In this fourth and final blog of my Travel Safety Series, I will share some final information as pulled together by HelmsBriscoe concerning the state of meeting travel.
Though our industry has been through difficult times before, this particular time stands out as phenomenal. Meeting planners are masters at pivoting and champions of change, always ready to meet the needs of the market. When it comes to planning meetings at this time, there is a lot of good news!
Here are a few additional studies that stand out as evidence that traveling to and attending a meeting is safe.
- A study by Freeman addresses air quality at indoor events held at hotels and convention centers. Major hotel chains and convention centers have spent time and resources to upgrade their HVAC systems, making the chance of infection 8 times less likely than the metropolitan area where the event is held. In fact, the likelihood of transmissibility is similar to holding the event in an outdoor space. The lesson here is stay put at the venue of choice as much as possible. Work with the staff to find various areas to hold events in order to not fatigue your attendees. Make sure they are moving! Hold events in different meeting rooms, find interesting areas for dining and be open to other in-house locations for networking and break-out sessions.
- The Global Business Travel Association conducted a study back in July 2021 that shows a high rate of vaccinations among business travelers, 9 in 10 were at least partially vaccinated according to a member poll.
- Previous to the above study, The Global Business Travel Association conducted another study in May 2021. In this study they found that factors outside of the fear of contracting Covid-19 were the main reason travelers avoided events. The factors they discovered were governmental and company policies and a decrease in travel budgets. Travel will continue to show an uptick as such issues become less of a deterrent.
For additional information, be sure to check out my previous three blogs where I address mask safety, airplane cabin air, and the science behind a controlled environment.
As new information comes out, the best source for staying on top of information is the CDC’s New and Updated Page. As of this writing, information about the Covid-19 booster shot is trending news.
Stay informed, Meeting Planner, you are a trusted resource within your company, your attendees and your industry! Please feel free to share this important one-page document with your connections.
Also, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, I am here to serve you!
