Venue transformation
pandemic, the guide does contain good
advice on standards and is being
constantly updated.
Enrico Pazzali, President of
Fondazione Fiera Milano introduced
during the UFI webinar a case study
which he termed “the most complex
experience of our life” – the story of how
Milan built a Covid hospital in just 10
days.
€20m was invested, said Pazzali,
which helped the private venue company
to produce 200 ICU beds and support up
to 1,000 people. Two pavilions were used,
covering 24,000sqm, and 800 staff and
numerous suppliers involved.
“We gave the hospital to the public
free,” Pazzali noted.
The Milan project was another huge
technical effort and Pazzali went into
detail on the architectural and
reconfiguration work.
Ian Taylor, MD at NEC in
Birmingham, also offered insight in
creating a ‘field hospital’ on their UK
site.
Taylor said it was the National Health
Service that made the initial contact on
24 March and decided on the supply
chain, with help from NEC staff and
military planners.
“We quickly moved to establish (five)
phases for the transformation project,”
said Taylor, which were:
1. Establishing a clear legal framework. 2
Then a financial framework. 3.
Mobilisation. 4 Operation delivery. 5.
Return to business as usual.
“We recognised early on that there is
no playbook in creating such a facility,”
the NEC MD adding that staff had to
accept there would be a lot of changes
which meant taking a flexible and patient
approach.
An internal communications strategy
is essential and needed to be done not
face to face but mindful of social
distancing. Technology was key here,
Taylor noted.
Another vital initial challenge, he said,
was mapping each stakeholder
organisation’s structures before charting
Right:
Inside IFEMA’s
temporary hospital
in Madrid
the process required.
NEC had created a licence and service
agreement with the NHS, he said, which
included clear agreed condition surveys
for the venue for handover.
For full detail of the guides, see the
AIPC and UFI websites.
piping for oxygen and vacuum pipes; 8
kilometres of PVC piping; 13,000 linear
metres of aluminium structure; 5,000
power outlets; 600 electricity panels; 330
doors; 430 counters; 350 shelves and 600
chairs.
IFEMA also adapted its Call Centre
to deal with the thousands of calls and
assigned a team to channel all the aid
and donations being sent in.
Of course, there are numerous
convention centres in cities around the
world following the same path – beacons
in their communities that have
transformed marketplaces into places of
healing and care.
The relief effort is truly international,
with the ADNEC Group moving to
ensure its ExCeL London venue comes
at no cost to the UK NHS.
“We stand in solidarity with Britain in
facing this crisis together, as friends and
partners,” said Abu Dhabi National
Exhibitions Company Group CEO
Humaid al Dhaheri.
While we all want to see our business
events and hospitality industry back on
its feet as soon as possible, the bold and
selfless actions taken by eventprofs in
ensuring large venues can be used for
serving the public health in this time of
crisis can only reflect well on our sector
and its skills and strengths.
Let these venues, services and staff
stand as a memorial to our sector’s value
to society now and after the crisis has
passed.
IFEMA creates the largest field
hospital in Spain
One giant example of the events sector’s
commitment to the fight against
coronavirus is evidenced in the Spanish
capital, where IFEMA’s convention and
exhibition halls have been transformed
into the country’s largest field hospital.
Eventprofs rose to the national health
emergency challenge, working in
coordination with the Community of
Madrid, Madrid City Council and the
Armed Forces, and also with IFEMA’s
suppliers to transform 85,000sqm of
halls 5, 7 and 9, enabling them to house
1,300 beds and 96 ICU stations, with the
possibility to expand to a total of 5,500
beds
Additionally, hall 14 of Feria de
Madrid is housing 150 asymptomatic
homeless people.
IFEMA was able to dovetail the skills
of its technical professionals, with those
of the medical and health personnel, with
the first area of the hospital becoming
operational on 14 March.
In a matter of hours, 38,000sqm of
linoleum flooring was installed in halls 7
and 9; 26 kilometres of sanitary copper
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