Sept. In-Person CEDIA Expo to Require Masks at All Times, Say Producers

Face masks will be required at all times at CEDIA Expo 2021, said show owner Emerald Holding in a health and safety plan sent Monday to prospective attendees. Masks will be provided for attendees “if one is needed.” Conferences are to begin Aug. 31, and the Expo is scheduled for Sept. 1-3 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

Acceptable mask types are two-layer cloth masks, Food and Drug Administration-cleared surgical masks, and face shields covering an acceptable face mask, it said. Not acceptable are face shields alone, face masks with vents, bandanas or gaiters, it said.

Emerald, whose 2020 revenue plummeted 65% to $127.4 million due to the pandemic (see 2102180039), is taking “extra precautions, beyond those mandated by government and local authorities, including temperature checks and face masks required of all persons entering the building, without exception,” it said. Daily temperature screens will be done as attendees enter the facility; anyone with a “high temperature” won’t be admitted, it said.

Attendees will have to acknowledge and accept terms and conditions before entering the event, certifying they aren’t sick and don’t have signs or symptoms of COVID-19. They have to “make every effort to maintain" the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hygiene guidelines, including frequent hand-washing; avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; and covering coughs with a tissue or inside of the elbow, Emerald said.

“No hugs or handshakes this year,” it said: “CEDIA Expo has a no-contact policy in place.” Queue lines will be structured to ensure 6-foot distancing, and registration counters will have transparent barriers for extra safety. Staff will clean all equipment regularly, it said. The physical structure of the show was designed to allow for social distancing and one-way entrances and exits, Emerald said. Floor graphics and stanchions will remind attendees to maintain distance from others, it said. Medical personnel will be on site to assist anyone feeling unwell.

Attendees also agree to release Emerald and its affiliates from "all risks, claims, damages, losses, costs and expenses, whether or not reasonably foreseeable, associated with, resulting from or arising in connection with my participation or presence at the CEDIA Expo event."

Exhibitors will have access to enhanced cleaning and disinfection services for their booths. Trash will be removed more frequently than at previous shows, and disinfecting of all seating, restrooms and frequently touched public areas will occur daily, Emerald said.