AAXO NEWS

Regulations and their complications for large events and exhibitions

Finally, we are – slowly – moving towards a post-pandemic state in our industry. The cancellation of the state of disaster in South Africa brought great relief; with it came a set of new rules that our sector must try to navigate, yet again.

By Adele Hartdegen, AAXO board member.

The proposed amendments to the health regulations pose several complications for large events and exhibitions, and directly AAXO board member. impact exhibitor and visitor participation. Everyone in our industry must understand the impact of these regulations and assess their potential impact on their exhibitions and venues.

The amended regulations state that gatherings may be held in the following formats. For events with less than 1,000 people per venue indoors (note that ‘per venue’ refers to a building, and not necessarily an entire convention centre or events space) or 2,000 people outdoors. These events require the organisers to indicate how visitor numbers will be monitored per area, but do not require all visitors to be vaccinated or show negative Covid tests.

For events with more than 1,000 people indoors, 50 per cent of venue capacity restrictions must be maintained. The event organisers must ensure that all spaces used in the venue are utilised to only 50 per cent of its capacity. In addition, each visitor, exhibitor, and staff member attending or working at the show must have proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test. The standard Covid protocols for sanitising and masks still apply.

Note: For events with less than 1,000 visitors, depending on the venue’s configuration, the event may or may not receive approval if there is an overlapping flow of traffic between the indoor and outdoor spaces, meaning that should your indoor space flow into the outdoor space, the outdoor space may not be approved separately for an additional 2,000 visitors.

When applying for the 50 per cent venue capacity, organisers are required to present their Covid protocol plans, indicating checkpoints on floorplans and how the checks will be monitored, to obtain approval before hosting the exhibition or event. Organisers are also required to demonstrate the control measures to ensure adherence to the 50 per cent occupancy.

Apparently, we understand that we must support the vaccination drive and limit the spread of the virus, as an industry, but implementing these regulations is complicated. Once the exhibition is approved, we face the next challenge of the lack of support from the public. Due to the poor understanding of how the regulations affect the exhibition industry, attendees perceive the organisers as forcing vaccinations and discriminating against people who are not vaccinated. Adding to the financial considerations is the additional cost incurred by a negative Covid test, which often exceeds the ticket price.

Overall, the regulations have multiple implications for the industry, from risk to brand image, increased and more intense community management, shrinking exhibitor and visitor numbers, amongst a multitude of other challenges.

The Department of Public Health has extended the deadline for public comment on the intended regulations to 5 July 2022; everyone in our industry must submit their objections through the relevant associations and, or on behalf of their company. Comments may be emailed to legalreviews@health.gov.za.