News Focus
The Business Design Centre (BDC)
is ready to receive visitors safely
as soon as the government lifts the
current restrictions on events taking
place.
Kate Simpson, is the marketing
and communications director at the
mixed-use venue and told EN that the
venue had to act quickly to ensure it
was safe for the businesses using the
office space, and that such measures
would give organisers a glimpse of
what Covid Secure events may look
like. She said: “We are bringing the
initial movements of post-lockdown
life back into the building for the
companies who operate from the many
permanent offices surrounding our
conference and exhibition space. In
implementing the measures to make
the venue safe, it also gives us an early
opportunity to observe and refine the
way our procedures work, giving our
event clients a chance to come to the
venue and envisage how they could
operate under the current guidelines
too.”
She added: “It has been an important
challenge for us to address how we
can reassure those returning to the
BDC that we are doing everything in
our power to make the building both
safe and comfortable without the
monotonous repetition of the words
we have been hearing for the last few
months.
“Our new signage and
communications have been developed
with this in mind, leaning on the BDC
community to not only follow the
advice, but to be mindful and show
kindness when moving around the
building.”
Simpson went on to explain what had
been introduced. “The new measures
begin as you reach the venue, with
thermal imaging technology that
is currently being installed in
the reception area to detect body
temperatures of those arriving into
the building,” she said.
“Although there will be measures
to ensure distancing upon entry, the
BDC ready to go
Saul Leese talks to Kate Simpson, marketing and
communications director, Business Design Centre about the
post-lockdown venue being ready to open
software can process large numbers
of people simultaneously, alerting
the team to those presenting with
a temperature of over 38°C. We are
creating an area for the commuters
who may have run or cycled to cool
off before entering the building and
can manually take temperatures again
with an acceptable distance in place if
required.”
The BDC has also introduced a oneway
system on every floor, including
two metre reminder chevrons and
directional signage in stairwells
with waiting points for safer passing
on landing areas. Perspex screens
have been mounted on all counters
around the venue, including reception
desks and the organisers’ office.
More touchless features designed
to reduce the need for contact are
to be installed. The number of hand
sanitiser points has been increased
and so too has the number of hot
water basins.
Simpson added: “Our continued
rigorous cleaning schedule of highvolume
touch points, communal
areas and other amenities has been
increased to include the deployment of
newly purchased ‘fogging’ machines.
These machines allow us to use
chemicals approved by Public Health
England in treating the Covid-19 virus
and can sanitise large areas quickly
and efficiently.
“We will begin using these to ensure
all office spaces are safe for staff
and tenants to return to, as well as
communal areas, extending this to
our event spaces prior to their use. As
an example, overnight cleaning with
this equipment allows us to seal rooms
before an event organiser arrives in
the morning giving them the comfort
of knowing they’re using a secure and
safe space.”
Simpson explained that there will
likely be two sides to events going
forward, with a combination of both
live and digital becoming even more
prevalent. “We have been preparing
for this with our in-house support
team, Granite, and on-site AV partners
Aztec to provide cost price high,
speed connectivity and affordable live
streaming to all events taking place
this year. This will mean our events
can deliver their content via their
own websites or social channels, with
a minimal impact on valuable event
spend.”
16 — June