There were many valuable insights during last week’s MPW Web Series in partnership with International Institute for Race Medicine (IIRM).
Below are links to the recording, the speaker presentation decks and the highlights summary as well as details for next week’s WPW Web Series which promises to provide valuable case study insights into event cancellations from a diverse panel.
Please feel free to share with colleagues and friends.
- The path forward to a safe return to mass events from a medical perspective must include clear communication, buy-in from all stakeholders, education and information sharing, proof of concept and post event reporting as well as sharing of best practice. Industry collaboration is key.
- The collation of research, data and insight will help the whole industry.
- Testing protocols, vaccination programmes and self-declaration measures are all helpful and finding the right measures for your event to go ahead should be considered alongside local conditions and circumstances.
- Don’t overlook that COVID-19 mitigations should sit alongside the mitigation measures an event would normally consider, such as the threat of inclement weather or terrorism.
- Understanding your circumstances, learning and adjusting as an industry will help events open up across the world.
- Treat your volunteers as you would all participants in your event, provide upfront communication and expectations in good time so people know what to expect and what is expected of them. Education is crucial.
- There is an Infectious Diseases Outbreak Management tool developed by World Athletics in collaboration with numerous other Federations and organisations to help prepare event plans idom.worldathletics.org
- Forming a multi-stakeholder COVID-19 Mitigation Task Force is helpful in your planning, 59% of event organisers have already done so.
- Expect more stringent scrutiny of your plans from authorities and ensure time-frames required for this are adjusted.
- 78% of event organisers indicated that they are relatively confident volunteers will return to their events and that they will be able to contract sufficient suppliers (92%) to service their needs.
- 13% of organisers will make vaccine mandatory to participate in their event, 54% are unsure and 33% will not require vaccination. 56% will make surveys and testing mandatory, 10% will not and 33% are still unsure.
- Over 65% of organisers on the call anticipate a return of live events in Q3 and Q4.