For those wondering if this week’s announcement that CES 2021 will be a virtual event means Integrated Systems Events will consider going all-online for ISE 2021’s Barcelona, Spain debut in February, the short answer still appears to be no.
A risk assessment carried out by ISE staffers and their consultants using World Health Organization guidelines has rated the overall risk of transmission and further spread of COVID-19 at ISE 2021 as “low,” according to an ISE announcement today.
The assessment “takes into account the risk factors associated with the event and the impact of specifically formulated safety measures,” the announcement says.
“We have understandably had many questions from exhibitors and others about how ISE 2021 will be affected by the continuing public health situation,” said ISE managing director Mike Blackman. “A Guide to Safe Exhibiting explains the adjustments that we and our exhibitors will need to make to ensure that the show is as safe as it can possibly be.
“The situation continues to evolve and we will update the Guide if any changes to the strategy are required. We remain committed to holding ISE 2021 at the Fira next February as an in-person event,” he said.
That said, ISE will also add a virtual component for the 2021 show and likely for all subsequent events, but that online offering is seen only as an enhancement rather the primary delivery method of ISE 2021, Blackman told CI in an earlier interview.
ISE 2021: The Show Will Go On
ISE’s plans for an in-person show remain independent of whether U.S. attendees will be free to travel to Europe by the time the 2021 event moves from its longtime home in Amsterdam to a much more spacious new location in Barcelona early next year.
Americans comprise a small percentage of ISE attendees each year.
“Fira de Barcelona, risk consultancy AON and the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona have jointly devised strategies for events at the Fira,” the announcement says. “This has involved the evaluation and analysis of more than 60 processes or services, leading to the identification of 948 mitigation points.”
The measures for ensuring a healthy and safe environment at ISE 2021 are available as a comprehensive set of guidelines for exhibitors, ISE and Fira staff. They can be found in A Guide to Safe Exhibiting, published by Integrated Systems Events.
The Guide is organized into four sections: Actions by Fira de Barcelona and ISE; Stand Design; Stand Management; and Visitor Guidance.
Each section contains “essential measures in the areas of health and safety; traffic flow and visitor management; staff, stand personnel and supplier working; and social distancing.”
