COVID-Secure Events Safety Policy and Guidelines

We understand the public risks involved in organising events as we begin to adjust to a world in which we are organising COVID-Secure events alongside the threat of the virus.  We continue to update our  events guidance, protocols and procedures based on the latest government advice and current knowledge gained from suppliers and experience of hosting events.

As the lowest risk events are now online/virtual experiences we have developed new offerings based on new ways of delivering our clients objectives to meet businesses, bond with colleagues and raise money for charity through Business Esports, we also provide event management and consultancy to those who are considering hybrid or online events. We want to reassure our clients that your safety remains our top priority and we thought we would share our pre-planning for hosting COVID-Secure Events to ensure Business Fives/Business Fours can continue to run safely and securely.

For our clients that still wish to meet businesses, bond with colleagues and raise money for charity in a socially distant and safe environment we have outlined a series of protocols and guidelines we have implemented at our events to provide a COVID-Secure Events environment for attendees.

These include a continuation of previous guidelines we successfully implement at our events as well as updated terms of entry for those with a double vaccination and those without having to carry out an LFT in advance of attendance as we are mindful that the virus remains in general circulation.

You may be concerned about how Coronavirus will affect your upcoming event with us and our approach to managing this outbreak is explained in detail on our website.

Our priority is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our clients at our events. Given the recent concerns alongside our normal medical support team, which is standard at our events, and purely as a sensible precaution we have taken a series of measures outlined below. In addition to the below we will follow the policies set out by our venue partners at the time, which will be set in accordance with the latest Government Guidance. All attendees will be informed of these updated policies prior to the event or on arrival.

Promoting Healthy Behaviours that Reduce Spread

We have implemented strategies to encourage behaviours that reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ensure we are hosting COVID-Secure Events.

Staying Home when Appropriate 

• • Our staff have been educated about when they should stay home.
  • If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are showing COVID-19 symptoms the advice remains to stay home.
  • If you are in a period of self-isolation as a result of a positive test for the virus, stay home and do not take the risk of infecting others.  The advice remains to stay home and test refularly if you have had a close contact with a person who has symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 10 days.

• Have substitutions in place for the event so that in the eventuality one of your colleagues cannot make it then you have replacements ready.

Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette 

• • We require frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and increase monitoring to ensure adherence.
  • Soap and water will be readily available, attendees can use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol and rub their hands until dry.
  • Before you arrive wash your hands, when you arrive wash your hands. Staff will familiarise attendees with locations of facilities and hand wash stations and everyone is encouraged to make use of the antibacterial hand wash stations provided on site. Where possible have alcohol gel easily accessible to maintain personal hand hygiene whenever you feel may be necessary.
  • Whilst on site do not shake hands with those you meet in the traditional fashion.  Pleasantries should be exchanged with a simple nod.  We are aware attendees often exchange handshakes, fist bumps, and high-fives at meetings and sporting events. Signs will be on display that discourage these actions during the event.
  • One of the biggest protectors against viral disease is exercise maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, eat well and continue to prioritise your health.

• The mouth and nose should be covered with a tissue when coughing and sneezing. Used tissues should be thrown in the bin and hands washed immediately with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• • If you are going to cough or sneeze have a tissue ready and dispose of it as soon as possible if you do not have a tissue cough into your elbow and wash after.
  • All attendees should observe the 1 metre plus social distancing rule both inside and out at the event.
  • Staff members have been trained to practice social distancing by working at least 1 metre away from others and exercising 2 metres, where possible.
  • Back-to-back and side-to-side interaction is encouraged, rather than face-to-face, whenever possible.

Cloth Face Coverings  

• • Cloth face coverings are most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult and we require the use of cloth face coverings among venue staff.
  • We believe it is responsible to encourage attendees ahead of the event to bring and use cloth face coverings whilst indoors at the event.
  • Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms. Cloth face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators. They are not personal protective equipment.

Adequate Supplies  

• • We will endeavour to ensure adequate supplies to support healthy hygiene behaviours are in place. Supplies include soap, water, hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, cloth face coverings.

COVID-Secure Events Signs and Messages 

• • Signs will be displayed in highly visible locations that promote what have now become everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread of germs by properly washing hands and properly wearing a cloth face covering.
  • Additional signage will be in place inside at the venue to remind attendees to ‘Keep your distance’ in all relevant areas.

Maintaining Healthy Environments COVID-Secure Events

We chose our venue partners carefully and are proud to work with venues that have taken responsible steps to maintain high standards of hygiene and we work closely with them to follow their protocols that match our professional standards.

Cleaning and Disinfection 

• • The frequency of cleaning and disinfecting has been increased by our venue partners and you will see staff washing down surfaces regularly whilst you are on site.  Frequently touched surfaces and shared objects between uses will be cleaned and disinfected at least daily or between uses as much as possible.
  • The frequency of cleaning the toilets have been increased and you will be able to check the last clean on the chart displayed.
  • With our venue partners we have developed a schedule for increased, routine cleaning and disinfection. These cleaning routines will be enacted when using event space and ensure that other venues follow these routines.

Bathrooms

• • The number of people who occupy the bathrooms at one time will allow for social distancing.
  • We will ensure that open bathrooms are cleaned and disinfected regularly, particularly high-touch surfaces such as toilets, stall doors, doorknobs, countertops, sinks, and light switches.
  • Adequately stocked with supplies for handwashing, including soap and water or hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol paper towels, tissues, and no-touch bins.

Modified Layouts 

• • We continue to prioritize outdoor activities where social distancing can be maintained as much as possible. We are fortunate our events predominantly utilise outside space for the duration of play and where possible, weather depending outside catering facilities will be utilised.
  • Capacities have been reduced to enable social distancing and any areas used will be sealed to only be used by our clients. Clients should be reassured knowing that the room has been cleaned thoroughly and is ready for their use.
  • We have imposed an attendance limit to allow for social distancing and will host our smaller events in larger rooms to help create COVID-Secure Events.
  • Where possible we will use multiple entrances and exits and discourage crowding in communal areas.
  • Eliminate lines or queues and encourage people to stay at least 1 metre apart by providing signs or other visual cues such as tape or chalk marks.
  • Tables and seating will be spaced out accordingly and capacities have been reduced in the venues we work with to limit the number of people in any space.

• • We will endeavour to stagger the use of shared indoor spaces such as dining event space and lounges as much as possible and clean and disinfect them between uses.

Food Service

• • There is no evidence that COVID-19 is spread by food. However, people sharing utensils and congregating around food service areas can pose a risk.
  • Social distancing measures will be in place in catering areas and attendees have the option to choose take away boxes for their meals.
  • Service points will be increased for with a queueing system with a one-way system in place and hand sanitiser stations placed at the entrance.
  • For services not included in your event attendees are asked to exchange cash or card payments by placing them on a receipt tray or on the counter rather than by hand to avoid direct hand-to-hand contact.
  • Frequently touched surfaces such as pens, counters, or hard surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected between use.
  • Where necessary physical guides, such as tape on floors or signs on walls will be displayed to ensure that individuals remain at least 1 metre apart when waiting in line to order or pick up.

Shared Objects 

• • Attendees are discouraged from sharing items that are difficult to sanitize.
  • We will limit any sharing of food, tools, equipment, or supplies.
  • Ensure adequate supplies to minimize sharing of high-touch materials to the extent possible; otherwise, limit use of supplies and equipment to one group of staff members or attendees at a time, and clean and disinfect them between use.

Maintaining Healthy Operations with COVID-Secure Events

As event organisers we will consider implementing several strategies to maintain healthy operations.

Regulatory Awareness

• • We will keep up to date and be aware of local or national regulatory policies related to group gatherings to determine if events can be safely held.
  • Event attendance is limited to guests who live in the local area to reduce risk of spreading the virus from areas with higher levels of COVID-19.

Travel & Transit

• • Attendees are encouraged to use transportation options that minimize close contact with others (e.g., walking or biking, driving or riding by car – alone or with household members only).

• • Car parks will be configured to limit congregation points and ensure proper separation.
  • Those that do share travel are encouraged to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the car.

Designated COVID-19 Point of Contact

• • We have designated John McClarey as the contact responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns.  All staff and attendees should know who this person or office is and how to contact them.

Communication Systems 

• • We have put systems in place to encourage staff and attendees to self-report to the COVID-19 point of contact if they have symptoms, a positive test, or were exposed to a confirmed case within the last 14 days, in accordance with health information regulations and other applicable privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations.
  • We will notify attendees of cancellations and restrictions in place with as much notice as possible in the event of any incidents.

COVID-Secure Events NHS Test & Trace

The easing of social and economic lockdown measures following the COVID-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. We will assist this service by keeping a temporary record of our event attendees electronically.  This data will be collected for the purpose of assisting with NHS Test and Trace requests if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks.

We collect data from our clients for the purposes of sending joining instructions and communicate event updates and this information will also be collected to support NHS Test and Trace requests.

• • The name of the attendees.  If there is more than one person, then the name of the team captain and the number of people in the group will suffice.
  • A contact phone number for each attendee, or for the lead member of the group.
  • Date of visit, venue, arrival time and, where possible, departure time.
  • If a customer interacts with only one member of venue staff, the name of the assigned staff member should be recorded alongside the name of the customer.
  • It is important to note that should an attendee inform us that they do not want their details shared for the purposes of NHS Test and Trace, they can choose to opt out, and if you chose to do so we will not share their information with NHS Test and Trace.
  • The data that we collect is personal data and will be handled in accordance with our GDPR privacy policy to protect the privacy of our clients.
  • NHS Test and Trace will ask for these records only where it is necessary, either because someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 has listed our venue as a place they visited recently, or because the venue have been identified as the location of a potential local outbreak.

Lessons Learned After the Event

• • We will continue to listen to feedback from clients on lessons learned from the event and areas we could improve upon.
  • Determine ways to improve planning and implementation processes.
  • Update our plans regularly according to the government guidelines.

Please be aware this is a working document and is subject to regular reviews as per the latest government advice and will we endeavour to ensure we run COVID-Secure Events.