COVID-19 SPECIFIC – MOUNTAIN HEALTH ARENA RULES AND REQUIREMENTS
The document is intended to provide an overview of specific rules and regulations that will be implemented by the Mountain Health Arena in order to safely conduct events during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We hope that this will serve as a valuable resource as you plan your event for our facility.
Our dedicated team of industry professionals is ready to make your visit to Mountain Health Arena a success. It is our goal to provide you with exceptional service and personal attention throughout your planning and production process.
As part of the contracting process, ASM Global will require each event organizer to submit an operating plan that will specifically describe how the licensee will conduct the event in accordance with all applicable health and safety rules, as well as the Mountain Health Arena rules and requirements.
Please feel free to contact our management staff for clarification or comments on any of the information contained within this guide.
On behalf of ASM Global, we look forward to hosting you and your event at Mountain Health Arena.
About VenueShield
ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management and services company, has created VenueShield, a comprehensive and best-in-class program, that is being deployed at more than 325 ASM Global facilities around the world, providing the highest levels of cleanliness and safety, all in partnership with leading medical professionals, industry experts and public health officials. Protocols will vary based on the type of venue and will be customized for each unique location. VenueShield will provide the most advanced hygienic safeguards that serve ASM Global’s clients, guests, staff, teams, talent, and all other visitors.
01. Environmental Hygiene and Health Screening
All employees, contractors, subcontractors, tenants, and talent entering the Mountain Health Arena will follow health guidelines recommended by the local health department and other governing authorities and assume responsibility for personal safety by regularly washing hands, maintaining physical distance from others, and use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Face coverings. Although there are no mandatory CDC guidelines at this time, Mountain Health Arena and Cabell-Huntington Health Department strongly recommend everyone wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status.
Surfaces: Surfaces, especially high-touch surfaces, will be frequently disinfected to prevent virus transmission. All high-touch point surfaces will be cleaned prior to, after and frequently during the event. These surfaces include, but are not limited to, door handles, furnishings, food and beverage areas, restrooms, trash receptacles, etc.
Training: All ASM workers cleaning and disinfecting applicable areas will be trained in Environmental Hygiene and Safety programs. Event organizers, contractors and vendors are responsible for training their own employees regarding environmental hygiene and safety measures.
Sanitization: Hand sanitizers will be installed at a maximum level. Stations will be readily and highly visible interior of the Mountain Health Arena and easily accessible for guest’s throughout. Touchless hand sanitizing stations (either single piece models or pods) will be located in high trafficked areas. Guests Services personnel will frequently monitor and confirm that an adequate supply of hand sanitizers is sufficient.
02. Front-of-House Operations and Customer Journey
Notice of COVID-19 Risk: Throughout the various entry points signage will advise guests that they are assuming risk by entering the venue during a COVID-19 pandemic. There will also be additional signage throughout the entry process providing fans with information on new health and safety practices at the venue.
Ticket Scanning: The personnel and number of ticket scanning pods deployed will reflect the attendance of total maximum capacity and consider a focus on social distancing best practices. This Mountain Health Arena entry process will only take place after the guest has passed the face covering screening process, as well as the security checkpoint/magnetometer search.
Non-Cooperative Guests: ASM Global Guest Services personnel will be assigned to appropriate locations (i.e., concourses near main gate access points) Guests Services will remind the guest to cooperate in the spirit of health and safety for themselves and others. If a Guest is deemed to be non-cooperative in following health and safety requirements, they may be subject to ejection.
Premium Spaces: Local and State government guidelines will determine the capacity of the premium spaces – including luxury box suites and club lounges. Existing FF&E (lounge furniture, tables, and chairs) will be arranged in a matter consistent with social distancing guidelines. Awareness and directional signage will be placed strategically at each respective location.
Public Restroom Access: Line control lanes may be created on the concourse adjacent to each public restroom, including Family Restroom locations. Appropriate signage will be installed and will be created in the most visible manner. Entry and exit lanes will be set up at each appropriate restroom location, and signage will be clear and concise to ensure effective communication efforts. ASM Global staff will monitor restroom capacities to encourage social distancing.
Vertical Transportation: Elevator occupancy will be limited to allow for social distancing (max 4-5 per carrying). Priorities will be given to ADA patrons. Each exterior elevator will have the appropriate combination of team member communicators, visual markers and signage depicting the elevator policy, and capacity for each elevator.
Sponsor Activation Areas: Locations and activation sizes will be coordinated to ensure social distance measures are in place. Sponsor activations will only be allowed where there is substantial contactless/ touchless interaction. No open food products will be permitted. Any staff/volunteer member distributing giveaways to ticket holders are required to utilize PPE. Provisions of hand sanitizer at the location will be required.
Seating Manifest and Occupancies: Event organizers will be required to submit a seating and capacity plan for review and approval by the Mountain Health Arena. Unless permitted by local health and safety guidelines to conduct events with 100% capacity, event organizers are encouraged to build seating manifests in ‘pods’ ranging from 1 -10 seats in each pod to help achieve a maximum percentage of capacity (but not to exceed the permitted capacity based on local health and safety guidelines). Event organizers may designate the ‘pod’ variation (from seats 1- 10) and pods per row and rows between pods. The [venue] will present the seating plans to local health officials for review and to determine the best approach for promoting physical distancing between ticketing pods.
Only seats that have been designated as ‘Ticketed’ on the seating manifest will be available for use. All “Non-ticketed” seats will be secured in the closed position with cable ties/straps, seat covers or tarps to avoid guest confusion and unnecessary. Ticketholders will only be granted entrance to the specific seating section in which they have purchased a Ticketed seat. They may not enter seating sections for which they do not have a Ticketed seat.
In-Venue Signage: Signage, stanchions, and/or floor clings will be required to encourage social distancing at each event in areas utilized for ingress, egress, food and beverage, interactive elements, and restroom facilities. Use of digital and static signage throughout the Mountain Health Arena to remind attendees, among other things, to:
- Wash your hands often and sanitize frequently
- Wear your face covering while inside the Mountain Health Arena at all times
- Avoid touching your face
- We encourage physical distancing to the extent possible
Vendor and Sub-Contractor Requirements: ASM Global third-party vendors and sub-contracted personnel will be required to pass a health screening test before entering the Mountain Health Arena and requested to maintain physical distancing, where possible. All third-party personnel, vendors and sub-contracted employees will be required to wear a face mask during event.
Back-of-House Areas: The artist and team arrival process may be altered from time-to-time to promote the health and safety of all involved in the back-of-house entry process. The venue will work directly with event organizers and team staff to ensure the arrival process meets their requirements. Special consideration should be given to the artist and team vehicles, such as tour and team buses. Best practices related to artists and team vehicles include the following:
- Eliminate the boarding of tour and team buses by local staff
- Implement door drop-off policy
- Encourage artists to arrive shortly before the scheduled time for soundcheck
- Encourage routine handwashing by all employees
Dressing Rooms: The Mountain Health Arena will enhance dressing room environmental hygiene measures and incorporate new social distancing measures. These updated and enhanced plans and procedures will be sent to the promoter or tour representative prior to their arrival.
Environmental Hygiene Measures: The Mountain Health Arena will follow best practices procedures for maintaining health and safety within dressing rooms. Any additional measures required by touring companies, artists, or event organizers will be managed as requested:
- Provide visiting company members with appropriate PPE, as needed
- Provide disinfectant wipes/sanitizer at entry and bathrooms and provide safe disposal receptacles for used PPE
- Disinfect dressing rooms prior to load in
- Disinfect dressing room/restrooms periodically throughout the occupancy period
Wardrobe Areas: The Mountain Health Arena will enhance environmental hygiene measures and incorporate new social distancing measures for their wardrobe areas. These updated plans and procedures will be sent to the artist and crew prior to their arrival.
Social distancing measures. The following best practices for wardrobe areas will support social distancing:
- Limit capacity to maintain social distancing guidelines
- Reconfigure wardrobe workshops, villages, and dressing spaces to comply with social distancing guidelines
- Reduce number of personnel allowed onstage
- Work with visiting companies on quick change positions to add curtain barrier between stations
Environmental hygiene measures. The following best practices will be followed for wardrobe areas:
- Stagehands and non-performing staff must wear appropriate PPE
- Provide hand sanitizing stations
- Limit use of washing machines to show laundry only
- Encourage routine hand washing by employees
- Clean/disinfect touch points constantly during high usage periods
Team Spaces: The Mountain Health Arena and tenant will work together to adjust team space operations to incorporate updated environmental hygiene measures and new social distancing measures. Often COVID-19-related team space requirements will be informed by league guidelines. The Mountain Health Arena will conform to all applicable league requirements as stipulated and modified from time-to-time.
Equipment Deliveries: The following best practices for equipment delivery areas will support social distancing:
- Limit vehicle capacity in buses, vans, and other ground transportation to the extent possible. Reducing the number of passengers below the maximum passenger load may require adjusting existing plans to provide additional vehicles or multiple trips.
- When possible, drivers should stay in their vehicle at delivery or be provided PPE.
Materials Handling: The handling of Mountain Health Arena materials by event personnel should be done with care to promote the health and safety of workers and guest.
Loading Dock: The following best practices for loading dock areas will support social distancing:
- Stagger vehicle unloading to enforce social distancing
- Enforce social distancing whenever possible.
03. Food Service Requirements
Concession Stand Locations: Open Concession stands will be determined by venue capacity. POS per stand will be based on capacities and limited POS locations may be utilized to create social distancing for F&B queuing at open locations. Floor decals will be deployed assisting patrons with proper distancing. A customer facing barrier will be erected to minimized customer/patron interactions. Menu items that are traditionally prepared in front of guests should be prepackaged in a sealed container for service.
Portable Locations: Portable bars and food openings will be determined by the number of patrons that will be allowed in venue for each event.
Catering Services: Self-serve canned beverage service stations to be spaced so as to adhere to the distancing mandates and will require an attendant to frequently wipe down surfaces. Self-Service Buffets will be suspended pending regulations, recommendations and guidance from the local authorities. Pre-packaged cold foods to be assembled on buffets. All condiments and silverware will be prepacked (e.g. cutlery kits, P/C condiments).
Pre-Packaged Food Items: Pre-packaged food options is encouraged and is subject to the discretion of the manager. Pre-packaged items will be prepared in advance of the event and distributed at various POS throughout the venue. Enhancements to this service can include a culinarian/attendant proportioning entrees/protein and serving to the guests behind a safety shield.
Bar Service: Plexiglas barriers will be placed on all bar fronts creating a barrier between staff/patron. ll bartenders and barbacks will wear food service gloves when dispensing alcoholic beverages and prepacked beer. Bar service will be closely monitored to ensure that patrons practice social distancing and will be subject to closer depending on local health guidelines in effect from time-to-time.
04. Event Organizer Responsibilities
Compliance Requirements: By attending an event at an ASM Global venue, attendee agrees to abide by the protocols set forth by ASM Global as a condition of entry (i.e. requirement to wear a face mask). Protocols set forth will be subject to change at ASM Global’s sole discretion.
Compliance Designee: The Event Licensee will be requested to designate a Compliance Designee to monitor and enforce the event safety protocols as set forth by ASM Global for all guests and vendors.
Operating Plan: Each Event Licensee will be required to submit an Event Operating Plan at least 30 days in advance of the event date to address the following general areas:
- Social distancing: How the event will be conducted in compliance with social distancing guidelines, including capacity restrictions.
- Sanitation/hygiene: How safety and hygiene will be practiced in areas impacting the artists, performers, or support personnel.
- Patron Safety: Any specific requirements, or conditions that will be needed to accommodate patrons, particularly with any high-risk attendees;
- Point of Contact (POC): Assign a primary point of contact for COVID-19 matters (“Compliance Designee”) that will be responsible for communicating with {venue name]
- Food Service: Food service and backstage catering plan (if applicable).
Contracting / License Agreements: Each Event Organizer will be required to execute an Event Use License Agreement that will contain certain COVID-specific language and generally provide for the following:
- All seating capacities and configurations must be agreed to before contracting. The Mountain Health Arena will reserve the right to reduce (or increase) the seating capacity based upon evolving guidance from local health and public officials.
- Should the seating capacity be reduced to a level that is not satisfactory to the license holder, or the Mountain Health Arena, either party may reserve the right to cancel the event and return contingency deposits, less any applicable expenses.
- Event flow, security, seating capacities and floor plans will be evaluated on an event by event basis to ensure compliance with current social distancing regulations.
Site Inspections/Pre-Event Meetings: Mountain Health Arena will host virtual site visits when possible. Initiate regular discussions between ASM Global Event Coordinator and the Event Organizer leading up to the event regarding safety, sanitation and security measures. Mandatory event day pre-briefing between ASM Global Event Coordinator and Event Organizer to review all event details, including health and safety measures. ASM Global will regularly monitor health and safety plans in conjunction with the local public health and safety departments and make adjustments as necessary.