Digital Signage Expo’s Organizers Reaffirm 2020 Show Remains A Go

March 5, 2020 by Dave Haynes

Likely out of necessity, the events company behind Digital Signage Expo has again pushed out PR reiterating that the trade show will indeed go on at the end of this month.

“We take the concern about the coronavirus in the U.S. seriously, as we do the health and safety of all of our participants,” says Chris Gibbs, president of Exponation, “and so does the Las Vegas Convention Center, where the event is being held. Management there is following established protocols to keep all participants of events at the LVCC as protected as possible.”

DSE sent out the release this afternoon, as news circulated of some other high profile shows have been cancelled or postponed. 

The PR continues:

In addition to following all CDC and Health District, Southern Nevada protocols, the Las Vegas Convention Center has:
• Increased cleaning protocols to include more frequent wiping and disinfecting of touch points in its facility during occupied show hours, such as door handles, elevator buttons, handrails, restroom stall doors and sinks.
• Added additional hand sanitizer stations in strategically placed areas throughout the facility.
• Increased the outside air intake/air change rates during occupied show hours.
• Reinforced its standard employee health practices, including sending employees home and/or encouraging employees to stay home if they are sick or demonstrated health symptoms that could impact fellow colleagues or guests.
• Reinforced its standard food safety awareness programs including frequent hand washing and making alcohol-based hand gel/rub available at every food station and every table at food outlets.
• Continue to participate in ongoing webinars and conference calls with the International Association of Venue Managers to stay abreast of new practices, protocols and guidance.

“We also have been assured by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority that area hotels and restaurants are maintaining high-level cleanliness and standards, as the safety of their visitors is of the highest priority,” says Gibbs.

The Health District, Southern Nevada is continuing to work with the CDC, state, and local response partners to closely monitor the situation. Additional information and updates are available on the Health District website at www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/coronavirus.

The virus and its spread is serious, but the media coverage of this thing is increasingly nutty, and a big driver behind all these changes in plans and pressures on event planners.

Newscasts lead with word of a local death, and then well into the report the anchors quietly slip in that the person who died was 80 and in failing health. Terrible, but …

Other newscasts breathlessly report that someone picked up the virus, and OMG, THEY DON’T KNOW WHERE OR HOW? How many people who get a cold or the flu know it was from Bob or Joanne, or when they touched that handrail at the mall?

Update: Times change. Information changes. Gets better. This, in hindsight, was always serious. Though the last bit below always applies.

Follow the advice of health professionals. Not Barbie and Skip on Action News 11.

  1. Marty Durksen says:

    I promise to only kiss old people that I don’t like. Hugging is actually better than a handshake or fist pump as it’s generally only clothes on clothes contact.

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