As states begin lifting shelter-in-place orders and venues prepare to reopen their doors to the public, there are many people longing for heading outdoors and resuming some sense of normalcy through entertainment and time with friends and family. What preparations should you be making right now to ensure the health, safety, and peace of mind for your guests and staff?
US theme parks and venues will be faced with a myriad of changes they have never faced before, in light of COVID-19. These challenges will take time to adapt to once your doors reopen. Venues are rapidly preparing to address health screenings for guests and employees, capacity management, and reinforcing social distancing.
Temperature screening and monitoring will be one of the major issues to tackle and prepare for, to ensure visitors and staff feel safe and remain healthy. There are several simple and valuable approaches and applications to consider when screening your guests and employees prior to entering your park or venue.
Changes in Asia's attractions industry will likely serve as a guide for the US, as parks of all sizes begin to reopen. After being cooped up for months, it is inevitable that people will be looking to have fun and return to a "new normal." There will be a heightened sense of nervousness and scrutinization among visitors, however, venues can help ease worries as they demonstrate the efforts they are making to ensure health and safety.
Many parks and attractions are implementing daily temperature screenings for all employees and guests before they can enter. Brightly-colored wristbands are the ideal visual identifier for screening and monitoring staff and visitor's temperatures.
Once employee and guest's temperatures are checked prior to entry, identify those that pass the health screening with a wristband. Due to the breadth of color options, it may be beneficial to rotate colors daily to enhance health measures so the same colored wristband is only valid for a certain day of the week. For example, yellow wristbands may be issued on Monday, blue on Tuesday, and so on. The following week, green wristbands may be given out on Monday, and orange on Tuesday to ensure that a particular color can't be worn more than one day.
You may also want to introduce pre-printed "screened" colored wristbands as an alternative method of visual identification. These also come in many colors for easy rotation. Wristbands should only be issued for those who have passed the temperature screening and are wearing the appropriate colored wristband. Not only can you utilize wristbands as part of your screening process at entry, but they also serve as a visible reminder that you've been screened to staff and other guests throughout the attraction, at checkpoints, or while practicing social distancing in lines.
It is more vital than ever that you implement health and safety measures that ensure the safety and peace of mind of your guests. If guests don't have the perception of safety, it is highly unlikely they will visit your venue, recommend friends, or return any time soon. The more measures you employ like issuing colored or pre-printed wristbands during temperature screenings, the more confidence you'll instill in your guests, and the more successful your venue will be during these unprecedented times. The attractions industry has weathered many challenges and has proven to be resilient by prioritizing guest satisfaction.
View our "Screening Made Easy" infographic .