IT pros weigh COVID-19 risks, safety at tech conferences
Teaching COVID-19 safety
The most effective plan encourages employees to take all government-recommended precautions, according to experts. Mandating behavior at a conference doesn’t work because employers can’t monitor compliance during tech conferences.
Also, due to medical privacy laws, managers are unlikely to know whether employees are vaccinated or have medical conditions that make them susceptible to severe illness. Covering both possibilities during education sessions is critical so that people can decide for themselves whether to attend an event, Bradley said.
Companies should base safety recommendations on a conference risk evaluation. Advising social distancing or mask-wearing will depend on whether conference organizers require proof of vaccination. Other factors include the event’s size and duration, and whether the activities are outdoors, in small rooms or in large, ventilated halls.
During conferences, protecting employees will require a communication channel that keeps them updated on changes in local virus-related restrictions. Mask-wearing indoors, for example, can fluctuate from mandatory to recommended depending on the local infection rate.
Companies shouldn’t expect conference organizers to have enough safeguards. They tend to focus on the effects that rules will have on attendance, balancing that with safety, said Soumi Eachempati, CEO of Dallas-based conference safety specialist Cleared4.
Also, conference organizers cannot control how people behave in restaurants or private gatherings.
“[The responsibility] has shifted to the attendees’ companies, but also the general common sense of the attendees,” Eachempati said.
Indeed, people returning from the Cisco Live conference in June reported testing positive for COVID-19 after the show. In an emailed statement, Cisco didn’t address public reports directly. Instead, it said it required attendees to be fully vaccinated.
“The health and safety of our employees, customers and partners is always our priority,” the company said.
Abbas Moledina, CFO of London startup YouMakr.ai, didn’t come down with COVID-19 after attending the April ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego. He avoided crowds at the education technology event and favored outdoor activities.
Moledina, who said he was vaccinated, weighed the risk with the importance of the event. YouMakr.ai executives presented at the show and met with venture capitalists. Also, the conference provided an opportunity to find partners and sales leads for the maker of cloud-based software that assists people in writing.
“Ultimately, based on our assessment, it was within our risk appetite,” Moledina said.