While the tradeshow and events industry continues to reel from COVID-19 related uncertainty, there is relief in sight for facilities looking to reassure its customers as to their attendee safety and sanitation concerns – the GBAC STAR.
The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), gives GBAC STAR accreditation to those hotels, convention centers, and other facilities that have outbreak prevention, response and recovery in place. GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation is a program designed with the necessary protocols and best practices for biohazard response.
The Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta became the first convention center in the country to complete the GBAC Star program, with four additional convention centers achieving this critical GBAC Star Accreditation thereafter. The Anaheim Convention Center, in Orange County, became the first West Coast convention facility to gain accreditation, while the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans; the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando; and the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kan. have also successfully completed the program.
Jay Burress, president & CEO, Visit Anaheim, surely speaks for many of his industry colleagues: “Our team along with the convention center are not only ready for the day we are able to safely reopen by taking proactive steps like securing the GBAC STAR, we are also preparing for future years by continuing to sell and book events in our city as far out as 2028.”
GBAC maintains that it is the industry’s only accreditation for outbreak prevention, response, and recovery by establishing specific requirements to control risks associated with infectious agents, including the virus that causes COVID-19. Companies that include Hyatt Hotels Corp., McCormick Place, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and Hard Rock Stadium (home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins) are among the many organizations and venues that have registered for GBAC STAR accreditation.
The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) is a division of ISSA and comprised of international leaders in the fields of biorisk management, microbiology, infection, and contamination control. Bringing together the scientific, decontamination, cleaning, and restoration communities, GBAC provides training to organizations to prepare for, respond to, and recover from biological threats.
GBAC STAR is the gold standard of prepared facilities. This accreditation means that a facility has:
- Established and maintained a cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
- The proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices in place to combat biohazards and infectious disease.
- Highly skilled cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response.
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