In the words of Take That we want you back, we want you ‘back for good’. With the government confirming an "ambition" to open some hospitality businesses from 4 July, the glimmer of hope at the end of this ‘Covid tunnel’ is beginning to shine bright again for the event organising world.

In the wake of the ‘non-essential’ retailers re-opening this week, the hospitality industry will be following suit, providing venues have the ability to adopt the new Covid-19 Secure guidelines. And we cannot be more excited to see our much-missed hotel, venue and restaurant partners opening their doors again in a few short weeks.

Since many venues sadly had to close back in March, most have been working tirelessly behind the scenes making improvements to be able to accommodate the ‘new normal’. They have been using this time to re-align their focus on the health and safety of their guests and teams to be in a position to re-open as safely and effectively as possible.

We have collated some great examples of policies and procedures that hotels and venues are preparing to implement to ensure the safety of their guests and staff.

• Enhanced sanitising and cleaning regimes 

• Hand sanitising gel readily available at Customer Service counters and throughout venues.

• Social distancing measures in place in all communal areas

• One-way systems put in place

• Clear signage to reinforce social distancing messages

• Limited use of lifts or one in one out policy

• Staggered arrival / departure times and catering breaks to prevent congestion 

• Housekeeping to be available on request only, guests to vacate room and ventilate prior to housekeeping staff entering

• Room service to be provided at no extra cost, service is restricted to delivery to the bedroom door

• Food & beverage services – extra sanitising, buffet options, boxed food, new food ordering portal

Examples of Staff Protocols:

• Temperature checks taken daily before entering the building

• All team members required to wash their hands (or use hand sanitiser) every 20 minutes

• All team members will be required to stay at home if unwell

• All staff required to follow official guidance on self-isolating

• All team members will be required to wear PPE as appropriate

• The team will follow a policy of no physical contact and maintain social distancing, wherever possible

Guests and delegates will also be required to take some of the responsibility by, ‘staying alert’, being patient and understanding of the new rules that are put in place with their health and safety in mind.

Some conference spaces are even introducing Low Contact Events; whereby contact will be limited with staff and other delegates and Safe Meeting Rooms which will be equipped with cleaning kits, disposable items and will have new social distance capacities.

To reassure you further, many venues are choosing to amend their terms and conditions to be more flexible; including cancellations with a refund up to 48 hours prior to arrival and options to move booked events without fees. We are also seeing some venues offering free webcasting services, which will mean that events can be ‘virtually attended’ by any of the workforce that are remaining to work remotely.

Here at Rockitfish we will be working closely with our venue partners, seeking information and understanding the measures they have in place to be able to best advise our valued clients. We will highlight in our proposals and correspondence important elements like the social distance capacities, any limitations and special terms venues might have, which will be reviewed on a case by case basis to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

With all this in mind, we are hoping to see guests and delegates being able to return to venues with confidence. We are looking forward to giving our much-loved and trusted venue partners a very warm, heartfelt welcome back to business (from a safe social distance of course!). We look forward to working with you again soon!

For help finding your perfect venue for your next conference or event visit our Venue Finding service page our give our team a call on 01992 558 820.

For more information on what some of our venue partners are doing check out the links: Twickenham Stadium Social Distancing events, Hiltons Clean Stay Policy, Cliveden House Covid Precautions, Tobacco Dock Hybrid Events