The PPAI Expo 2022 is returning to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on January 10-13 with a keen emphasis on the health and safety of all those in attendance. The Association’s goal is to provide an environment where attendees, exhibitors, staff and vendors can be as safe, comfortable and productive as possible. Beginning in 2020, PPAI began referring to this concept—the idea to focus on health as part of its live events—as “Healthpitality.” This term reflects PPAI’s commitment to make sure that attendee health is a priority and an important part of the planning processes for every live event it holds.
“We are excited to bring the industry back together, in-person, to kick off 2022 and we are doing so with health and safety as our top priority,” says Ellen Tucker, CAE, director of business development and expositions. “The protocols we will have in place, forward-facing and behind the scenes, are there to assure we can gather in a safe environment. We also recognize that everyone’s personal comfort level regarding physical distancing and engagement with others is different and will have three lapel pin choices, provided by EMT, for attendees to choose from and wear as a way of indicating their preference. We want everyone to make their Expo experience their own and for everyone to have a successful show.”
PPAI’s Healthpitality commitment to The PPAI Expo 2022 is an ongoing, multifaceted process. Onsite policies, such as face masks, will follow local ordinances and CDC recommendations. Stay up to date with the latest local ordinances here. AZX Sport will be sponsoring face masks that will be available for pick up by all attendees.
The tenets of Healthpitality have been embraced by Mandalay Bay as well. Since the last time the industry gathered in Las Vegas at The PPAI Expo 2020, the convention center and resort have undergone significant upgrades to ensure a more comfortable, efficient and safer facility. Among the updates, the facility has achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Star Facility accreditation, the gold standard for prepared and safe facilities awarded by the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. GBAC accreditation means that Mandalay Bay has established and maintains a cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like the coronavirus. It has undertaken proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques and put practices in place to combat biohazards and infectious disease, and the facility employs highly informed cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response. It also has a GBAC-trained technician on staff.
Additionally, the entire Mandalay Bay resort, including the exhibit halls, is equipped with an extremely efficient ventilation system that provides 12 full air exchanges per hour and is equivalent to the standard found in hospitals and other medical venues.
Mandalay Bay’s enhanced cleaning protocols will be in place during The PPAI Expo, with the highest levels in high-touch areas. Additionally, hand sanitizer stations will be positioned throughout the convention center and exhibit hall, and exhibitor Raining Rose will be sponsoring individual hand sanitizers available to all attendees.
As part of the preparation and planning for The PPAI Expo, PPAI has contracted with multiple third-party consultants who are experts in health and safety planning around in-person trade shows. One encouraging statistic is that across industries, more than 80 percent of business travelers going to trade shows are fully vaccinated. This has been supported by a third-party survey of past attendees of The PPAI Expo that currently shows 85 percent are fully vaccinated.
For more information on The PPAI Expo 2022, including the trade show, education and networking opportunities, visit expo.ppai.org. To register for The PPAI Expo 2022, click here.
