News
GBAC® STAR Accreditation Supports Safety at IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition 2021
December 3, 2021The International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE) will host its Expo! Expo! Annual Meeting and Exposition 2021 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia December 7-9.
Expo! Expo! is the second event in the world to be designated a GBAC® STAR Event by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council®, (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. This means the event has met specific health and safety criteria, including being hosted in a facility that has earned GBAC® STAR Facility Accreditation and utilizing a cleaning contractor that has GBAC® STAR Service Accreditation. GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger, a leading expert who has been on the frontline since day one of the COVID-19 pandemic, will present on an education panel during the event to discuss the future of the exhibition industry.
“As conventions, meetings, and other events return to in-person formats, it is essential that they follow the proper cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention protocols to make attendees and exhibitors feel safe,” said Olinger. “New variants, like Omicron, are continuing to present risks, making it more important than ever that facilities seek formal accreditation to remain open and give visitors confidence in their health.”
Located in downtown Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Convention Center features more than 2 million square feet of space, including 679,000 square feet of exhibit space. The convention center was an early adopter of GBAC® STAR Facility Accreditation, which helps facilities strategically approach outbreak prevention, response, and recovery. It recently completed its annual reaccreditation to reconfirm its commitment to upholding a clean and safe environment.
United Service Companies, a nationwide janitorial, staffing, and security service provider, oversees the cleaning program for Expo! Expo! at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and completed GBAC® STAR Service Accreditation in May 2021. This accreditation offers third-party validation of a building service contractor’s cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention procedures.
On Tuesday, December 7, Olinger will participate with two other leading experts in an education panel, The Pandemic and the Exhibitions Industry, the Past, Present and Future. Event attendees will gain an overview of how the exhibition industry has changed in the last year and what the new norm is becoming for the future.
For more information about the Expo, visit myexpoexpo.com.
Learn more and apply for GBAC® STAR Accreditation at gbac.org/star.