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The Tilma Group and rEVENTS Academy share learnings from COVIDSafe events

The Tilma Group and rEVENTS Academy share learnings from COVIDSafe events
December 1, 2020

The Tilma Group - one of Australia’s most respected regional tourism and events agencies, and rEVENTS Academy – a support program providing event committees with the tools to deliver high quality events, have shared learnings from three events (two already held and one in the planning stages) about holding a COVIDSafe event.

Directors of Rotary Ride the Range, Toowoomba QLD and Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, QLD outlined their COVIDSafe practices implemented to ensure safe events while the Director of Sydney Festival shares the COVIDSafe guidelines intended to be implemented for 2021.

Insights and learnings shared include those associated with managing crowd density, hygiene practices, communications strategy, contact tracing and record keeping, staff and volunteer training, COVIDSafe costs while also offering tips for others planning COVIDSafe events for 2021.

ROTARY RIDE THE RANGE, TOOWOOMBA QLD

Tilma Group Managing Director, Linda Tillman’s interview with Jo Capp, the Director from Event Group for Rotary Ride the Range charity cycle event, offered insights into running a  COVIDSafe event by following the guidelines below implemented in October 2020:

Contact tracing and record keeping

  • All cyclists were registered online so that covered them.
  • The club had a volunteer register (Excel spreadsheet).
  • All food vendors had to provide their names and contacts on arrival.
  • Volunteers collected names and contact details of spectators (this was very hit and miss, and some spectators were very rude).
  • Anyone that is a separate entity (third party contractors e.g. buses, security, rides) must supply the event with a COVIDSafe plan and the event director must have a copy of this - you are responsible to show this to the Dept of Health if they ask for it.

Managing crowd density

  • All cyclists were given start times (there were different groups of riders riding different distance races). We used a large section of a car park to corral cyclists into their distances (100 pax at most).
  • We looked closely at the times as to when we thought we could expect big crowds of spectators, and we segregated the crowds into race types and numbers.
  • We used COVIDSafe ambassadors to encourage social distancing.
  • We also laid out our site differently to manage crowds.
  • Signage was very effective.
  • People have become more mindful of social distancing and are well behaved.

Hygiene practices

  • We cleaned the permanent toilets every hour, and cleaned the Portaloos after every two uses. We needed more volunteers so we made it fun – Suzy Loo, Bella Bog and Joe Crap were new names on the volunteers list!
  • We had to provide a cleaning plan to the Dept of Health, which made us mindful of all points where things are handled, such as loading bikes into trucks

Communications strategy

  • For attendees we used multiple emails and Facebook messaging. We made sure participants were very aware of the COVID safety processes before arriving. We shared COVID safety responsibility with participants by basically saying we all had to do this the right way.
  • The contractors and suppliers we used knew they had to be compliant as they had been operating before our event was held.

Staff and volunteer training

  • Just before the event commenced, we trained our staff and volunteers. Our event’s main concern was ensuring social distancing at the beginning and at the end of the races.

COVIDSafe costs

  • Hours spent in preparation before, during and after would have been an extra 20 hours…at least, plus the extra volunteer labour to implement the COVIDSafe practices (toilet cleaning, social distancing ambassadors)

Tips for other events planning COVIDSafe events for 2021

  • We found the industry plans easy to use (See the end of this article for a link to your state’s COVID safe event guidelines).
  • Don’t overthink it. Go back to the basics like with school children: don’t push in line, and keep your distance in the line.
  • Make it fun.
  • Start your contact tracing process early - QR codes or pre-register via Try-booking, etc (even if it is a free event).
  • Make sure volunteers are easily identified with high vis vests
  • People are getting frustrated with giving their name and contact details - can you make this easy and fun?
  • Keep an eye out for software to help you (we’ve nothing to recommend yet)
  • Meet the Dept of Health on site if you can. These guys are not event planners - you need to understand this! Don’t be scared to ask questions and be open to suggestions, but also be confident and strong in how you are going to do things.
  • If you have more space, use it and spread out! Chat to Council about getting extra space. Don’t be restricted by the way you have done things in the past - spread it out.

 

TOOWOOMBA CARNIVAL OF FLOWERS, QLD

Tillman also interviewed Kate Scott, the director of Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers who shared how they implemented COVIDSafe guidelines in September 2020. The Carnival attracted over 115,000 visitors to Toowoomba over 10 days in its COVID-modified form.

Contact tracing and record keeping

  • We used QR codes and paper – both worked well.

Managing crowd density

  • We used bollards, crowd fencing and stickers on ground.
  • Signage effectiveness was no different to usual. Some people read and some don’t – there is always a herd mentality, even during a pandemic.

Hygiene practices

  • Hygiene was implemented as per state recommendations. You can’t make people wash their hands – people have to be responsible for themselves and all we can do as event providers is remind them of what appropriate hygiene standards are for the circumstances.

Communications strategy

  • Signage, social media, website, PA system, and verbal prompts.
  • We asked contractors and suppliers to provide their COVIDSafe work methods.

Staff and volunteer training

  • We followed the state training recommendations and used their resources.

COVIDSafe costs

  • Each event needs to risk manage their financial capacity to cover the costs and each event will have different levels of costs they incur so our cost wouldn’t be relevant to any other event.

Tips for other events planning COVID safe events for 2021

  • Talk directly to the Public Health Unit and submit your COVIDSafe plan early so you can get all the questions back from the department and work together on solutions specific to each individual event. (See the end of this article for a link to your state’s COVID safe event guidelines)

 

SYDNEY FESTIVAL, NSW

Sydney Festival Director, Wesley Enoch shared how they are implementing COVIDSafe guidelines for 2021.

Managing crowd density

  • Distance queuing will be done using marks on the floor and bollards.
  • Outdoor seating will be managed using ‘pods’ of 2m x 1m areas marked out on the grass (see image below left) with all individuals required to social distance in allocated seating. We decided not to do seating in family groups etc as it creates too many challenges if there are changes to groups.
  • The site plan has been designed using colour coding that corresponds with wristbands. This is to reduce the total number of people in any one area at a time (see image below right).
  • We won’t have any intervals between shows and we’ll reduce the duration of shows to reduce any chance of crowds congregating.

Hygiene practices

  • We are enforcing that all staff on site wear masks, but have taken the time to find the most comfortable masks for them.

Communications strategy

  • The festival is very focused on regular updated communications to their audience – things are changing often so it’s important to ensure the audience is up to date and clear on what to expect at the 2021 event.

Tips for other events planning COVIDSafe events for 2021

  • We are focused on ensuring the attendee experience is just as good despite the COVID safety measures.
  • Do some role playing of processes to ensure they can and will work in real life.

Tilma Group’s small and agile team works one-on-one with clients from all over Australia, from bustling regional destinations to ‘two-man towns’, thriving rural tourism businesses and lone operators to up-and-coming events. For more information go to tilmagroup.com.au/

rEVENTS Academy is a robust support program providing event committees with the tools, resources, systems, processes and team work to assist them in delivering a high-quality event that drives overnight visitation in their community.

rEVENTS Academy is running an event COVIDSafe Master Class on 14th December offering a practical session where participants will explore the steps of activating a COVIDSafe event, using practical examples and case studies, to ensure their event is COVIDSafe ready, without the headache! For more information go to reventsacademy.com/live-master-classes/2020/11/17/how-to-make-your-event-covid-safe

Image top and centre courtesy of ridetherange.org.au/; images centre courtesy of Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers and Sydney Festival 2021 

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28th October 2020 - Eventbrite delivers tools designed for COVIDSafe in-person live events

28th October 2020 - 9th November reopening for Victoria gyms but with COVIDSafe restrictions

18th September 2020 - Busselton music festival to use rotating main stage to be COVIDSafe

7th July 2020 - QTIC’s COVIDSafe events framework supports getting the ‘show to go on’

14th May 2020 - Business Events Council of Australia delivers COVIDSafe guidelines to government

5th May 2020 - Federal Government announces support materials for creation of ‘COVIDSafe’ workplaces

29th April 2020 - Tourism and Events Industry encourages Australians to download and use COVIDSafe app


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