It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.
–Leon C. Megginson
In a quote very often (and quite wrongly) attributed to Charles Darwin, adaptability to change is foremost above strength and intelligence, for survival. In 2020, the meetings industry has been rocked with the most massive tsunami of change imaginable. Huge events have been cancelled, and tens of thousands of meetings and tradeshows have evaporated overnight. Hundreds of thousands of jobs in our industry were lost, the vast majority are not back. Corona has ravaged pretty much all industries that brought people together, including travel, meetings, concerts, sports, movies, etc. With the US approaching 300,000 deaths due to Covid-19, normality is still a ways off, but the vaccines are giving a glimmer of hope for future events in 2021.
As corporations and associations are looking ahead to bring their meetings back, there is a major need for some guidance of how to make this happen safely. Enter the Health Education Services, and their accredited course where meeting professionals can earn the Pandemic Compliance Advisor certification. HPN was one of the first companies in the industry to recognize the importance of this program, and so far has 4 team members who are PCA certified.
Chris Claydon, Shannon Frank, Gary Onorio, Mark Cully and Timothy Arnold all took this course and received their coveted certification. Continuing education on this virus and how to mitigate risk will make all of them better resources for their clients going forward. Access to a vast database of resources are also at their fingertips, and the ability to quickly connect you with any vendor you need.
Some of the exceptional education content provided in the certification program includes going well beyond the basics of social distancing, mask wearing, and hand sanitizing to really focus on the meeting design. The PCA’s role is to ensure that best practices are looked at in the beginning of the planning stages, and that they are followed while on site. Many companies have hired PCA’s to be onsite with their events to help their meetings be as safe as possible and to help stop the spread of this easily communicable disease.
Should you need an expert for your next meeting or event, or just want to strategize about best practices for future programs, please do reach out to one of these HPN Pandemic Compliance Advisors. Your attendees, board, and HR/Legal department will certainly appreciate your attention to detail and the focus on the health and safety of everybody involved in your programs.
Timothy Arnold
Shannon Frank
Chris Claydon
Gary Onorio
Mark Cully
This is from the Health Education Services website.
This class will define the role and describe the responsibilities of the Pandemic Compliance Advisor (PCA) whose duty is to ensure that these safe practices are implemented, communicated, and effectively carried out throughout the entire meeting cycle. Whether you plan to serve in this role, delegate, or contract coverage, this course will help you to ensure best practices for the safest execution of your face to face meetings.
https://healtheducationservices.net/training/pandemic-compliance-advisor/
All my best,
Timothy Arnold, CMP, CMM, PCA
Regional Vice President
Hospitality Performance Network – HPN Global