in accordance with any last minute changes.
Social media and on-site messaging posters are a useful way of reassuring the public and ensuring they are aware of the guidelines. These examples used by the South of England Show are excellent.
Admission
Mitigate bottle-necks on entry by placing ‘Queue Jump’ QR code posters at the cash/card sales entrances – these give anyone who hasn’t pre-booked the opportunity to do so via their mobile device and then by-pass that queue.
By scanning visitors on entry, you can monitor capacity by viewing a real-time admission counter which records the number of visitors on-site at any given time. For complete accuracy, you can use in/out scanning on arrival and again as they leave.
On-site
Ensure that hand washing and/or sanitiser is placed at all entrances, outside toilet facilities and at useful points throughout the event/attraction.
More frequent cleaning – visitors expect any touch-points and toilets to be cleaned more regularly and will be reassured by a highly visible cleaning presence.
Toilet (and, if applicable, shower) facilities should be increased to ensure minimal queuing and less usage per facility.
Limit capacity within individual areas such as marquees, seating areas, food halls or indoor areas, using volunteers or marshals to assist.
Ensure you recruit enough marshals or volunteers to assist visitors with social distancing in the queues, car parks, toilets and camp sites (if applicable).
Clear signage is vital throughout the event/attraction and acts as reminders and reassurance to the public.
Sample Covid guidance text:
Covid Safety Measures
We have been working hard behind the scenes to plan within current government guidelines. To ensure the safety of our visitors, traders, volunteers and staff we have put the following safety measures in place:
- IF YOU FEEL UNWELL, HAVE ANY COVID-19 SYMPTOMS OR ARE SELF-ISOLATING PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND.
- We may have to operate a ‘one in, one out’ system in certain marquees/areas so you may experience some queueing throughout the event/venue.
- Please attend in groups in line with government restrictions or your household/support bubble.
- The lead ticket purchaser for a group must know the contact details of their party.
- We strongly advise visitors to purchase their tickets online in advance since numbers on site are limited.
- By purchasing online tickets, visitors are providing their contact details in advance and agree to share their information with NHS Track and Trace within 21 days of their visit, should this be required.
- To ensure we have an accurate number of people on our site, all tickets must be scanned on entry – please have the QR code ready on tickets or smartphone for scanning.
- When you arrive on-site, please also check-in using your smartphone’s NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app at the NHS QR codes which will be displayed on the entrance.
- Social distancing will be in place across the entire event/venue including the car parks and queues. There will be extra staff and signage to remind you. We are asking all people on site to observe the 2m social distancing rules or 1m plus mitigation (face coverings, screens etc) where this is not possible.
- For any indoor areas, face coverings are mandatory (for ages 11 and over) and any one-way routing must be followed where applicable. You must bring your own face covering with you.
- Hand washing facilities and sanitiser stations will be provided and sign posted across the site.
- Extra signage will be in place in toilets for hand washing plus regular cleaning will be taking place
- Catering concessions will have nearby hand washing/sanitising stations.
- Please check for the latest information/guidance closer to the date of your visit for any additional information.
If you are an event, venue or attraction and would like to implement a Covid-secure bookings system, contact: sales@ticketsrv.co.uk