Italian Exhibition Group’s Commitment and Dedication to Cleanliness and Safety with GBAC® STAR Facility Accreditation

Opportunity

Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) is a leader in Italy in the organization of conferences and trade fairs for six key categories: Food & Beverage; Jewelry & Fashion; Tourism & Hospitality; Wellness, Sports & Leisure; Lifestyle & Innovation; and Green & Technology. 

IEG, with headquarters in Rimini, Italy, owns one of the biggest and most modern expo centers in the country (with 189,000 square meters of useable space) and the largest, newly built Conference Center. In Vicenza, besides the Expo Center, home of Vicenzaoro, the largest show in Europe for the gold and jewelry industry, IEG also manages the Vicenza Convention Center.

In the wake of the pandemic, to support the community during this unprecedented time of need, some of the facilities’ pavilions in Rimini and Vicenza were made available for the public as vaccination hubs.

Solution

To maintain safe facilities for event attendees and those who work in its centers, IEG decided to pursue GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. The performance-based accreditation is designed for facilities of all types and sizes, and is renewed annually to ensure that organizations remain committed to cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention.

The GBAC STAR accreditation process has assisted IEG in outlining clear parameters for its cleaning services, including specific schedules for cleaning and disinfecting. In addition to setting up standard operating procedures, IEG complied with numerous other accreditation program elements, like setting goals, objectives, and targets; outlining tools, equipment, and chemicals to be used; agreeing on emergency preparedness and response; documentation management, and more.

“GBAC STAR is one of the pillars of the #Safebusiness project by IEG since the measures and procedures put into practice for trade shows and congresses guarantee the best experiences of visitors and businesses alike in safety,” explained Corrado Peraboni, CEO of Italian Exhibition Group. “The feedback we’ve received has been extremely positive because customers and employees feel more confident thanks to our organization’s constant commitment and dedication to protecting common health. This has always been a primary value, but recent events have brought it to the fore as an emergency. The accreditation obtained by GBAC STAR has proved to be a fundamental tool for tackling this emergency and will continue to be our constant companion in the years to come.”

Results

With GBAC STAR accredited facilities, IEG can be confident that:

  • The right systems are in place. GBAC STAR accreditation pushed IEG to activate audit and control systems for training management and employees, cleaning procedures, waste management, implementing suitable equipment, devices, and products, and more.
  • Its facilities maintain the highest levels of quality and safety. The adoption of an international standard ensures IEG’s facilities can achieve the highest levels of safety through consistent cleaning and disinfecting. Work is carried out by specialty commercial cleaning providers with products approved by the Superior Health Institute.
  • Clients and exhibitors will continue to trust in IEG facilities. Securing new and returning shows is key to driving revenue. With a globally recognized accreditation, IEG can market their clean and safe facilities.

“With GBAC STAR accreditation, we are properly structured to keep venues clean and sanitized,” added Mario Vescovo, Operations Director Italian Exhibition Group. “The implementation and adoption of these additional measures designed to ensure the safety of everyone – staff, visitors, exhibitors and suppliers included – has been fully endorsed by our top management and seen involvement from the entire company. I would particularly mention Mattia Gasparini and Claudia Campagna, who have been at the forefront of the project’s implementation. Without IEG’s commitment and teamwork, we would never have achieved this ambitious goal.”