Health & Safety Plans

Updated August 11, 2021

APCO continues to work diligently on plans to keep you safe at the APCO 2021 Annual Conference & Expo August 15-18, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. With the safety and well-being of our attendees and the community in mind, we have been working closely with Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and contracted hotels to ensure sanitation procedures and other precautionary measures are in place. Please note that these safety measures will be updated based on on the latest guidance from the Texas Department of State Health Services (www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus).

Highlighted below are some of the measures that are being implemented.

Physical Distancing

  • Plexiglass shields will be installed at the registration counters, bag/gift pickup counter, exhibitor customer care, resume review and other service desks.
  • The capacities in all areas may be reduced to provide for appropriate physical distancing.

Hand Sanitizer

  • Hand sanitizer stations will be available throughout the event. These sanitizer dispensers, touchless whenever possible, will be placed at key contact areas such as reception areas, entrances, stairs, elevators, and escalator landings in public spaces.

Personal Protective Equipment

  • Masks are required for everyone inside the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Cleaning and Sanitizing:

  • The frequency of cleaning and sanitizing will be increased in all public spaces with an emphasis on frequent contact surfaces including countertops, escalators, elevators, and elevator buttons, vending machines, door handles, public bathrooms, ATMs, stair and escalator handrails, dining surfaces, all seating areas and tables.
  • The convention center installed UV lighting on escalator handrails for additional sanitation purposes and a UV Light Robot is used to effectively disinfect areas.
  • Any touchpoints in the professional development session rooms, Career Advancement Center and Presentation Theater will be cleaned in-between sessions.
  • The audiovisual provider will wipe down audiovisual equipment in-between sessions.
  • Disinfectant wipes will be provided in at various service counters.

Food and Beverage

  • Service will be provided with options available to minimize contact, i.e. individually packaged items, wait staff distributing items, etc.
  • For plated food functions, all items will be individually wrapped, covered or served.

Exhibit Hall

  • Exhibitors are encouraged to wear gloves when passing out items to attendees.
  • Exhibitors who provide complimentary food or beverage will have wait staff distributing these items.
  • Exhibitors will establish their own guidelines for their booth space.

Signage

  • Physical and digital signage as well as floor markings have been placed in appropriate areas to promote directional information, hygiene practices, and physical distancing.

APCO also actively encourages all participants to take the following precautions, including:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others and not able to maintain six feet of physical distance.
  • Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
  • Stay home (or in your hotel room) when you are sick.

Current information about COVID-19 and Travel Resources

When in San Antonio…

  • Medical personnel are available in the first aid office (Exhibit Hall H1-02).
  • For more info, call 311 or (210) 207-6000 (select option #8 for COVID).

Details on procedures in place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and official conference hotels

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

  • Safety Measures Video
  • The Convention Center is proud to have received the Global BioRisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Accreditation. GBAC is a division of International Supply and Sanitary Association (ISSA), the worldwide cleaning association. This accreditation program assesses cleaning and disinfection practices and infectious-disease prevention. GBAC is currently the industry’s only accreditation for outbreak prevention, response and recovery establishing requirements to control risks associated with infectious agents, such as the virus that causes COVID-19.

Hotels

In the unlikely event we cancel the conference due to COVID-19, your attendee registration fees will be refunded in full. Exhibitors will be contacted separately with options.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact the APCO Events Department at (386) 322-2500 or apcoevents@apcointl.org.

If you have any questions regarding your booth or sponsorship, please contact APCO Corporate Outreach Department at exhibiting@apcointl.org.

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