USM and professionals release guidance for event organisers

The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) has worked with a select task force of industry professionals to create the first version of the COVID-19 Considerations for Sport and Entertainment Venues and Events.

The Guide is designed to aid professionals in their decision-making regarding event planning, event operations, and other business operations based on national, state, and local municipal requirements.

NCS4 set out to make The Guide both versatile and scalable for use from any industry and any sized event. With a situation as fluid and as unpredictable as COVID-19 has proven to be it is important to remember these considerations do not supersede any local, state, or national guidelines. These considerations seek to highlight areas of concern that may need further study or demand alterations to chart a path forward for returning to events.

The Guide will be a value-added resource to the NCS4’s Best Practice Guides that have been used as the safety and security standard in intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, professional sports and entertainment facilities, and marathon and endurance events. Each year, NCS4 updates their guides after collecting information gathered at their annual forums. The newly updated 2020 editions of the guides were released on 13 July 2020 and can be accessed for free at: https://ncs4.usm.edu/knowledgeportal/best-practices

The Guide will be updated and amended as the global crisis of COVID-19 continues to evolve.