Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Prevention Manual

We have established these guidelines, based on "Exhibition Industry Guidelines for Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 Infection" created by the Japan Exhibition Association and FUKUOKA CONVENTOIN CENTER "Facility Guideline" in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection during the trade fair period.

In order to take all possible measures for trade fairs, 1. [Infection control measures to be taken by the organizer] 2. [Infection prevention measures to be taken by exhibitors] 3. [Infection control measures addressed to visitors] are specified. We ask that you read these guidelines and to cooperate with infection prevention measures.

These guidelines are as of March 16, 2022.
The content of these guidelines may be reviewed and revised as necessary based upon the advice of experts and changes in infection rates.

Basic Policies

Organisers should plan the venue structure and site operation to reduce as far as possible crowding of exhibitors and visitors so as to prevent infection, which are 1）Closed spaces with poor ventilation 2）Crowded places with many people nearby 3）Close-contact setting such as close-range conversations, and publicize the specific measures to the attendees (i.e., exhibitors, visitors, relevant parties, and supporting companies) and make efforts so the attendees would comply thoroughly with the measures.

Request of enforcement of modified basic lifestyle

To prevent infection, we ask that you cooperate with the following basic lifestyle modifications routinely, including during trade fairs.

• Frequent hand washing / sanitizing
• Use of a mask (*non-woven mask is recommended) and observe coughing etiquette cough etiquette
• Avoidance of 3 C’s
• Maintenance of a social distance at least 1 meter, preferably 2 meter
• Checking of body temperature and physical condition every morning
  • Anyone with a temperature of 37.5℃ or over, or who is not feeling well, should not come to the venue.

Those who apply to the following conditions on the day of visit to our trade fairs will not be allowed to enter

• Those who are not wearing a mask (*non-woven mask is recommended) at the venue entrance.
• Those who do not disinfect their hands with hand sanitizer at the venue entrance.
• Those who present with a body temperature of 37.5 or over.
• Those who reject registration of information including personal information at pre-registration or reception at the venue.
• Those who have symptoms such as cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing.
• Those who have been infected with COVID-19 and are still within the past 14-days since a negative test result was obtained.
• Those who enter or return from countries/regions designated by the government and are in self-quarantine period, or have had close contact with applicable residents.
• Those who are not feeling well (e.g., abnormal sense of taste or smell, fatigue).

<<Request to install the COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application (COCOA)>>

The contact-confirming application is a smartphone app that enables you to receive notifications about the possibility of contact with someone infected with COVID-19.

This app uses the short-range communication function (Bluetooth) on smartphones upon user approval to receive notifications about the possibility of contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, while ensuring anonymity for your privacy. Users can receive support, such as testing from a public health centre sooner, by knowing that they might have been in contact with someone who has tested positive. The more users, the more effective it will be in preventing the spread of infection.

1. [Infection control measures to be taken by the organiser]

Pre-fair (During planning)

[Management of Attendees]

• Call to participants to prevent infection - call for thorough basic lifestyle modifications through the official website, visitor pre-registration page, email distribution, etc.
• Disseminate the infection control measures taken by the organiser to visitors and obtain their consent to the measures.
• For exhibitors and visitors from prefectures under special precautions and overseas, we will set another rule that emphasizes safety in accordance with infection conditions as well as policies and instructions from the central and local governments.
• All visitors are to pre-register on the official website so that the expected number of attendees is known in advance.

[Plan of on-site operation and traffic line]

• Plan the venue structure that avoids 3 C’s.
  • The aisle should be 3 meters wide or more
  • Social distancing at least 1 meter, preferably 2 meters, mandatory mask (*non-woven mask is recommended) wearing, frequent hand washing/sanitizing are reminded by signs
  • Where queuing is expected (e.g., reception), distance markers are placed at least 1meter apart (2 meters if possible) on the floor
  • Barriers such as acrylic panels and plastic curtains should be installed at places that provide in-person interactions (e.g., reception desk and information booth) and places where food and beverages are served

[Hygiene measures]

• Install hand sanitizer at the entrance of the exhibition halls and require visitors to disinfect their hands.
• If temporary rest areas or lounge are installed in the exhibition halls, disinfectant should be provided at each table or at a location that is specifically set up for that, except for simple rest areas consisting of benches only.
•  Prepare equipment such as thermography and take the temperature of visitors upon entry to the venue.

[Co-sponsored programs during the trade fair]

• At incidental events (e.g., opening ceremony, exhibitor party, social gathering) that present risks of infection, the number of attendees should be limited. Such events may be cancelled based on the infection conditions.
• For sessions such as seminars, a layout should be created so that the distance between the speakers and the audience is at least 2 meters with a shield such as acrylic panels installed on the stage to prevent droplets, and the distance between members of the audience should be at least 1 meter apart for front and back and 1 seat apart for both sides.
• At programs such as seminars, presentation and stage demonstrations, personal information of the attendees must be collected.
• To prevent infections, inform the audience in advance that writing implements, water and so forth will not be provided by the organiser.
• If monetary exchanges occur, implement online payments as much as possible.

[Others]

• Create and disseminate infection control measures to exhibitors (See 2. [Infection control measures to be taken by exhibitors]).
• Create a response manual for suspected cases of infection and publicize the manual to the sponsors / supporting companies.
• Request to install the COVID-19 contact confirmation application (COCOA).
• Obtain attendees’ name and contact information (i.e., exhibitors, visitors, relevant parties, supporting companies).
• Prior consultation and submission of the form for holding nationwide or large-scale events to Fukuoka Prefecture.

During move-in & move-out and the fair

• Call all visitors require towear a mask (*non-woven mask is recommended).
• Temperature to be taken at admission by thermography.
  * Those with a fever of 37.5°C or over are not allowed to enter the venue, and the contact information of the infection consultation centre is given. If their symptoms prevent them from going home, take them to the medical room.
• Install hand sanitizers and signage that encourage their use at the venue entrance and other high-traffic areas. Sanitizers should be refilled regularly.
• Frequent ventilation in the venue.
• Regular patrol in the hall.
• Make announcements about avoiding 3 C’s in the exhibition halls.
• Strictly keep the capacity of the waiting rooms and door should be open. The place to be touched should be disinfected regularly.
• Frequently disinfect and clean contacted items and surface, except for exhibitors’ booth, shared by many (e.g., tables, chair backs, door handles, electric switches, phones, keyboards, tablets, touch panels, cash registers, faucets, handrails).
• Obtain personal information of those attending seminars, presentation and stage demonstrations that are conducted by the organiser or the sponsor, at each session. Chairs and equipment are cleaned and disinfected for each session.
• Define the entrances and exits and arrange queue (at least 1m apart).
• Implement admission restrictions when the maximum capacity is exceeded.

After the fair

• Keep attendees’ information (name and contact information) for at least 3 weeks after the fair.
   * In cases of infection, we disclose necessary information at the request of government           agencies/municipalities in order to identify the route of Infection.

2. [Infection control measures to be taken by exhibitors]

■Mandatory of wearing a face mask (*non-woven mask is recommended) 

• Must wear a face mask from move-in period to move-out, thougout the trade fair.
• It is not allowed to wear only the mouse shield and face shield without wearing a face mask.
• The stage speakers and the moderators of the demonstrations in the booth must also wear face
• masks.
• If using a mask interferes with showing the product trial, remove the face mask only to show it and
• immediately put on the face mask again.
• Pay particular attention to droplets when confronting visitors during business negotiations,
• explanations, etc.

Pre-fair(During planning)

Selection of booth construction company: It is recommended to place an order with a reputable company from the safety standpoint, including member companies of the Japan Exhibition Association, the Nippon Display Federation, Events & Trade fair Safety Construction Promotion.

Create a booth design that considers prevention of 3 C’s

• Install barriers such as acrylic panels and plastic curtains (Available for a fee from official stand contractors (refer to p40 in the exhibitor manual)
• Disinfect exhibited products frequently or take other measures to prevent visitors from touching the exhibits
  * Structures exceeding 4meters in height and two-story construction are prohibited in order to reduce the workload and the number of staffs/workers on site. In addition, we ask the exhibitors to follow the construction regulations established by the organiser (refer to the Exhibitor Manual “Booth fitting regulations”).

Plan for management of in-house and outsourced staffs attending the exhibitors’ booths, and preventive measures.

• Create a list of in-house and outsourced staffs for each day and submit to the organiser
  * We ask to limit the number of people (including visitors) who will be present in the booth at the same time to the maximum number of people specified for each booth size.
  Size　　　　　the maximum number of people
  9㎡　　　　　　　　　　　4
  4㎡　　　　　　　　　　　3
• Arrange to have necessary protective equipment (e.g., masks (*non-woven masks are recommended), face shields) for booth attendants
• Arrange to have masks (*non-woven masks are recommended) for staffs at exhibitors’ booth and disinfectant used at booth

Other

• Inform business partners and clients that masks (*non-woven masks are recommended) and temperature check prior to visit are required.
• Consider an advance appointment system for business meetings. If possible, create a business meeting schedule that includes a list of prospective clients in advance.
• Install the COVID-19 contact confirmation application (COCOA) developed by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
• In conducting sales and holding events such as seminars, consider a pre-registration system, management with numbered tickets, shipping at a later date, and events held at multiple　locations / times.
• Consider digitalization of distribution materials and implementation of cashless payment within the exhibitors’ booth.
• If food and beverages will be provided to many unspecified visitors (e.g., tasting), Form <Food & Beverage> in the Exhibitor Manual should be submitted in advance and the required facilities and provision methods specified by the public health centre should be followed. Persons in charge of tasting should wear masks (*non-woven masks are recommended) and gloves, use disposable tableware, and make sure to dispose of garbage after completely sealing the waste bags. Tasting staff should also wear face shields in order to prevent infection by splash. When serving beverages such as water or teaduring business meetings, provide them the bottled one or in a form that poses lower risk of infection.

During move-in & move-out and the fair

• Mandatory mask (*non-woven mask is recommended) wearing and frequent hand washing / sanitizing.
• Frequently disinfect and clean contacted items and surface shared by many (e.g., exhibited products, tables, chair backs, door handles, electric switches, phones, keyboards, tablets, touch panels, cash registers, faucets, handrails).
• Garbage that may be infected with viruses (e.g., masks, used tissues, leftover food, leftover drink cups) should always be put in a sealed container such as a plastic bag, and should be disposedof in a place designated by the organiser.
• Do not call in visitors to your own booth or speak loudly.
• Create and manage a list of in-house staffs, outsourced staffs, and visitors for each day.
• Strive to prevent 3 C’s in the booth.
  • Reduce the duration of business meetings. If a meeting appears to prolong, consider using e-mail, phone, or online meeting. Record the date and time of business meetings and the name of the business partners and internal personnel present
  • Manage your booth so that it is not crowded
  • Use the digital version for business card exchange and pamphlet distribution, or take measures to avoid direct / close contact
  • For demonstrations within the exhibitors’ booths, each company is responsible for ensuring the distance between visitors and limiting the number of attendees. When performing a closeup demonstration or giving treatment, record the personal information of the operator and the visitor present and the date and time of the demonstration / treatment.
• Avoid direct / close contact by using cashless transactions or items such as trays for cash payment during monetary exchanges in the exhibitors’ booths.
• After work during the move-in and move-out period, and after closing during the event period, wipe out and sterilize within the booth and immediately leave the venue.

After the fair

• Keep attendees’ information (name and contact information) of the in-house and outsourced staffs and visitors for at least 3 weeks after the fair.
• If in-person services/treatment such as makeup, massage, and nail services were performed, keep the personal information of the visitor who received such treatment and the date and the time of the treatment for at least 3 weeks.
  * When cases of infection arise, we may ask you to disclose necessary personal information at the request of government agencies or municipalities for reasons such as specifying the route of infection.

3. [Infection control measures addressed to visitors]

Pre-fair

• All visitors are to pre-register on the website and those who refuse to register personal information at pre-registration or reception will not be allowed to enter the fair.
• Install the COVID-19 contact confirmation application (COCOA) developed by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
• Make an advance appointment for business meetings. If a meeting appears to prolong, consider using e-mail, phone, or online meeting to reduce the duration of business meetings.

At admission

Visitors for whom any of the following applies on the day of the visit to our trade fairs will not be allowed to enter the fair

• Those who present with a body temperature of 37.5 or over.
• Those who have symptoms such as cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing.
• Those who have been infected with COVID-19 and are still within the past 14-days since a negative test result was obtained.
• Those who enter or return from countries/regions designated by the government and are in self-quarantine period, or have had close contact with applicable residents.
• Those who are not feeling well (e.g., abnormal sense of taste or smell, fatigue).

Visitors who refuse any of following at admission will be not allowed to enter the fair

• Those who are not wearing a mask (*non-woven mask is recommended) at the venue entrance.
• Those who do not disinfect their hands with hand sanitizer at the venue entrance.
• Those who do not take temperature check by thermography.

The organiser will implement admission restrictions when the maximum capacity is exceeded

After entry to the venue (during business meeting)

• Mandatory mask (*non-woven mask is recommended) wearing and frequent hand washing / sanitizing.
• Reduce the duration of business meetings to avoid 3Cs.
• Keep social distance at least 1 meter, preferably 2 meters.
• Wash hand frequently after touching exhibited products.
• Do not speak loudly and strive to prevent 3Cs during business meeting.
• Record the date and time of business meetings and the name of the business partners.

After the fair

• When cases of infection arise, we may ask you to disclose necessary personal information at the request of government agencies or municipalities for reasons such as specifying the route of infection.