Facilities Show To Go Ahead at ExCeL in 2021

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27 January 2021

Facilities Show has announced its plans for 2021 and new dates for an in-person event.

Facilities Show, the largest gathering of FM professionals, has announced it will now take place from 12 – 14 July, 2021 at ExCeL, London and will be run in line with the industry recognised and government-approved AllSecure standard, to ensure attendee safety.

Online experiences will provide opportunities for audiences to organise live video calls with exhibitors, browse solution providers and products via an online marketplace.

Chris Edwards, Group Director at Informa Markets announced: “The safety and wellbeing of our attendees and exhibitors is our foremost priority which is why we have moved the date to the summer of 2021 and will be looking to operate under the highest possible level of health and safety standards, which Informa AllSecure enables us to do.”

In addition, Facilities Show has also announced plans for a variety of online events, set to take place in June 2021.

Edwards continued: “While 2020 had its challenges for in-person events, Facilities Show was able to innovate and bring the industry together remotely via online platforms and we are looking to further build on that success in 2021.”

What are the new AllSecure Measures?

AllSecure was piloted in September 2020 and approved by the UK government on 19 November 2020 as a model for running large events safely. It involves several health and safety measures, including deep cleaning, social distancing on-site, staggered arrival times and PPE, such as face masks. 

AllSecure is quick to address on their website that "no environment or space inside or outside of the home can ever be 100 per cent safe". But they confirm that they have put in place a comprehensive range of enhanced standards that make the health and safety of everyone who attends "a priority."

This includes:

1. Enhanced cleaning – All Informa events will undertake enhanced, deep cleaning before, during and after events, working with venue partners to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. This includes continuous sanitisation throughout the course of an event, with a focus on high-touch areas such as door handles, restrooms and food and beverage areas.
2. Personal hygiene – All Informa events will provide additional handwashing facilities and hand sanitising stations throughout the event space, encouraging all participants to regularly wash and disinfect their hands.
3. Non-contact registration –All Informa events will employ a system that facilitates non-contact registration for participants, including the availability of online registration.
4. Physical contact – All Informa events will request that participants avoid physical contact, such as handshakes and embraces, promoting alternative ways to greet business partners. The exchange of printed materials, such as business cards and sales brochures, will also be discouraged, with digital alternatives recommended.
5. Physical distancing – All Informa events will maintain a density of participants in line with local authority regulations and venue or other relevant guidance. This will be managed through one or more control measures such as pre-show communications to participants, a one-way traffic system around show floors, staggered entry times, on-site signage and floor markings and on-site social distance ambassadors.
6. Food and beverage stations – All Informa event teams will work closely with venue partners to employ the highest standard of food safety, minimising self-service buffets in favour of pre-packaged food options. If any queuing is anticipated, social distancing will be maintained through the use of floor markings and relevant signage.
7. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Participants at all Informa events will be asked to wear a face mask on entry. Further items of PPE, such as gloves and eye screens, will be used by participants and staff if appropriate, in line with local government and health authority advice.
8. First aid – All Informa events will have access to a qualified first aider and a separate quarantine area if possible. Participants will be asked not to attend if they are feeling unwell, and teams will follow local health authority guidance on detecting and managing anyone who displays symptoms of COVID-19.
9. Screening – All Informa events will follow relevant health authority guidance on screening participants. This may include checking the temperatures of everyone on entry, through thermal scanning or other screening processes.
10. Trace and contact – Should it be necessary, all Informa events will work with local authorities to trace and contact participants, subject to local privacy regulations.

Picture: a photograph of the exterior of ExCeL London

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 27 January 2021

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