Olivia PowellLancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford have launched a campaign aimed at sharing knowledge and best practice gained from hosting behind-closed-doors Test Matches with the wider events industry.
Emirates Old Trafford has revealed ‘Safe in One Place’, a new initiative that highlights the measures required to host events in line with current government guidelines.
Following the announcement by Boris Johnson that business events, conferences and exhibitions will be allowed reopen from 1 October, Emirates Old Trafford will be releasing guidance publicly showing what the venue has learned from using from a bio-secure environment to safely host 300 people across the venue, including players, staff and media, for behind-closed-doors Test cricket.
A document outlining key information and best practice is now available for download via the Emirates Old Trafford website. The guidance includes practical information to ensure event organisers and venue operators in the UK understand how they can work and host business events and conferences, while keeping both guests and staff safe.
The Emirates Old Trafford website and social media channels will also display a range of content over the coming days aimed at giving event professionals key insights and practical knowledge. This includes behind-the-scenes venue footage, infographics, case studies and interviews featuring a host of staff members and stakeholders that played crucial roles in the risk assessments and re-writing of operational procedures that enabled the venue meet Government standards and host international cricket.
Emirates Old Trafford will also be hosting a virtual roundtable with a panel of industry figures on Friday 7 August at 15:30 BST. The roundtable will be free to attend and will feature representatives from Emirates Old Trafford, Hilton Hotels and Marketing Manchester, alongside the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. To register, click here.
Lancashire Cricket chief executive, Daniel Gidney, said: “The Safe in One Place campaign is all about sharing the knowledge and experience that we’ve gained turning Emirates Old Trafford into a bio-secure environment with the wider events industry. What we are doing at the moment with behind-closed-doors cricket, and working in conjunction with the ECB, is industry-leading and this has provided us with a blueprint to move forwards and understand what events will look like in the future. We are effectively currently the only large events venue in the country that is operating and have developed strong operational discipline.
“Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford are committed to doing all we can to help lead the way back for the industry. As a world-class venue that hosts many non-cricket events, we understand acutely just how hard the market has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and how vital it is to have clear guidance to enable the hosting of commercial events, which are the lifeblood of the industry.”