GBAC STAR Accreditation Supports Safety at IAEE’s Annual Meeting and Exposition 2021
ROSEMONT, Ill.—Dec. 3, 2021—The International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE) will host its Expo! Expo! Annual Meeting and Exposition 2021 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia December 7-9.
Expo! Expo! is the second event in the world to be designated a GBAC STAR Event by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™, (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. This means the event has met specific health and safety criteria, including being hosted in a facility that has earned GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation and utilizing a cleaning contractor that has GBAC STAR™ Service Accreditation. GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger, a leading expert who has been on the frontline since day one of the COVID-19 pandemic, will present on an education panel during the event to discuss the future of the exhibition industry.
“As conventions, meetings, and other events return to in-person formats, it is essential that they follow the proper cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention protocols to make attendees and exhibitors feel safe,” said Olinger. “New variants, like Omicron, are continuing to present risks, making it more important than ever that facilities seek formal accreditation to remain open and give visitors confidence in their health.”
Located in downtown Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Convention Center features more than 2 million square feet of space, including 679,000 square feet of exhibit space. The convention center was an early adopter of GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation, which helps facilities strategically approach outbreak prevention, response, and recovery. It recently completed its annual reaccreditation to reconfirm its commitment to upholding a clean and safe environment.
United Service Companies, a nationwide janitorial, staffing, and security service provider, oversees the cleaning program for Expo! Expo! at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and completed GBAC STAR Service Accreditation in May 2021. This accreditation offers third-party validation of a building service contractor’s cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention procedures.
On Tuesday, December 7, Olinger will participate with two other leading experts in an education panel, The Pandemic and the Exhibitions Industry, the Past, Present and Future. Event attendees will gain an overview of how the exhibition industry has changed in the last year and what the new norm is becoming for the future.
For more information about the Expo, visit myexpoexpo.com.
Learn more and apply for GBAC STAR Accreditation at gbac.org/star.
About GBAC, a Division of ISSA
Composed of international leaders in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response and recovery, the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, provides training, guidance, accreditation, certification, crisis management assistance and leadership to government, commercial and private entities looking to mitigate, quickly address and/or recover from biological threats and real-time crises. The organization’s services include biorisk management program assessment and training, Forensic Restoration® response and remediation, the GBAC STAR™ facility and service accreditation programs, training and certification of individuals and consulting for building owners and facility managers. For more information, visit www.gbac.org.
About ISSA
With more than 10,500 members—including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners and associated service members—ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Mainz, Germany; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.
For more information, contact ISSA Director of Communications Jill Nuppenau at [email protected]; phone, 847-982-0800 Ext. 1367.
