Covid-19 Safety: Attend with confidence

Last updated 10 June 2021

Your health and safety is our number one priority at our show. As the rail industry moves forward, we are dedicated to delivering events and facilitating trade with health and safety at the top of the agenda.

Our mostly outdoor event, Rail Live, will reopen in June in line with the latest government guidance. We have worked alongside the AEO (Association of Event Organisers) to develop the All Secure Standard, an industry wide benchmark for the safe return of organised events so you can attend with confidence.

SUMMARY

✔ Reduced contact registration area – all attendees are required to register and print badges at home before attending

✔ Event mostly outdoors – around 95% of the show is outdoors with ventilation and social distancing measures will be in place where necessary

✔ Face masks required on entry – when entering the registration tent, queueing for catering and when entering any inside exhibits

✔ 5m+ walkways – with one-way systems where this is not possible

✔ No handshake policy in place - Make use of your elbows this year!

✔ Contact-free sharing of business details – using data capture devices

✔ Exhibitors required to deep clean stands, plant and train exhibits – before during and after each show day

✔ Thorough, enhanced cleaning regime of all public areas – including toilets, information points and features

✔ Seating and meeting areas located outside and spaced out to maintain social distancing

✔ Socially distanced seminar sessions – theatres will be cleaned between sessions and will have strict seating capacities

✔ Hand sanitiser available onsite – on entry to show, at catering points and other higher-traffic areas

✔ Contactless payments only

✔ Attendees asked to bring as little with them as possible – cloakroom facilities are not available

✔ New online interactive floorplan – so you can plan your movement around the show ahead of time

Awareness & Communication

The event website, social media and emails will supply you with up-to-date information regarding guidelines in place at the show.
Please check your local government advice for guidance on travelling overseas before entering the country if you are attending from abroad.
Using the new online interactive floorplan and exhibitor list, we recommend you plan your time at the event and try to book meetings in advance where possible.
Please ensure you register and print your badge at home before attending the event – this is crucial, as we have introduced a reduced-contact registration area so there will be very limited opportunity to do this onsite.
You or your staff should not attend the event if you are displaying any COVID-19 symptoms.

Cleaning & Personal Hygiene

Where possible, we ask that you carry your own hand sanitiser and apply when you enter and leave exhibitor stands, features and theatres. We will have a limited supply available on-site on entry to the show, at catering points and other high traffic areas.
In accordance with current UK regulations, it is compulsory to wear face masks within indoor UK exhibition and conference venues. Whilst most of our event is outdoors, we request you bring your own facemask and wear when entering the registration areas and for entry into the indoor structure or inside any feature exhibits. This guidance may change as we get closer to the event.
We have asked exhibitors to ensure a deeper clean of stands, plant and train exhibits before, during and after the show opens each day; paying particular attention to high traffic touchpoints and consider visible cleaning logs.
Throughout the show site, we are conducting a thorough, enhanced, cleaning regime of all public areas to include toilets, information points and features prior to show opening and during show open periods.
There will be additional toilet units this year with one way in and out doors in addition to a regular cleaning regime of touch points.

Social Distancing

We are fortunate in the high traffic areas of the show our gangways are 5m wide or larger which will facilitate comfortably two-way traffic systems. There may be some gangways with one-way systems where this is not possible. Please follow the signage and be aware of those around you. When walking around the event, we ask you to please keep to the left of any gangway to minimise paths crossing.
We are implementing a no handshake policy. Please refrain from this or sharing business cards with one another.
Exhibitors are encouraged to used data capture devices, to ensure contact-free sharing of business details.
Try to minimise touching products where possible. If it is important to touch and feel products, please ask the exhibiting stand for gloves or cleaning protocol should you feel more comfortable with this.
Social distancing measures should be followed for any meetings, product demonstrations, entertainment or stand hospitality. We have asked exhibitors to remove giveaways and consider sending brochures electronically.
Consider arranging meetings in advance at less busy times. A well timed and spread-out schedule should include enhanced protective measures for meetings over 15 minutes.

Event and Venue Facilities

Rail Live takes place at a dedicated rail testing facility, QRTC, and we will be working closely with them and our suppliers to ensure it meets ‘venue standards’ for a covid safe event.
Contactless payments will be accepted in all catering outlets across the show. All stand catering and hospitality must be booked directly with Abbots Events – no exceptions.
Any seating or meeting areas will be spaced out to maintain social distancing and be located outside where possible. Meeting spaces will have screens provided.
Please ensure you arrive for any seminar sessions in plenty of time to facilitate socially distanced access. Theatres will be cleaned between each session and will have strict seating capacities.
Cloakroom facilities are not available – we request you bring as little with you as possible. (for the avoidance of doubt, we have toilet facilities!!!)

Track and Trace

We are confident the measures that we, the venue and the exhibitors will be putting in place will make our event as safe as possible.
Please ensure you give accurate information throughout the registration process.
The relevant local authorities will contact you if there is a need to update you regarding track and trace.